Preview

Psychoanalytical Criticism of “a Good Man Is Hard to Find”

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1414 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Psychoanalytical Criticism of “a Good Man Is Hard to Find”
Psychoanalytical Criticism of “A Good Man Is Hard To Find”

A seemingly innocent family vacation can turn into a disaster if the members of the family only care about themselves. In the story “A Good Man Is Hard To Find” by Flannery O’Connor, a self-absorbed Grandmother, too consumed with her own opinions, fails to address the views, feelings and overall well being of others. Her family is not much different in their self-interested ways. This leads them straight to the Misfit whose childhood trauma has caused him to grow up into a damaged individual. The Misfit does not believe in the Grandmother’s religious beliefs and she ultimately cannot reach out and help him. The characters get themselves into a predicament for living in the Id stage, and O’Connor uses their actions to express her unconscious thoughts from her own view of life. She displays their detestable behavior in a negative manner leading up to their downfall. O’Connor shows her repressed, lonely emotions and religious focus through the thoughts and dialogue of her characters’ past experiences and self-absorption.
Being brought up religiously, Flannery O’Connor unveils her repressed feelings about life through her writing. She also conveys her displeasure with materialistic society. This is displayed with the family’s horrid behavior. It is also believed that O’Connor writes about the hardship of her father’s death. After her loss, O’Connor felt out of place and alone like the Misfit. Though unlike the Misfit, O’Connor kept her faith close. For O'Connor, God's grace comes from forces outside the character, something they did not deserve, or a moment of epiphany. However, O'Connor's characters miss their opportunity to make a connection. The poor connection with God keeps them from seeing the light. She expresses religion throughout the story. She created it to be the family’s fate by God to die when they did. Also, for the Misfit not having a strong relationship with God, he winds down the wrong path


Cited: Cherry, Kendra. “The Conscious and Unconscious Mind.” About.com. n.p. n.d. Web. 26 April 2010 Gill, N.S. “Oedipal Complex” About.com. n.p. n.d. Web. 27 April 2010 O’Connor, Flannery. “A Good Man is Hard to Find”. Pegasus.cc.ucf.edu. Mariner Books. 23 August 1977. Web. 30 April 2010. "O 'Connor, Flannery (1925-1964).(Narrative biography)." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Thomson Gale, 1998. General OneFile. Web. 17 May 2010.
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    A Good Man is Hard To Find
    • 946 Words
    • 3 Pages

    A Good Man is Hard To Find

    In “A Good Man Is Hard to Find”, O’Connor seems to suggest that only through conflicts can the “good” in people be found. The way that the grandmother seems to dwell in the past suggests that she believes that it would’ve been easier to find a “good” man a long time ago. To the grandmother, trying to find goodness today would prove to be very challenging and possibly even useless. Through the use of symbolism, foreshadowing, and metaphors, O’Connor develops the story’s theme.…

    • 946 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    A Good Man Is Hard to Find written by Flannery O’ Connor
    • 1105 Words
    • 5 Pages

    A Good Man Is Hard to Find written by Flannery O’ Connor

    “A Good Man Is Hard To Find” is written by Flannery O’ Connor. This cynical short story takes a dive into this family’s lives while they are on a road trip to Florida. During this supposed to be long-lasting vacation, the reader gains a grasp of each character and their personalities. As this ‘not so close’ family travels through Georgia, the grandmother and children convinced the father, Bailey, with their whining, to go off course to some house the grandmother remembers. Unfortunately, the grandmother forgot to mention that the detailed house she remembers is in Tennessee, not Georgia. At the same moment the grandmother’s cat latches onto Bailey’s neck as panic sweeps through when their car flips twice into a ditch. The overwhelming feeling of being saved arises as they watch strangers slowly pull up, quickly fades when the grandmother screams, “You’re The Misfit”. Throughout this story, both the Misfit and the grandmother are unable to see the truth about themselves and are in deniable about their self-concept. The grandmother is a self-deluded, manipulated woman who is convinced that she is a good person and comes from ‘good blood’ and her grandchildren, John Wesley and June Star, see right through it. Her son, Bailey, is only tolerant of her because she is his mother, up until her ignorance is too much for him to handle during the accident. The Misfit, a criminal and a murderer, is equally if not more self-deluded than the grandmother. Ironically, he has a seriousness about life’s meaning (of lack thereof) and a searching need to look below the surface of events that the grandmother lacks. It takes the murder of the grandmother’s family and the immanent threat of her own death to break through her hard shell of denial and open her eyes to her common humanity with the lowly Misfit at the end of the story.…

