...Lesson Plan for teaching Flannery O’Connor’s short story “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Adriana Obiols Roca ‘16 / Swarthmore College Spring 2014 a project completed for Prof. Peter Schmidt’s English 71D, “The Short Story in the U.S.” Swarthmore College, Fall 2014 Objectives: students will… * Understand the differences between direct and indirect characterization and be able to identify examples of each. * Understand the uses of irony and foreshadowing in the story as well as more generally in literature. * Become acquainted with Flannery O’Connor and her writing style, particularly with her use of the grotesque. * Explore the complexity of the themes present in the story and the characters O’Connor has created, especially the Misfit and the grandmother. * Exercise a variety of critical thinking and analytical skills in order to form ideas and opinions about O’Connor’s story and her writing strategies. * Practice reading comprehension and summarization. * Employ and practice writing skills in an essay assignment. Necessary preparation: The teacher should have familiarized him or herself with Flannery O’Connor’s life and work before the lesson by using the links provided below. It is also important that the teacher review definitions of the terms characterization, irony, and foreshadowing (see below). Students are expected to have read Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man is Hard to Find” as well as her essay “Some Aspects of the Grotesque in...
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...Character Analysis “A Good Man Is Hard To Find” The grandmother is the central character in the story “A Good Man Is Hard To Find’, by Flannery O’Connor. The dysfunctional family is planning a trip to Florida, Bailey his wife, the baby, two children (boy and girl) the grandmother and a stowaway cat. Upon reading about the Misfit escaping from Federal Pen and are in Florida the grandmother tried to change their destination. The grandmother is a manipulative, deceitful, and self-serving woman who lives in the past era of the south. She has the same prejudice attitudes of that time. The grandmother’s untruthfulness while on the trip will cause certain doom for the family and her Christian faith would be put to the test. The grandmother tries desperately to change her family's vacation destination as she tries to manipulate her son into going to Tennessee instead of Florida. Her reasons for wanting to go Tennessee were to make connections with some of her peers. The grandmother was also concerned about the children seeing Tennessee since they had already been to Florida. “The children have been to Florida before,” the old lady said. ”You all ought to take them somewhere else for a change so they would see different parts of the world and be broad. They never have been east to Tennessee”. The children made comments to the grandmother “If you don’t want to go to Florida, why dontcha stay home?” The grandmother asked what you would do if the Misfit caught you. “I’d smack his...
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...“A Good Man is Hard to Find” How old does one need to be to die and how old is too old to profess one’s faith and receive salvation? What does it take to have salvation and eternal life and how does one show that in a work of literature? In the process of all of the chronological references and religious symbolism, Flannery O’Connor in “A Good Man is Hard to Find” addresses this and draws a parallel to the modern moral dilemma of what it takes to be saved. Written in 1953 and based upon her Roman Catholicism roots, O’Connor conveys how each family member gracefully accepts the previous generation’s quirkiness and cynicism to maintain family unit. Although the younger generations do not respect older ones as much as their parents, her stories have characters that convey her message of religious distrust through each character’s deceptive actions and secular thoughts. Similarly, most of O’Connor’s stories make reference to the good and bad by such subtleness as creatively naming the kids after an outlaw and a founder of a major religion. By such obscurity, she wants to draw a parallel between the true believer and the hypocrites that appear to be religious in actions (May). Like a mirror’s reflection, O’Connor’s story contains several undertones of grace in how the characters are developed in the story. From the grandmother to the Misfit, there is a “forewarning of mortal death in the story as the family travels on their last trip before meeting the Misfit that carries...
