Flannery OConnors A Good Man Is Hard To Find :: essays research papers

     In her short story "A Good Man is Hard to Find Flannery OConnors seems to outline a feeling that society as she saw it was drastically changing for the worse.OConnors obvious displeasure with society at the time is most likely a result of herCatholic religion and her very conservative upbringing in the old south. She seems todepict her opinion in this particular story by utilize the character of the grandma toshow what she saw was happening to the times. Evidence of societys "demise" is woveninto the story, and presented through an inte peacefulnessing generation gap between thegrandmother and her family.      The grandmother is representative of devoutness and Christianity which OConnorapparently believed to be more prevalent in the "glamorous" Old South. Attention to primdetail separated the grandmother from the rest of her family who seemed to be living in adifferent world than she. As she organized herself in pre paration for the trip, her familywas described as rather common tribe living in a frusturated middle class world.OConnor described the old woman as she settled herself comfortably, removing her whitecotton gloves and putting them up with her purse on the shelf in front of the back window.The childrens mother still had on slacks and still had her head tied up in a green kerchiefbut the grandmother had on a navy blue straw sailor hat with a bunch of white violets onthe brim and a navy blue dress with a small white dot in the print. Her collar and cuffswere white organdy trimmed with lace, and at her neckline she had pinned a purple sprayof cloth violets containing a sachet. In case of an accident, anyone seeing her dead on thehighway would know at once she was a lady.      The parents pay little attention to the grandmother and when they do, they areoften quite rude. The unruly children are representative of the breakdown of respect, anddiscipline, and are consequ ently a gauge of future generations. They constantly demeanthe grandmother and at one point, June Star even complains that her grandmother has togo everywhere they go right to her face. OConnor seems to be illustrating not only howtimes are changing, but how the future generations have no respect for thier precedents.     The Misfit represents evil. At one point the Misfit likens himself to Christ, in thatthey both were punish for crimes they did not commit. Christ accepted death for the sinsof all people, however. The Misfit is in a constant battle against his fate that he sees