    • 1105 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Complete Sentences
    • 313 Words
    • 2 Pages

    A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Complete Sentences

    DIRECTIONS: Read each sub-set of directions and answer all questions, using text evidence when necessary. Answer all questions in complete sentences, unless directly stated.…

    • 313 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Thematic interpretation of “A Good Man is Hard to Find”
    • 254 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Thematic interpretation of “A Good Man is Hard to Find”

    Flannery O’Conner portrays many messages through her story “A Good Man is Hard to Find”. Religion is shown throughout the story from the Grandmothers point of view. She is a classy lady and judges many on her knowledge of Christ to determine whether or not they should be considered “good”. This story displays that God’s grace can be received by anyone, in any form and that each and everyone can be saved, according to the Grandmother’s judgment, actions, and epiphany. The Grandmother spent most of her life criticizing others on how to achieve her view of gods expectations. She believes that if you are good then you must come from a good family and live through the beliefs of the church. In the end, during the Grandmother’s epiphany she receives gods grace and tries desperately to pass it on to the Misfit, believing that anyone can be saved by god. However, he is pure evil and does not understand the feeling of “good” even though it may lay deep inside him. The Misfit rejects the presence of God in his heart, and that is the main cause of his evilness. The Misfit conscious threatens his evil and he then, decided not to accept his chance to receive God‘s Grace. The Grandmother lived her life judging what is “good” and in the end ironically ended up in the most evil hands, the Misfit.…

    • 254 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    A Good Man Is Hard to Find--Charecter Analysis: Grandmother
    • 562 Words
    • 3 Pages

    A Good Man Is Hard to Find--Charecter Analysis: Grandmother

    “‘She would have been a good woman,’ said The Misfit, ‘if someone had been there to shoot her everyday of her life.’ ”…

    • 562 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” Literary Analysis
    • 1115 Words
    • 5 Pages

    “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” Literary Analysis

    “A good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O'Conner depicts a southern family, who is at odds about where they should go for a family vacation. They will eventually agree to head for Florida, once in the car the family will go through a series of events that will shapen each indivudal character. One of the main characters in the story, “The Grandmother”, who is known for her critical , savvy ways gives the audience her definition of what exactly it means to be a lady. The Grandmother and her family will be put to death by an escaped criminal by the name of the Misfit, who the grandmother warns the family of before there voyage to Florida. In the story one will see that although the Grandmother had not been a known convicted felon, like the Misfit, her way for thinking and immoral behavior was no different than that of the Misfit and that they were alike in many different ways. Although the Grandmother in “A Good Man is Hard to find”, tries to portray herself has a good role model and a Christian lady one will later see as story evolve that she was a woman contrary of her word and was indeed the ultimate “misfit”.…

    • 1115 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Grandmother Who Went Through Lengths to Manipulate Her Family
    • 733 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Grandmother Who Went Through Lengths to Manipulate Her Family

    Cited: O’Conner, Flannery. “A Good Man Is Hard to Find.” Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry,…

    • 733 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    A Good Man Is Hard To Find By Flannery O Connor
    • 553 Words
    • 3 Pages

    A Good Man Is Hard To Find By Flannery O Connor

    A focus on characters, especially the grandmother gives a theme of grace and self-discovery. Once faced with the misfit and possible death she changes from unreligious to religious trying to bid her survival. And in turn has an insight of herself and the misfit. The theme of self-discovery is shown with the grandmothers change. She isn’t as bad as she may seem, just like the misfit who she at first despises then later relates with.…

    • 553 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    A good man is hard to find analysis
    • 826 Words
    • 4 Pages

    A good man is hard to find analysis

    In the short story “A Good Man is Hard to Find” the author, Flannery O’Connor communicates literary symbols and prominence of Southern culture. Within the story, there are subtle yet important details that make the entirety of the piece as iconic as it is. The reoccurring theme of being a lady and moral codes both are important to the overall concept of the story.…

    • 826 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    A Good Man Is Hard To Find Character Analysis Essay
    • 1982 Words
    • 8 Pages

