For homework, you were assigned O'Conner's "A Good Man is Hard to Find." Answer the following question in one-to-two paragraphs by Tuesday, February 15, 2011 (before 11:59 p.m.):
How does the title relate to the story? According to the author, is a good man really hard to find?
When you post response, please remember to use your first name and last name's initial (i.e. Billy J.).
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The title “A good man is hard to find” relates to the story by bringing the underlined point that the author is trying to make to light. In the story, Bailey is the family’s male figure. He is the son of the religious yet rude grandmother. Although he is the man of the house, he does not portray what a good man really is. He doesn’t care for his mother as a loving son should and his children are spoiled and obnoxious. Aside from Bailey, the author brings in a character named “The Misfit”. The Misfit is a known serial killer and coincidentally, he bumps in to the family after they suffered through a car accident. This character was with two other men who eventually kill the entire family as per his request. According to the author, a good man really is hard to find. In the story, all of the men were rude, cruel, or sick in some way.
The title ‘’A good man is hard to find,’’ certainly seems to be true in the story. In fact, it comes into play when Red Sammy and the grandmother are talking about how no one is reliable anymore. They both agree that a good man is hard to find. On the other hand, it looks like the characters in the story have something to show regarding this statement. I would like to put as examples Bailey (father of the family), and Misfit (a dangerous escaped prisoner). Bailey represents an arrogant and uncontrolled character, who does not know how to take care of his family. He is rude and impolite even with his mother. Misfit is probably the most negative character, since he kills the whole entire family with no sign of compassion. He is uneducated and cruel.
All of these negative characters that appear throughout the story actually support the idea that a good man is hard to find. However, I would like to refer to another aspect that I noticed in the story. There is a transformation in the grandmother as the story progresses. At first, she is more concerned about looking like a good Christian than being a good Christian. She is selfish and possessive; she even attempts to save her own life, as her family members are dying around her one by one. Then, we see how she realizes she has not led a good life and have a moment of redemption before dying. So, on the whole, we could say that it seems like not only a good man is hard to find, but also a good woman.
The title “A Good Man is Hard to Find” relates to the story in many ways being that throughout the story we are introduce to different male characters; we have the father of the family Bailey who traits shows he does not care to much about anything and that he doesn’t treat his mother nicely. In fact he ignores her most of the time and show her no respect. In addition he does not discipline his kids and let them talk back and disrespect him and other people. Furthermore, we are also introduce to Red Sammy who seems like he was the only male figure closest to a good man, but when his wife look at him and tells the grandmother she can’t trust no one it makes you think twice about his character. Also we have the son John Wesley who is rude, obnoxious, and rowdy. Lastly the story introduces the worst example of what a good man is when the family encounters the misfit and his two men who are criminals and are murderer since they eventually murder the whole family. Moreover they also show no compassion even killing the innocent baby, they also laugh about killing the grandmother. Which in turn is why I believe O'Conner's thinks a good man really is hard to find; being that all the men she introduce are not good examples of men and the one who seem like they are put in question.
In the short sstory " A Good Man Is Hard To Find", we come into contact with a family. Bailey, who's the father, seems like a very irrogant, rude, and disrespectful man. He treats his mother (the grandmother) very unfairly and disrespectful.
As the stroy line goes further who met Red Sammy, who seems like a very down to earth man. He is married, owns his own business, and knows how to "treat a lady", by the way his conversation goes with "the grandmother".
Then we come across "The Misfit". Not only is he an escapey from prison, ajoined by two other men who gives orders to these men "Hiram" and "Bobby Lee", to take the family and kill them. He starts singling them out with men/boys first, then woman/girls, leaving him and the grandmother. She is pretty aware on whats happening and is trying to get him to see a good side and change his ways. Before "The misfit" can deeply think about it, he shoots the grandmother three times in the chest and kills her.
Then men we meet at the very begining and end of the story seem to be ruthless and of no class. While Red Sammy seems to be the only one with a regard for any respect.
