What is the symbol in A Good Man is Hard to Find?

The grandmother’s hat, which she wears for the sole purpose of showing that she is a lady, represents her misguided moral code. When the grandmother prepares for the car trip with the family, she dresses up to be prepared for a car accident so that anyone seeing her dead body would know that she’d been a lady.

Why does the misfit kill in A Good Man is Hard to Find?

The Misfit Because he doesn’t know for sure whether Jesus really raised the dead, he has opted for “meanness” as a way of giving his life meaning. He doesn’t see himself as a terrible person. His two henchmen kill the entire family, and the Misfit shoots the grandmother himself.

What does the grandmother symbolize In A Good Man is Hard to Find?

The grandmother represents the stereotypical southern, Christian, domineering mother who is often hypocritical and two-faced. She is flawed and annoying from the start, and more than anyone else, is responsible for the family’s dire predicament.

What does the monkey symbolize In A Good Man is Hard to Find?

The monkey symbolizes the devil-serpent, who, ironically, no longer has to tempt anyone to come near the tree… The pair of kids eagerly rush right up to meet the weary old creature, which quickly retreats. I’ll mention this again in just a little while, as it supports a theory of mine.

Why does the misfit call himself The Misfit?

Near the end of the story, the Misfit tells the grandmother that he calls himself the Misfit “because [he] can’t make what all [he] done wrong fit what all [he] gone through in punishment.” In other words, his punishment has not fit his so-called crime; it is, in a very literal way, a mis-fit.

What is the irony in a good man is hard to find?

Situational irony occurs when a development in a story is the opposite of what the reader expects. In “A Good Man Is Hard to Find,” this type of irony occurs when an evil man, The Misfit, causes Bailey’s mother to see herself for what she is, a sinner.

How does the misfit kill the grandmother?

The Misfit kills the grandmother, recoiling from what seems so foreign to him, but the grandmother has already had her moment of redemption. She’s grown at the moment of death more than she ever did before in her life, and dies with a peaceful smile on her face. What’s more, her act may have changed The Misfit too.

Why does the grandmother call the Misfit a good man?

The grandmother calls the Misfit a good man because she is trying desperately to save herself. She uses the protections that have served her throughout her life. She tries to offer the Misfit money, which is pointless, as he can simply kill her and take it (as he point outs).

Why does the grandmother call the misfit one of her babies?

In “A Good Man Is Hard to Find”, the grandmother says that the Misfit is one of her children even though she only has one son because she’s trying to appeal to his better nature, while also seeing him for the first time as a fellow human being.

How does the misfit compare himself to Jesus?

In the religious drama within the story, the Misfit acts as both Christ and anti-Christ figure. He compares himself to Christ, saying, “It was the same case with Him as me, except He hadn’t committed any crime and they could prove I had committed one because they had the papers on me” (131).

How does the misfit view himself?

Because the Misfit has questioned himself and his life so closely, he reveals a self-awareness that the grandmother lacks. He knows he isn’t a great man, but he also knows that there are others worse than him. He forms rudimentary philosophies, such as “no pleasure but meanness” and “the crime don’t matter.”

What is ironic about the misfit?

The Misfit doesn’t care about her social status and reminds her he can take her money once she is dead. And yet the old lady is rebuffed in the most brutal way imaginable as the Misfit shoots her dead. This is ironic indeed as it’s not what we would expect to happen.

How is symbolism used in a good man is hard to find?

Flannery O’Connor’s short story, A Good Man is Hard to Find, contains many details, techniques and themes that a reader can closely analyze. Especially when analyzing how the author has come to use color symbolism in her advantage throughout the story.

What happens in a good man is hard to find?

In “A Good Man is Hard to Find”, Flannery O’Connor discussed the difference between good and evil within the characters of the short story. The Misfit has his henchmen kill the family, and the grandmother ultimately only thinks of herself and not the rest of her family. In “A Good Man is Hard to Find”, Flannery O’Connor

Who is the misfit in a good man is hard to find?

The Misfit remains largely a mystery throughout the story. The Grandmother first reads about him in the newspaper—he is an escaped convict and murderer, and is thought to be headed to Florida (like the family)… (read full character analysis)

What does the hat mean in a good man is hard to find?

The hat also symbolizes the grandmother’s hypocritical beliefs. She passes herself off as a Christian, and putting the needs of others before her own should be part of her beliefs.