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...102 29 May 2013 Death Is a Catalyst For Characters to Change This paper is based on Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man Is Hard to Find”, a short story. The theme for this research paper will be an analysis of the key characters in the story that are affected and changed by an encounter with death, with a near-death occurrence. The reason for this theme is to bring some significant insights into the literary work in a profound way. The grandmother and the Misfit are chosen to establish the theme in the paper. In “A Good Man Is Hard to Find”, death is a catalyst for characters to change; some characters are changed positively by their experience with death, while other characters are changed negatively. The Misfit shows why he became evil because his expectation of goodness in the society was put to death by the reality of injustice. In a polite tone, the Misfit explains to the grandmother, “I found out the crime don’t matter. You can do one thing or you can do another, kill a man or take a tire off his car“ (O’Connor 194). This opinion comes from the Misfit serving his lengthy time in jail where he experienced harsh prejudices. The Misfit continues to explain to the grandmother calmly, then came a “piercing scream” from the wood background where the Misfit ordered the grandmother’s family to be killed. Suddenly, Misfit’s tone turned nasty, “Does it seem right to you, lady, that one is punished a heap and another ain’t punished at all” (O’Connor 195)? This scene depicts the Misfit’s...
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...“Love in L.A.” vs. “A Good Man Is Hard to Find,” Comparative Essay Amy E. Peche LITR201-1304A-04: Literature: A Reflection of Life Colorado Technical University Prof. Eric Wright October 18, 2013 Abstract No two stories are ever the same, there may be a ton of similarities between the two but unless they are mere copies of each other, they are different. Two stories can be based in two completely different settings, have two different tones, and completely different characters, but they could expose the same message to the readers. Throughout this paper, I will discuss how “Love In L.A.,” and “A Good Man Is Hard To Find,” is similar, different, what their settings are, describe their characters, tone and reveal their messages. A Brief Overview “Love in L.A.” and “A Good Man Is Hard To Find,” are two short stories that portray the characters as arrogant, self-centered, triumphant people, but allows the readers to envisage the true demise of the characters from the beginning. “Love in L.A.,” revolves around a young man in his mid-twenties who goes by the name Jake. In the beginning of the story, you can tell that Jake is an unemployed jerk, which only cares about what he can get for everyone else, without having to lift a figure; he does not care what the cost may be as long as it does not cost him anything. He is the true definition of a con artist, he does not care about anyone other than himself, he is extremely shallow, and in all...
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...Quach Paper 2: Compare and Contrast Good Country People vs A Good Man is Hard to Find Flannery O’ Connor was able to write two amazing pieces of writing through the stories of “Good Country People” and “A Good Man is Hard to find”. Through these two stories, she uses the similar theme of the Salvation, or Redemption, of the protagonist due to the evils committed by people who have no beliefs. To show this theme, she uses elements from both stories, similar and different. Through characters, conflicts and symbolism of the two stories I hope to show some new understanding of these two excellent stories. Based on description, the two protagonists of the two stories, Hulga and the Grandmother don’t seem to be similar at all. The grandmother looks back fondly on days when people acted nicer and looking for a good man was much easier. In “Good Country People”, Hulga is rude, has a degree in philosophy, and likes the idea of… well, nothing. There isn’t that much similarity based on the descriptions given, but there is a similarity that wasn’t stated: the fact that both characters are more shallow than they think they are. Even with all her university training, Hulga isn’t a full believer in nothing. She just knows what to say to give this assumption. This is shown when she was shocked in Manley’s change of behavior, from a simpleton and bible salesman, Manley turns into someone who declares the truth behind what he sells. “I hope you don’t think I believe that crap! I may sell Bibles...