“A good man is hard to find” tells the story of a family and its trip to Florida, but showing a series of events points to how hard to find a good man is. The story takes place in the 1900’s when men used to be possessive, authoritarian, and rude. The story presents some male characters that are examples of these descriptions. In the story, we have Bailey, who is the male figure of the family, but he is just rude, arrogant and careless. Other character that shows an evil side and represents the male gender in the story is the “misfit,” who is a fugitive, and also, he is the person who assassinates the family helped by other two men. Another male that shows a bad side of the male gender is Red Sammy, who is the owner of a restaurant where the family stops and presence a scene of power when Red Sammy orders his wife and almost prohibits his wife when she is talking and orders her to bring the food to the family. O’Conner in her story emphasizes on the rudeness of the male gender and the submission that the female gender was being victim of at that time, and shows it in a unique style that involves a weird sense of humor and a tragic ending.
Benedict L.
In the story “A good man is hard to find” reveals two scenarios that there is no good man out there. Bailey, the son of the crazy and rude grandmother shows no respect to her in which demonstrates the man he really is. If Bailey disrespects his own mother, then I would imagine that he has no respect for others surrounding him.
Misfit, the escaped prisoner, has no heart because of his actions towards Bailey’s family. “The Misfit” who brings along two other men, kills Bailey and his family. Most of the men characters represented in this short story reveal that no man is good and that “A good man is hard to find.”
Hello
In the story “A good Man is Hard to Find.” By Flannery O’Connor we can definitely see why the tittle was given . It starts with the grandmother trying to convince her son, Bailey and his wife to head to east Tennessee for vacation instead of Florida, but john Wesley , and his sister, June Start did not seem to agree with her. The grandmother even points out an article about a man who escaped convict heading toward Florida called the “Misfit” , but the children suggest keeping up with their plan and ignore grandmothers opinion. After a car crash during the trip , they happen to see the Misfit that only the grandmother recognized at first. He was accompanied by two other man who killed the entire family as he ruled . With this tragic end , what says more than “A Good Man is Hard to Find.” . Finally , According to the author , its title follows the meaning throughout the story and he agrees that a good man is hard to find.
In my opinion it is true that a good man is hard to find. I also think that this depends on the way people think of what is called a '' good man''. I do think that the tittle relates alot to the story because Bailey one of the characters of the story is not a good man at all. I liked reading this story because I can connect it to real life. For example, mothers always want their kids to be perfect, but I think that it is impossible to be perfect. To conclude I do think that the tittle relates a lot to the story because the truth is exactly how the tittle says, '' A good man is hard to find''.
The title "a good man is hard to find" relates very well to the story. the author brings out very good examples of men who has no respect for women and those around them. Bailey is the son of the grandmother. He is very disrespectful to his mother. for his kids as well, seeing him act that certain way with others make them the way he is also. the kids are very rude, obnoxious and brats. another example is the Misfit, who is known as the serial killer. He was with two men and decides to kill the entire family starting with the strongest to the weakest. this story explains how in this world a good man is hard to find but with the mens who are good are questioned and not trusted.
In my opinion the title of this story had a kind of double sided meaning. The author’s title makes a first time reader believe that the story is going to be a love story about a woman looking for a man, but after reading the story it is evident that is not the case. The story is actually about a criminal named misfit who escaped from prison and, who would terrorize the nation, by killing people. This scenario also works for the title as well, because if someone is going across the nation killing people, that is not really what a woman wants to find, a killer. Basically this story tells readers that throughout the world you will find some people that will be good for you, and be bad, but overall “A good man is hard to find”.
In the short story "A Good Man Is Hard To Find", by Flannery O'Connor, we meet Baily who is the head of houshold and taking his family on a road trip. His rude mother feels compelled to complain about their decision in destination. While he shows traits of a good man such as patience he is also rude to his mother and allows his children to do as they please and as a result they have become spoiled.
The Misfit, who is the escaped serial killer, crosses their path after they have an accident. He is accompanied by two young men who, like him, are prime examples of the difficulty in finding a good man. They proceed to seperate the family and kill them on his orders, tying the title to the story. Evidently a good man is hard to find.
