A Good Man Is Hard To Find Foreshadowing
In Flannery O'Connor's short story "A Good
Man is Hard to Find," the gruesome ending comes as quite a shock. But, upon a second read, signs of an ominous end permeate the work. Hints of the family's tragic finale exist throughout the plot until the time of the first murder. The story contains pervasive images of death and to foreshadow the ultimate demise of the nameless family at the hands of the malicious Misfit and his henchmen. Before the story begins, O'Connor provides the reader with an epigraph. It quotes, "The
Dragon is by the side of the road, watching those who pass. Beware lest he devour you.
We go to the father of souls, but it is necessary to pass by the dragon." (St. Cyril of
Jerusalem). These few sentences …show more content…
In order for her to act as a true Christian, she must accept him and forgive him (Brown 1).
She looks at him and exclaims, "Why you're one of my babies. You're one of my own children" (O'Connor 402). When questioned about this statement, O'Connor explains it as the grandmother's moment of grace (Dowell
236). The Misfit replies to her outburst by shooting her three times in the chest, bringing the long awaited tragedy, the death of the grandmother, to a reality. Flannery O'Connor uses strong imagery and symbolism to foreshadow the tragic events that occur at the end of "A Good Man is Hard to
Find." She first gives her readers a taste of the ending by informing them of the evil ways of the mass murderer, the Misfit. She then proceeds to foreshadow many upcoming events through an epigraph, characterization, attention to details, sequence of events, and dialogue. But although informative in her writing, O'Connor remains careful not to give away the surprise ending too soon. On examination of the story's details, readers can easily ascertain the ubiquitous sign posting of the tragic denouement of the nameless
Man is Hard to Find," the gruesome ending comes as quite a shock. But, upon a second read, signs of an ominous end permeate the work. Hints of the family's tragic finale exist throughout the plot until the time of the first murder. The story contains pervasive images of death and to foreshadow the ultimate demise of the nameless family at the hands of the malicious Misfit and his henchmen. Before the story begins, O'Connor provides the reader with an epigraph. It quotes, "The
Dragon is by the side of the road, watching those who pass. Beware lest he devour you.
We go to the father of souls, but it is necessary to pass by the dragon." (St. Cyril of
Jerusalem). These few sentences …show more content…
In order for her to act as a true Christian, she must accept him and forgive him (Brown 1).
She looks at him and exclaims, "Why you're one of my babies. You're one of my own children" (O'Connor 402). When questioned about this statement, O'Connor explains it as the grandmother's moment of grace (Dowell
236). The Misfit replies to her outburst by shooting her three times in the chest, bringing the long awaited tragedy, the death of the grandmother, to a reality. Flannery O'Connor uses strong imagery and symbolism to foreshadow the tragic events that occur at the end of "A Good Man is Hard to
Find." She first gives her readers a taste of the ending by informing them of the evil ways of the mass murderer, the Misfit. She then proceeds to foreshadow many upcoming events through an epigraph, characterization, attention to details, sequence of events, and dialogue. But although informative in her writing, O'Connor remains careful not to give away the surprise ending too soon. On examination of the story's details, readers can easily ascertain the ubiquitous sign posting of the tragic denouement of the nameless