Exploring Characters and Themes in A Good Man Is Hard to...

Exploring Characters in A Good Man is Hard to Find Flannery OConnor once said of her writing, All my stories are about the action of grace on a character that is not very willing to support it, but most people think of these stories as hard, hopeless and brutal. This statement is especially true when matched with OConnors A Good Man is Hard to Find, in which character plays such an essential role within the story. Through her characters, particularly the Grandmother and the Misfit, OConner manages to inject many elements; the characters embody symbols and themes such as OBriens message of Christianity. The primary character in this story is the Grandmother whose epiphany at the end of the story gives the†¦show more content†¦In many ways, Bailey becomes more of a tangible character later when he is led off and shot; in his absence, we are shown that the Grandmother does indeed love him as she desperately calls out Bailey Boy. She is condescending to her grandchildren as well, but in a more direct matter. There is humor to be found in their interactions, because she often reprimands them, but they have feelings of superiority to her. Her granddaughter, June Star, mirrors her Grandmother in certain manners--she too is rude and annoying but not it the same passive manner. June Stars brother John Wesley is depicted as relatively ordinary; his main function in the story is his eagerness to see the house that leads to the familys death, but like his sister he also provides quite a bit of humor. The Grandmothers superiority reaches far beyond her family. She reveals a racist and ignorant nature when she calls a poor Black child a pickaninny. At the barbecue restaurant the family stops at, she has a conversation with the owner, Red Sammy Butts about the problems the world is facing and they reminisce about better times. Red Sammys statement a good man is hard to find, is in reference for the nostalgia they feel for better times and better people. When discussing men who robbed him, he says that it was a beat up car, but it was a good one and these boys looked al right toShow MoreRelatedEssay on A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery OConnor1564 Words   |  7 PagesA Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery OConnor A Good Man is Hard to Find is an extremely powerful commentary that elucidates Flannery OConnors opinions about religion and society. Like the majority of her other works, A Good Man is Hard to Find has attracted many interpretations based on Christian dogma (Bandy 1). These Christian explications are justified because Miss OConnor is notorious for expressing Catholic doctrines through her fiction. Once she even remarked I see fromRead MoreFlannery O Connor s Writing Style1680 Words   |  7 PagesFlannery O’connor is one of the most shinning stars in American literature. 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