A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O'Connor

In Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man Is Hard to Find”, a grandmother attempts to convince her son, Bailey, and his wife to take their family to east Tennessee for vacation instead of Florida. To make her case, she points out an article about the Misfit, an escaped prisoner rumored to be heading towards Florida, also saying that the children have already been to Florida anyways. John Wesley and June Star (Bailey and his wife’s children) frequently give their input on the situation, June especially proving not to be afraid to share her opinion. I found the dynamic of the family to be very interesting and dysfunctional, annotating the texts with phrases like "the children have bad attitudes" and wondering why the grandmother sat in the back seat between the children. On their drive, the family stops at a restaurant called the Tower and meet the owner, Red Sammy Butts. He complains that people are untrustworthy, explaining that he recently let two men buy gasoline on credit. As they get back on the road, the grandmother insists on visiting a plantation she has visited before, which takes the trip deep into the woods. The story takes a turn, as they crash the car, which is witnessed by two men, who drive over to seemingly help them. We find out that one of the men is the Misfit, and the family soon meets their demise. Before shooting the grandmother, the Misfit debates about Jesus and being a Christian, revealing some of the possible reasons behind his criminal tendencies.

As I read more of O’Connor’s work, I enjoy it more and more because of the way in which she weaves her Christian morals into the story line seamlessly, still making the story eventful and meaningful to whoever reads it. My favorite part of the story was the debate about what Jesus means to him. The Misfit says that Jesus confused everything by raising the dead, and if what Jesus did is true, then everyone must follow him. But, if he didn’t raise the dead, then all anyone can do is enjoy their time on earth by getting caught up in “meanness.” The grandmother agrees on the idea that maybe Jesus didn’t raise the dead. The Misfit says he wishes he had been there so he could know for sure. Finally,The grandmother calls the Misfit “one of my own children,” and the Misfit shoots her in the chest three times. I think the theme behind this exchange this can be interpreted in many different ways, and I am interested in hearing the class' theories on what it means, diving deeper into the story.