The title "A good man is hard to find clearly describes several men in the story . for example the grandmother's son whose name was bailey ,he was very inconsiderate,rude to his mom. bailey also had a son that he was raising that was rude and in my opinion lacking home training . then you have the misfit and the other two men that sabotage the family after the family vehicle turned over into the ditch. the grandmother thought that she could manipulate the misfit,but as you can see a heart with no compassion could care less. in short a man must have character and character defines who we truly are it is better described as what one does when no one else is looking. yes the men in this story fits the description that a good man is hard to find.
Christopher A.
In the title "A good man is hard to find" i feel a great sense of irony in the way the story is written. In my opinion the author orchestrates the story in a way to portray good vs evil. But soon enough once the grandmother is confronted by the "Misfit"(a dangerous escaped prisoner), she tries to persuade him not to harm the family. "Jesus!" the old lady cried. "You've got good blood"...(O'Conner 414)! In this quote it is evident that the grandmother is not only trying to convince the "Misfit" but she is trying to convince herself that he is a good man. She uses simliar phrases throughout the encounter to make an emotional connection to his humanity. Unfortunately, regardless how powerfull words are, they do not change the core of a man. I believe this is the moral of the story because one of the main character's the grandmother is confronted with evil, but the reality is words do not change a person's belief or values no matter how hard she tried. As indicated at the end of the story the "Misfit" not only killed the whole family but his actions were of no significance or remorse to him.
There are six men described in this story and from what we can read, none of these men have true gentleman characteristics that set them out to be a good man. Being that three of these men are murderers, one is disrespectful to his wife(Red sammy), and the the other two come off as a irritated and short-fused father and as a very disrespectful and obnoxious kid. All the men lack the basic characteristics to being considered good men because they all lack a key trait which is respect towards others. All the supporting details that O' Connor's gives about the men in this story make me lean towards the fact that she thinks a good man is truly hard to find.
“A Good Man Is Hard To Find” is mainly about the Grandmother’s perception of the people around her. It seems no one is ever good enough as she is often frustrated with other people’s actions and values. Her way is the right way, and anyone who disagrees is wrong.
In friendships, people often surround themselves with others who fall in line with similar values as their own. The Grandmother is, however, surrounded by her family rather than by friends. We cannot choose our family, and inevitably, personalities will clash. She tries desperately to find a little piece of goodness (someone most like her) in everyone, even in the The Misfit, but to no avail. The story conveys the worst possible scenario stemming from the Grandmother’s will to have it her way, but really her attitude was debilitating for her family even before the accident. She was surrounded by good people but kept their flaws in the forefront of her mind rather than recognize their goodness.
Ultimately, her perception of what “good” is only relative. Relative to The Misfit, she had a pretty good family… while they were still alive.
Christian D.
The title "A good man is hard to find" relates to the story and in real life in many ways. For example, we have Bailey who is the father of the family. He is everything but nice to his mother. He is rude and disrespectful to her all the time and never really cares about what she says. Another character is Red Sammy they portray him to be a good man, almost to good enough to be true. His wife states "Its hard to trust anyone". Makes you wonder if he is what they make him seem. Then to top it off we have the "Misfit" who is accompanied by two other men. They are convicts who escaped from jail and end up killing the whole family one by one. In many ways Flannery O’Connor's story shows how the title relates to the story well.
In the Flannery O’Connor’s short story, “A Good Man is Hard to Find” we find out that the title evidences of what the story is about. One by one the masculine characters are not good examples of what a good man is. First, Bailey (the grandmother’s son), he shows no respect for his mother, he is easily persuaded by his children, and when the time to protect his family comes, he acts in a very passive way. Second, John Wesley (Bailey’s son), he is a disrespectful child who always shows a bad behavior. Last, “The Misfit” a serial killer who has escaped from prison, he encounters the family when they had had an accident; instead of helping them, he and his accomplices execute the family members one by one, father and son, mother and daughter . In the end he kills the grandmother, and does not show any sign of regret after committing his crime. In this story finding a good man, and the title describes the situation very well.
