Critical Analysis on A Good Man Is Hard to Find

Religious Symbolism in A Good Man Is Hard To Find This paper will present a rhetorical context for the use of violence in the short story, A Good Man Is Hard to Find, as she presented in her essay The Element of Suspense. The form of classical tragedy in this story will also be analyzed from the critical theories of Aristotle and Longinus. Tolstoy will be used to examine the use Christian symbolism. Nietzsche will provide a more well-rounded universal conclusion to the uses of tragedy and spiritual elements in this classic story. Flannery OConnor gave a talk about A Good Man Is Hard to Find in 1963 at Hollins College, Virginia, which was published as the essay, The Element of Suspense In ‘A Good Man Is Hard to Find. In this†¦show more content†¦She stated I could not answer to my conscience if I did (Good Man 593). Her statement connected with the encounter with The Misfit when she was forced to answer to her conscience (604). When the family left on vacation, the Grandmother dressed nicely, so that anyone seeing her dead would know at once she was a lady (594). This description clearly predicted her death. John Wesley said he would smack his face when asked by the Grandmother what he would do if he met The Misfit (Good Man 593). Personal contact came into play when The Misfit reacted as if a snake had bitten him when the Grandmother touched his shoulder. Her touch was received as a smack and The Misfit killed her (604). Coincidences and contrived events, used by OConnor, may have seemed unreasonable. Effective use of coincidences should appear to have some design associated with them (Aristotle 49). This design of events was called deus ex machina. Aristotle stated that deus ex machina should be used carefully to explain events that lie outside the plot, to announce unknown events to the audience. He believed that action should be resolved through the plot and not be resolved by inappropriate use of deus ex machina by the author (Aristotle 53). In the first scene, the Grandmother explained to Bailey about the escape of The Misfit from prison (Good Man 593). This event had to be explained to set up the course of action for the story. The conversation withShow MoreRelatedCritical Analysis Of A Good Man Is Hard To Find1781 Words   |  8 Pagesbetween how O Connor is often read and how she claimed she should be read cannot simply be explained by her theology of grace or by the lack of religious feeling among readers. Critical opinion over the years has tended to line up behind O Connor s own explanations; however, O Connor s analysis of A Good Man Is Hard to Find still seems baffling and occasionally a critic has questioned the theology of the fiction. Andre Bleikasten, focusing on O Connor s novels, claimed that the truth of O ConnorRead More Critical analysis on A good man is hard to find Essay2334 Words   |  10 Pages Religious Symbolism in â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard To Find† This paper will present a rhetorical context for the use of violence in the short story, â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard to Find,† as she presented in her essay â€Å"The Element of Suspense.† The form of classical tragedy in this story will also be analyzed from the critical theories of Aristotle and Longinus. Tolstoy will be used to examine the use Christian symbolism. Nietzsche will provide a more well-rounded universal conclusion to the uses of tragedy andRead MoreCritical Analysis Of A Good Man Is Hard To Find By Flannery OConnor1573 Words   |  7 PagesFlannery O Connor was often shocked to find how people interpreted her stories. Some readers of A Good Man is Hard to Find believed the grandmother was evil, even a witch. Soon O Connor set out, quite explicitly, in letters and lectures to detail the theology of the story and the importance of the grandmother as an agent of grace. In a letter to John Hawkes, she explained how violence and grace come together: More than in the Devil I am interested in the indication of Grace, the moment when youRead More 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. OConnor and her family moved to a small GeorgiaRead MoreAnalysis of Characters, Conflict, and Symbolism in ‚Äà ºa Good Man Is Hard to Find‚Äà ¹771 Words   |  4 PagesAnalysis of Characters, Conflict, and Symbolism in â€Å"A Good Man Is hard to Find† The story â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† is a fascinating story about a family traveling to Florida for a family vacation. The story’s main characters are the grandmother, the mother and a baby, the father Bailey, and the two children June Star and John Wesley. On this trip the family has a run in with the other characters The Misfit, Bobby Lee, and Hiram who are escaped convicts headed towards Florida. O’Connor usesRead MoreDeep Rooted Work On A Hard Man1427 Words   |  6 PagesResearch Paper: Deep Rooted Work on a Hard Man Flannery O’Connor was born March 25, 1925, in Savanah, Georgia. She went to what is, now Iowa University and majored in literature. She’s primarily known for her short stories but was a novelist. Flannery O’Connor passed away in 1964 after losing a battle with lupus. The piece of writing that I will be discussing is titled: â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find,† she wrote this work in 1953 along with several other short stories (Biography.com Editors)Read MoreAnalysis Of O Connor s A Good Man 869 Words   |  4 Pages My first reaction to â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to find† was that of sadness and I felt that it was tragic of what happened to the family in the story. I felt really bad for the grandma because no one seemed to be pleased with her or listen to her. I felt like the son was almost tired of dealing with his own mom, or that is the feeling I got from his reactions to her. Even the children did not seem to respect the old lady. Oâ €™Connor’s story was very descriptive. Throughout the whole story there wereRead MoreForegrounding of Feminism in A Good Man is Hard to Find Essay1237 Words   |  5 PagesForegrounding of Feminism in â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find, by Flannery OConnor â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find, by Flannery OConnor, shows a family trip to Florida which end to an unexpected death at the end of the story. In the progression of this story, O’Connor has presented women as naà ¯ve with graceful images. Women are presented as the weaker sex while men are given more importance and powerful roles. In this regard this story can be viewed as feministic point of view. Feminism is self-awarenessRead MoreA Good Man Is Hard to Find OConner Essay example1745 Words   |  7 PagesOConners Analysis: A Good Man is Hard To Find A Displaced Person Through her assortment of unpalatable characters and violent actions, OConnor tries to show grace at work in the world. According to her beliefs Christ, the Incarnate Son of God, has shown that God so loved the world that He became man Himself. Yet this God is not accepted by men, so they have to be shocked into a recognition of their need for Him and the salvation He offers. (MAYER, 1976) In this analysis I will explainRead MoreA good man is hard to find analysis819 Words   |  4 Pages3/4/12 â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† Analysis EN 102 In the short story â€Å"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. The unnamed grandmother in â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard to Find† considers