I think this particular title "A good man is hard to find," can have many different themes depending on how you interpret the story. For example, it could be about a family that lacks love for the grandmother, or a family that goes on a trip that wound up having an accident which brings them to a bad situation in the end. I first read the title, and thought that the story would involve a woman who can't seem to find true love within a man, and she had no hope of faith in relationships. I started to read the story, and come to find out the title did relate to the story with a completely different meaning. I think the significance of the title is to "convert" people who have not yet accepted the Christian faith. I think this title does provide insight on the text because its about a journey for grace, and forgiveness in a world where the redemption the grandma is searching for proves to be hard to find. I think the grandma is out of touch with her own faith in Jesus, and realizes this in the end when she is next to dying along with her family. I think the story is trying to say that grace if for everyone. This particular quote relates to the title I thought "A good man is hard to find." Red Sammy said. "Everything is getting terrible. I remember the day you could go off and leave your screen door unlatched. Not no more" (1254). I think the title can bring about some misconceptions, but it's all about how you relate it to the story.
The grandma portrays herself to be self- serving, and strives for constant attention. She always wants to make the decision such as the trip, and she lives in a sheltered environment gaining knowledge by reading the news paper, and watching television. The only one who understands her is June Star. The way the grandma expresses herself makes her family less sympathetic towards her. O' Connor portrays non likable characters. The characters are ignorant people, shocked into self realization. By the way the story is showcased I find the elements alienating. For example "You're the Misfit! she said. "I recognized you at once!"
"Yes'm," the man said, smiling slightly as if he were pleased inspite of himself to be known," but it would have been better for all of you, lady, if you hadn't of reckernized me (1257). I think by saying this the grandma was responsible for the deaths of her family, and self. The charcters had no sympathy the misfit was a cold-blooded murder, and mental torture like the example in the above quote shows. The grandma said "Why you're one of my babies. You're one of my own children"(1261). Then after she touched his shoulder the misfit shot her three times through the chest. I feel she triggered a emotion in him of christainanity that made him aggresive, and lash out in a harmful way.I think both of the characters can be seen as grotesque the grandma, and the misfit. The misfit represents the violence in present day life. The grandma represents the death of us all. I dont think the story helps render the characters at all. I think everyone in the story struggled to find their true self within a christain context.
I really enjoyed your summary of the story for identifying the contents of the story and the characters. There are two things that I agree and disagree with your points. First, what I agree with you is about your statement about the significance of the title – A Good Man is Hard to Find. Ironically, like what you said, it also gave ma a completely different meaning of the theme, with understanding of difficulty of human justice in regards to the personal belief versus the belief of majority. If the personal belief fits into the major belief, there’s no big deal, but on the other hand, there would be a big argument for defining the terms: What’s good and what’s bad? And now I disagree with yours is the summary of the theme as to convert people who have not yet accepted the Christian faith. In my opinion, it is very obvious that what the Misfit have done in the story is so violent, brutal for most of individuals who possibly does not belong to Christianity. I think it is enough to put the judgement within a common human morality without any major belief. I think that the point of this story from the author is that she tried to suggest one of the most general major beliefs that could represent the most people’s reaction in reality as to contrast to the “dark” side of us, human. Killing people, the topic itself might bring somewhat hesitation at the first moment though, however, I believe we need put aside its high violence and inhumane, and then equally consider the Misfit’s and the grandma’s two different thoughts about Christianity and God because what Misfit stated about God could possibly represent the people who do not believe in God. Even though Misfit had some bad experience in the past, it cannot deviate the fact that people, who do not believe in God, are not always like Misfit. And that is the essence of implementation of the grotesque in this story, making the theme more special and rare, which is ironical, but it makes sense in a tweaked way.
ReplyDeleteI like the thought you put into your answers, however, I disagree with a few points. But first, I wanted to let you know that I, too, thought of the same thing when I first read the title. I thought it was going to be about a relationship between a man and a woman. About the wrong he has done to her and the things he will endure to make them up to her to show her that he does love her. The title is a catchy one at that and it really does make you think about the different themes the O'Connor could have meant by it.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with your interpretation of the grandmother. I suppose I am a little sympathetic towards her than you may be. But I do not hold her responsible for her family's death. The Misfit is the one who made the choice to kill them. Even if she made it know that she recognized him, she did not have the resources to alert the authorities about his where abouts. I did not find it necessary to shoot the family; The Misfit had an escape and the family was stuck in the ditch with their car. Second, I do not agree with your statement " She always wants to make the decision such as the trip, and she lives in a sheltered environment gaining knowledge by reading the news paper, and watching television." The grandmother seems to have been many places in her life and it seems like she has seen many things as well. While conversing with her family, she talks about the places she would like to revisit instead going to Florida AGAIN! Also, when they are all in the car, she continues to tell her family about the plantations she has lived on which eventually leads them to their life-ending journey to the house that she eventually remembers is in Tennessee and not Georgia. I do agree with you that she is a self-serving woman but as for attention starved, I think she just wants to be a part of her family's life for the little time she has left.
I believe this story had many elements of Christianity like you mentioned. I agree with you when you say that you thought the story would be about love and how a woman is searching for a "good man" however was surprised to see that one major theme revolved around a Christian theme. I think the point of this is to show that although the Grandma talks like a Christian, she doesn't necessarily walk the talk. She has episodes of lying, judging, being deceptive, and being selfish throughout the story and I believe that's where the Christian theme of grace comes in. In Christianity grace comes to those that never deserve it. In essence grace is a kind of love that can never be earned but rather is a gift to those that are undeserving of it. The Misfit and the Grandmother both represent people that are unworthy of grace yet can embrace it. And people worldwide can relate to these two characters because deep down inside people can confess that they too are as dark and deceitful, albeit in different ways, as the Misfit or the Grandmother. There can be a connection made between the reader and the characters displayed through this story. So if the author is attempting to "convert" others through this story like you said, they are showing humanity and their brokenness through themes of pride, lying, deceit, murdering, so and so forth in order to show that as these two people are undeserving individuals of grace so is the rest of humanity. However, because grace is a gift it can be given to such people.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you, I thought at first after reading the title that the story would be about a women who is struggling to find love. I think the author was trying to mislead his readers so they wouldn't really know what to expect. I too felt that the story related to the title in the opposite meaning you would think it to be and the grandmothers faith in those men showed that even the worst of people can have some good in them (at some point).
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