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The Misfit In A Good Man Is Hard To Find

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The Misfit In A Good Man Is Hard To Find
“A Good Man Is Hard To Find” is a short story that was published in 1955 by Flannery O’Connor. It is one of the most famous examples of Southern Gothic literature. Southern Gothic Literature is a type of writing that includes deeply flawed, disturbing or abnormal characters. In “A Good Man Is Hard To Find” we see these characteristics in the main characters, The Misfit and the grandmother. What really caught my attention is how Flannery O’Connor depicts these characters. The Misfit and the grandmother are similar in many ways. Throughout this research I will be analyzing the character of the grandmother, The Misfit, and comparing them both.

Looking at the character of the grandmother, which is the central character of the story, we can see …show more content…
One article makes the point that, “Although the Misfit is not physically present until the final pages, his influence hangs over the story almost from the beginning…” (Bandy). The Misfit, we learn from the story, was put in the pin for apparently murdering his father. This is a little ironic seeing as how The Misfit states in the story that his parents are the “finest people in the world,” and he also says his “daddy's heart was pure gold” (O’Connor, 41). Was he being sarcastic or was The Misfit actually innocent as he claims to be? He doesn't seem so innocent seeing as how he murders an entire family. With The Misfit’s murderous actions we don't see him as having moral codes, or being spiritual in a sense. The Misfit states that there's “no pleasure but meanness” (O’Connor, 45). One article says that, “...he will seek revenge on Christ's mercy by killing God's children as they deserve to be killed for his sake”(Kinney). This could be the reason he killed the grandmother; for stating he is one of her own children. The Misfit seriously questions the meaning of life in general as we see from the story. Stating from an article, “...the Misfit's life of punishment has not fit his crimes”(Overview). The Misfit feels that he doesn't have a meaning or place in the world. He feels misplaced and that his punishment, referencing the previous quote, didn't fit his crime, hence the name The Misfit. The Misfit tells the grandmother that he can’t remember why he got sent to the penitentiary, and that the only difference between him and Jesus is that they can prove that he committed a crime because they have papers on him. From the way The Misfit talks it seems that he doesn't believe he actually committed a crime. He puts it in a way as saying he was “buried alive”(O’Connor, 43). He sees
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