Close Reading
O’Connor’s story, “A Good Man is Hard to Find” offers countless interpretations that deal with salvation, grace, punishment, redemption, and forgiveness. The ending is ambiguous because it is unknown whether The Misfit actually gets away with the crime or if the grandmother has an effect on him. Overall, the theme of the story is that, “It is not possible for someone to be entirely good or evil.” It is clear after careful interpretation that the grandmother is not absolutely “good”, despite how she perceives herself. On the other hand, The Misfit is not ultimately “evil”, despite the reader’s first assumption attributed to his actions. O’Connor stressed this point by means of the organization, point of view, characterization, setting, and imagery.
O’Connor constructed the organization of this work very carefully. She wanted to leave readers in absolute shock. The story moves in a linear fashion and introduces the characters of the story immediately. It seems as though it is your typical story. Nevertheless, as the story progresses, the events only cause more excitement and a sense of expectation of the climax. For instance, when they take a detour or when the car breaks down, the reader knows something is coming. When the climax does come, the resolution is not much of a resolution. Since the family seems like an ordinary group of people whose lives are uneventful, it is hard to accept their fate. Readers are left feeling somewhat heartbroken and confused, but at the same time feeling very grateful for having read the story. O’Connor wanted the readers to feel like this, so that when the story does conclude, they are left speechless.
The point of view changes slightly as the story develops, but it always focuses on the inner thoughts and actions of the grandmother. It is told from a limited omniscient point of view and it describes the actions of others from an objective standpoint. It is clear as soon as the story starts that it is the grandmother’s story. It is unclear why O’Connor did not chose the grandmother to narrate the story herself, though it would have to change to a third-person narrator when she is murdered. Nevertheless, the narration concentrated on the grandmother creates a sense of uncertainty about the beliefs of her family. The fact that there is no direct insight to the feelings of her family creates a sense of uncertainty and ambiguity that keeps the reader on their toes. It would have been very interesting to see what Bailey’s inner thoughts were about both his mother and The Misfit, as well. From the reader’s standpoint, little is known about Bailey and his family. They have short encounters with The Misfit because they are so scared that they obey his orders. The grandmother is the only person who has a significant conversation with him. It is also very fascinating that O’Connor decides to present the reader with insight into The Misfit’s beliefs through dialogue with the grandmother. This allows the reader to form a deep and personal connection with both the grandmother and The Misfit. Interpretation of the story would be difficult if the reader was not able to examine the point of views of the two characters. If she had only presented the grandmother’s views, the story would not have such meaning and effect.
The characterization of the grandmother especially conveys the theme. The grandmother first comes off as expected, a typical old woman who argues with her son. However, as the story unfolds, her remarks and acts prove that she is indeed dishonest, selfish, ignorant and insincere. Readers see that she is not the ethical and noble person she perceives herself as. The grandmother continually speaks about how people cannot be trusted and it is almost impossible to find a decent person. The first chance readers get to know the true grandmother is when she lies about leaving the cat home. Readers understand her character better when she sees a small, African American boy outside. She calls him a “pickaninny” and suggests that he probably does not own pants (O’Connor par. 18). She does not sympathize for the child at all and instead says she would like to paint the picture. The grandmother even tells her grandchildren that African Americans do not have the same possessions that they do. This suggests that she distinguishes herself as aristocratic and superior to African Americans. She remarks often in the story about how her days were so different in the “old South”. Her aristocratic attitude is further revealed when she talks to the Misfit about “common blood”. This implies that if he is not from “common blood” he is not worthy because he does not come from “nice” people (par. 88). Furthermore, she acts as a hypocrite because she wants The Misfit to pray for himself, though she does not pray for him, or her family for that matter. The grandmother represents many who justify degrading others because they attend church weekly. She does not even mention Jesus until she is about to die. It is especially strange that when her son is led to the woods, she is worried about fixing her hat (par. 96). It seems as though the grandmother does not actually become hysterical until after her family is killed and she is the last one. The grandmother then screams desperately that she is a lady and he cannot possibly harm one. The Misfit tells her that if he had seen Jesus rise from the dead, perhaps life would be meaningful and he would have turned out different. The grandmother has a moment of clarity after this, in which she realizes that he is her kinship and she is somehow responsible for him. It is then the grandmother reaches out to him, an act of selflessness and forgiveness. It is the first time that readers see the grandmother in a pure light, doing the right thing. She departs with a smile on her face.
The setting is somewhat vague in the introduction. O’Connor only reveals that it takes place in Georgia. They do see Stone Mountain, though it is not clear how far away they are. As the family drives, they pass many farms and plantations, the grandmother pointing out the crops. Another place of setting is the typical country barbeque place on the side of the road that they stop at. The continuation of the story is set in a ditch on a hilly, dirt road. The family is stuck in the middle of nowhere, with nothing in sight. They are surrounded by forests on both sides. In numerous parts of the story, it is said to be a beautiful day outside, wonderful weather for a drive. At the time of their murder, it is believed that it is nighttime because the narrator says, “there was not a cloud in the sky nor any sun” (O’Connor par. 127). As for the time period, it is suggested that it takes place sometime in the 1940s. The grandmother mentions “Gone With the Wind” and the car has been invented (“O’Connor par. 23).
There is a substantial amount of imagery and symbolism in this story that ultimately foreshadow the family’s fate. Despite the obvious imagery of the woods and dirt roads that symbolize seclusion and fear, there are many more examples. Firstly, the grandmother’s clothes act as a crucial symbol in the story. She dresses up in her finest clothes to travel, simply because she believes that “in case of any accident, anyone seeing her dead on the highway would know at once that she was a lady” (O’Connor par. 12). It is ironic that she even thinks this in the first place, when she is dressing, let alone that she does indeed die on the side of the road. Also, on their way the grandmother points out a graveyard, talking especially to the children (O’Connor par. 22). Thirdly, the grandmother chooses to play the song, “The Tennessee Waltz” while in the restaurant. The lyrics of the song are, “Wish I’d known just how much it would cost, But I didn’t see it comin’, it’s all over but the cryin’” (http://www.cowboylyrics.com/lyrics/harris-emmylou/tennessee-waltz-6286.html). O’Connor deliberately chose to name the town that the family drives through “Toombsboro” to foretell their destiny (O’Connor par. 45). Lastly, the car that The Misfit arrives in is “hearse like”, making it an image of death. These images contribute greatly to the irony found in the work. It is also important to point out that the grandmother did not want to go to Florida because of The Misfit, yet she is the first one ready the next day (O’Connor par. 10). Furthermore, it is ironic that the grandmother talks about The Misfit’s victims as “these people”, yet her family is soon “them” (O’Connor par. 1). In the beginning of the story, June Star says, “She has to go everywhere we go” (O’Connor par. 7). This is ironic because the grandmother is the last to get shot. She also sneaks the cat in the car, which is blamed for causing the accident. In closing, it is ironic that if the grandmother had not recognized The Misfit, they would have “been better of” (O’Connor par. 83).
Filed by hayej at June 17th, 2009 under Uncategorized