The title "A Good Man is Hard to FInd" is expressed clearly in this story by introducing a variety of male personalities that all have one thing in common, "they are not good Men." To be a bad man does not necessarily mean that they have to be a rapist or a killer but it is sometimes the little things in life that divide the good men from the bad.The male character in this story that exemplifies that kind of person is Bailey. He does not seem to care for his mother at all becouse if he did, he would not be so rude and disrespectful.He does not treat his mother with the love and warmth she deserves. The worst part about it is that for his kid's becouse he is there father, he is there role model. His ''bad man'' mentality is reflected upon his kid's.
The level of evilness is magnified with Bobby Lee and "The Misfit." both of these of characters seem to have no respect for human life and suffering. The misfit is a well known serial killer who escaped from prison and Bobby Lee is his friend and his partner in crime. Taking a road trip, the family get into a car accident and bump into these wanted men. There lives are eventually ended by them. This story lives by it's title and made me realize that finding a good man in this world is not as easy as it looks.
"A good man is hard to find",in my opinion completely relates to the story. The fact that Bailey is not a good son to the grandmother , nor the children (the boy) . They are disrespectful, spoiled and rude. As well as the grandmother whom is also a good example of a rude person, which is also an irony to the title because no women in the story is a good example of what they should be.
In conclusion, nor the women in the story or the son, in this case Bailey are good examples of good people.
The title "A Good Man is Hard to Find" relates to the story in many ways. Throughout the story we are introduced to several male characters. Bailey, the son and father, we find out is a rude, ignorant man, who mistreats his mother throughout the story. From ignoring her, to making her cry in the face of danger. A good example of a what a "good man" is not. Then we meet Red Sammy, who owns a restaurant, is trust worthy with people, but is married. He also, agrees with the grandmother by saying " A good man is hard to find". Last we meet "The Misfit", an escaped prisoner. The Misfit seems to be not that bad of a guy, except for being a killer. He talks about how he was brought up with morals and consistently, excuses himself for not wearing a shirt. None of the male characters portrayed in this story, would be the ideal man, a woman would want. In fact, this story is the exact opposite of what a good man, really is.
In O'Conner's, "A Good Man is Hard to find", one can forsee what the story will be about, just that, how finding a good person is indeed difficult to come upon. The dominant opinion is that the grandmother's final act , touching her killer, was one of grace and charity, which implies that "A Good Man Is Hard To Find" was written to show a transformation in the grandmother as the story progresses. In the beginning, she was more concerned about looking like a good Christian than being a good Christian. This is shown by her selfish desire to go to Tennessee instead of Florida and, more importantly, by her attempts to save her own life, even as her family continued to die around her. In the end, it is proven throughout the entire short story that not only is a "Good Man Hard to find" but also, a Good Woman. No one human being is perfect and with that, no one person is completely good nor bad but a complex mixture of the two.
“A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’ Conner proves to relate well to the story and is quite true in the end. There was not one good man depicted through-out the entire story; the grandmother’s son Bailey was a bit rude, definitely not a man to glorify. The attitude’s the children conveyed show a lack of character in the sense of the father not raising them well; the son is bratty and disrespectful. On page 411 the grandmother tries in desperation to tell The Misfit that he’s a mood man at heart and must come from nice people. Red Sammy and The Misfit continue on their path and kill the entire family: children, wife, father and the grandmother. Ultimately, I believe the title relates well to the story because of the irony O’Conner expresses. The title leads you to believe the story will go in another direction, which makes the ending a surprise. In this story, a good man really does seem difficult to find, from youth even into adulthood.
"A good man is hard to find", the title itself is self-explanatory. This short story written by Flannery O'Connor describes many males. For example: Bailey, John and "Misfit".. Bailey and John both had somewhat similar personalities. They were both rude, arrogant, outspoken and really had no respect towards the elderly, i.e. the grandmother. A good man is only hard to find if he doesn't meet one's personal expectations. A horrible poorly mannered man can be one's prince charming. Or a knowledgeable, driven, demanding man might be someone's worst nightmare. If they are worth it to the man, the man will treat them as best as he can and put them up on a pedestal. A good man isn't hard to find one just has to know what to look for and what is worth overlooking.
-Ivette M.
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