Literary Analysis of Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man is...

The concept of being a â€Å"good† person has painted the picture of how people have handled their lives throughout history. On the same note, this concept has also been the subject of much debate; such is the case in Flannery O’Connor’s â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find†. The protagonist, the unnamed grandmother struggles to find the â€Å"good† in others and herself. O’Conner uses foreshadowing, characterization, and a distinct point of view to make her point. In my interpretation, her point is that only through conflict and turmoil can good truly be found. The first time I looked at the story I did so only because it was assigned to me as homework. I ultimately found myself reading quickly, and not actively reading in the slightest way. Eventually†¦show more content†¦Along with foreshadowing, characterization is also an extremely important aspect of â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find†. O’Connor’s story has many supporting characters, such as the children and the misfit’s accomplices whose characters and personalities can only be shown through their actions. We do not get a clear picture of how they feel, or who they truly are. The main character is a different story however, the grandmother lets us know how she is feeling throughout the story. The grandmother would be considered primarily a stock character, because for the most part, she fills the typical grandmotherly role. She is a nurturer, even if it is only to the baby, and her cat. She is also stuck in her ways of life, and doesn’t wish to change how she is. At the same time however, she is not a perfect fit to the mold. Most grandmothers are not selfish, egocentric, and conniving the way she is. These modifications in her personality cause the reader to be unable to predict what the grandmother is going to do. On the other hand, the Misfit is more than likely different than anyone you have ever meet, or read about. The Misfit’s character was in no waya stock character. Nevertheless it seemed like his actions were slightly easier to predict. While his motives might have been a mystery, I felt that I knew what was going to happen. The story is told from the third person point of view, and it centers singularly on theShow MoreRelated Flannery OConnor: A Twentieth Century Fiction Writer Essay829 Words   |  4 Pages There has been a significant amount critical analysis written about Flannery OConnors short stories and novels. There is a significant amount critical analysis about Flannery OConnor because she used so many styles that have not been used before. Flannery OConnor ranks among he most important American fiction writers of the twentieth century. Flannery OConnor was born in 1925 in Savannah, Georgia, and lived there until her family moved in 1938. 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Her background as a catholic can be seen in her writing, she believes in epiphany, â€Å"epiphany that results in resurrection and rebirth† (Keil par. 4). She is a talented writer, who wrote about many different literary elementsRead MoreAnalysis Of Grandmother In A Good Man Is Hard To Find.1517 Words   |  7 Pages Analysis of Grandmother in A Good Man is Hard to Find Introduction The character grandmother in O’Connor’s story has grounds the reality of the events and drives the family into tragedy. She is a central character in O’Connor’s story and is depicted to be a dynamic character stuck in the old ways. Through her actions and the idea of being stuck in the old ways of thinking, she leads her family into tragedy. Being the main character in the story, Grandmother significantly adds to the development