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...“Love in L.A” and “A Good Man is Hard to find” are two short stories that forecast the doom of its characters to readers. Love in L.A tells the story of Jake, a young, unemployed, con artist who is in love with himself. A Good Man is hard to find, is the story of a grandmother and her family on the road headed to Florida for a vacation. Both stories have to do with morals and good vs. evil. The common links between the two stories is both of them take place in traveling vehicles. They both touched on ideas of morals. Both stories are different because the main characters had different beliefs. Jake always had ill intentions. He gave false information to Mariana concerning the accident he had with her. Most of his thoughts were about his automobile and women. Jake was pretty much a con artist. Mariana is hardworking, honest and responsible. Mariana was suspicious of Jake’s behavior during the conversation regarding the accident; however, Jake still managed to give her false information. Jake intended on leaving the scene of the accident, but when he saw Mariana and how beautiful she was, his intentions changed. He wanted to know her on a more personal level. Mariana had honest intentions, and had no idea Jake was giving her false information. The grandmother was a judgmental liar. She wanted to go on vacation, but not to Florida because of the Misfits. Bailey, the father, thought he had control of his family, but they actually ran over him. He planned on having the vacation...
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...In Flannery O’Connor’s short story, “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” two main characters are developed, the grandmother and the Misfit. The two are contrasting characters based on their image of salvation, but they are similar with how they both are ultimately changed by God’s grace. To begin, the grandmother is one very interesting grandmother. She really isn’t the stereotypical grandmother one might depict. For the majority of the story, the grandmother has a hard time encountering God. It is obvious the grandmother believes she is high class and superior. For example, the grandmother pleads for her life to the Misfit with the words, “‘I know you’re a good man. You don’t look a bit like you have common blood. I know you must come from nice people,’” (O’Connor 127). This exclamation from the grandmother shows her hierarchal belief that she is on top of the social class structure. Furthermore, by suggesting the Misfit must come from good people, it implies she thinks she is a good person as well. Because of this mindset and her high self-esteem, the grandmother thinks she will be saved by God. This attitude blocks her from encountering God, because she doesn’t think she needs to do...
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...Good or Bad Hypocrisy is to claim to have certain moral behaviors, but the person speaking of the behaviors does not enforce them on himself. In today’s society, many arrogant individuals feel that making themselves seem better than the rest of the crowd causes people to look up to them. In reality, the crowd actually believes that they are foolish. In the story, “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor, the author addresses the consequences of poor judgment and how this leads to the death of the main character. The grandmother attempts to talk her son and his wife into going to Tennessee instead of Florida because a man called the misfit has escaped prison. After they stop at the tower and speak with the owner, Red Sam, the grandmother remembers an old plantation that she would like to see again, and she even exaggerates about the house so her son will stop by. After having an accident on the dirt road leading to the plantation, the grandmother realizes the house is actually in Tennessee. The spoiled old lady waves down a car for help, and the people in the vehicle turn out to be the misfit and his henchmen. She makes a mistake by announcing that she knows who they are. As a result, the misfit and his crew kill her and the rest of the family, leaving her last to die. Through the author’s use of tone, symbolism, and characterization, O’Connor proves that labeling someone as “good” is only true if he has morals and grace, not selfishness and blindness. The grandmother...
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...written by Flannery O’Connor, holds a religious allusion. “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor is about the grandmother’s journey to her realization about her actions and beliefs, and her receiving her grace and salvation. Even from the very beginning of the story, we as readers find the grandmother quite irritating. Starting with her reading the newspaper about the Misfit being in Florida, she comes off not very sincere and very manipulative to the family to get her way. She states it would bother her conscience if she took her kids out on vacation with a criminal on the loose like the Misfit. Another way that shows the grandmother’s true character is by the way she dresses. She dresses very elaborate...
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...Prophet Gone Wrong The misfit and the unnamed grandmother in “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Conner has many different characters that are introduced but none learn more or reveal as much about themselves as the misfit and the grandmother do. It is hard to determine who the central character is in the short story the grandmother or the misfit because O’Conner spends great effort describing these two characters. Nothing happens in the story without the opinion of either character. While the grandmother is older and has a lot to learn the misfit is younger and has a lot to teach. The misfit with his violent killing is an unlikely source to look to for moral guidance but he shows more depth and understanding of the world than the grandmother. For instance the grandmother says “I wouldn’t take my children in any direction with a criminal like that aloose in it”(367) when she doesn’t even know the man she is speaking of. Her first initial reaction to the misfit is disgust and pity she looks down upon him because she believes she is morally better than he is. She has never once looked into herself and her own decisions to see if she is being morally correct. She condemns all of humanity “People are certainly not nice like they used to be “(370) she says to strangers. She constantly is criticizing everyone else about how they are unjust and wrong with their actions; but she never looks at herself to see her own hypocrisy and dishonesty. Like when she sneaks the cat into...