    A Good Man Is Hard To Find Character Analysis Essay

    For instance during this conversation she exclaims, "Jesus!" the old lady cried. "You've got good blood! I know you wouldn't shoot a lady! I know you come from nice people! Pray! Jesus, you ought not to shoot a lady. I'll give you all the money I've got!" (O’Connor 715). The reader begins to feel as though this is just simply a poor old woman on the verge of a breakdown. Finally the use of actions to determine the Misfit’s characterization is very different from the rest of the characters. Stephen Bandy in his article "`One of My Babies': The Misfit and the Grandmother" states that “Although the Misfit is not physically present until the final pages, his influence hangs over the story almost from the beginning” (Bandy 107). The reader knows the misfit is not a “good man” by what the grandmother reads from the newspaper in the beginning of the story and also what is discussed throughout. This is also supported by the action of the Misfit having the whole family killed after the accident happened. However, at the end of the story we get a glimpse the opposite through the misfit’s actions. Margaret Earley Whitt, in her book Understanding Flannery O’Connor describes the Misfit’s…

    • 1982 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    A Good Man is Hard to Find answers
    • 1976 Words
    • 8 Pages

    A Good Man is Hard to Find answers

    1. In the short story, A Good Man is Hard to Find, the characters portrayal gives the grandmother a special quality. Bailey, the grandmother’s son, is a hardnosed man that seems to be gripey and annoyed with his self centered mother at most times. He makes the grandmother seem needy and pesters him. For example when the grandmother asks him to make a pit stop at the house, “Bailey looks straight ahead. His jaw bone was as rigid as a horseshoe. “No,” he said.” (par.49) Both of the children, John Wesley and June Star, are obnoxious rowdy children that seem to not know respect or manners in any case. The way June Star refers to Red Sammy’s as a “broken down place” and is rude to Sammy’s wife, is just an example. (par. 31) I think that all of the characters help show how self centered and manipulative the grandmother really is. While getting dressed, the grandmother gets dressed to the hilt so if there were an accident, “anyone seeing her on the highway would know at once that she was a lady.” (par. 12) The Misfit is a mean and ruthless convict that will take anything into his own hands. The way he interacts with the grandmother makes me think that she is even more selfish. The grandmother pleads for her own safety and her life as the rest of the family is killed. All of the family and the Misfit help paint the picture of the grandmother’s character in their own way. Overall, I think that the grandmother is a selfish, self-centered woman.…

    • 1976 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    A Good Man Is Hard To Find Social Prejudice Analysis
    • 1092 Words
    • 5 Pages

    A Good Man Is Hard To Find Social Prejudice Analysis

    Piedmont-Marton, Elisabeth. "An overview of 'A Good Man Is Hard to Find'." Short Stories for Students. Detroit: Gale, 2002. Literature Resource Center. Web. 2 Feb. 2017.…

    • 1092 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Good Vs Evil In A Good Man Is Hard To Find
    • 1130 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Good Vs Evil In A Good Man Is Hard To Find

    In literature, there is a protagonist and an antagonist that depict the good and the evil. O’Connor portrays these good and evil facets through the Grandmother (the protagonist) and The Misfit (the antagonist). She is able to support her theme through foreshadowing near the beginning of the story. The grandmother tells her son, Bailey:…

    • 1130 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    a good man is hard to find
    • 274 Words
    • 2 Pages

    a good man is hard to find

    “A good man is hard to find” is a narrative that Flannery O’Connor, a spiritual southern writer, uses to illustrate the simplicity of religion. O’Connor narrates how the fate of a family is doomed by the actions of their grandmother and their encounter with the misfit on a family vacation trip. O’ Connor with excellent diction and imagery tells this tragicomedy to a climax, that creates room for debates among her readers. O’ Connor uses her main grotesque characters (the grandmother and misfit) that are parallel in the ideas of life to demonstrate a relationship between grotesque and grace. This juxtaposition creates surrealism, suspense and humor as O’Connor uses excellent symbolism and allusion to reveal how her grotesque characters receive grace after dooming the existence of a family. O’Connor uses excellent symbolism and allusion to reveal how her grotesque characters receive grace after dooming the existence of a family.…

    • 274 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Best Essays

    A good man is hard to find
    • 2755 Words
    • 12 Pages

    A good man is hard to find

    Cited: Janson, Peter. "University of Mass. Dartmouth Eng. Dept." A Good Man Is Hard to Find, Analyzed. University of Mass. Dartmouth Eng. Dept., 1 Nov. 2011. Web. 26 Sept. 2013.…

    • 2755 Words
    • 12 Pages
    Best Essays
    Read More

Related Topics