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...In Flannery O’Connor’s short story, “A Good Man is Hard to find,” she tells the story of a family going on vacation, making a wrong turn, and consequently being brutally murdered by a Misfit and his crew. But the story also possesses a detailed vision of the grace and ultimate redemption offered to the Misfit. O’Connor shows the Grandmother’s final moment when she extended grace towards the Misfit, however, many people have made arguments to how they think it ends. For example, Stephan C. Bandy responds in “ ‘One Of My Babies’: The Misfit and the Grandmother,” and claims that even if the Misfit had been shown true grace, he would reject it. However, Matthew Fike, in “The Timothy Allusion in ‘A Good Man is Hard To Find’” believes the Misfit was startled because he felt the Holy Spirit, who he had been trying to deny his entire life, and emphasizes the cleaning of his glasses as spiritual...
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...What is the true definition of a “good” person? Perhaps it is people that help others out? People who do things without expecting something in return? A person that is just simply nice or maybe the person who gives the most money? People like Martin Luther King Jr, Mother Theresa, my grandmother or Jesus? Are these people examples of what “good” is? Author Flannery O’Connor gave an idea on what exactly “good” is in her short story “A good Man Is Hard to Find”. We learn about what “good” is through the grandmother in the story. We get the idea in the story that the grandmother is almost better than everyone else or at least she thinks that she is better than everyone else. Changing vacation plans because she doesn’t want to go to the original location, smuggling a cat even though she is told not to, lying to get what she wants. To most this does not sound like “good”. I think that grandma believes that this is “good”. Grandma is under the false impression that she is good. She gets what she wants acting how she is, so she thinks nothing of the way she acts. We again learn about good at the gas station when the clerk talks about how people didn’t pay...
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...At birth, one does not get to choose a name. One’s name is assigned and one’s name turns into an identity. In many instances in Flannery O'Connor's short stories, names give away a character’s moral identity. Many of the names that Flannery O'Connor uses are ironic and provide insight on how she wants the character’s to be perceived. In the short story, Good Country People, a thirty-two year old crippled girl changed her name from Joy to Hulga because she believed it was an ugly name, eventually, Joy/Hulga will have an ugly realization about her moral character. In the short story, A Good Man Is Hard To Find, it is immediately established that the bad guy on the run, “The Misfit”, received his name for a reason. Throughout these short stories,...
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...Societal Corruption in “The Lottery” and “A Good Man is Hard to Find” Societal corruption is found in both “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson and “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor. As illustrated in both short stories, societal corruption can take place in different forms. The Merriam-Webster online dictionary has one meaning for the word “corruption”: “impairment of integrity, virtue or moral principle”. In the “Lottery” capitalist society stands out as a form of societal corruption. In “A Good Man is Hard to Find” the simple ways and acts of the grandmother alone relative to her religious practices stands out as social corruption. “The Lottery”, is a horrific story that exposes the social order and system of a capitalistic society. Again, from Merriam-Webster online dictionary, the ideal capitalistic society is “an economic system based upon the concentration of wealth, and the competitive distribution of production and business to privately owned powerful representatives.” This form of an ideal society is what the author based the small village on in “The Lottery”. In “The Lottery” the lottery itself, serves as a democratic misconception for a capitalistic society. It deceives the people of the village, into believing it is democratic, because of the fact that everyone participates in the lottery and knows they have an equal chance at being selected. The village’s ruling class only participates to convince others that they are equal to everyone else, even...
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