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- NOT FOR FALL '22 04/05 questions on "A Good Man Is Hard to Find"
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5) A short story by Flannery O’Connor called “A Good Man Is Hard to Find”:
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~drbr/goodman.html(Flannery O’Connor was a female writer. I added this since her name is unusual.)
a) Notice that the women in this story often do not have actual names, but the men do.
Do you think there is a reason for this or is it just a quirk?b) Notice the description of Bailey’s wife’s head and head wrap, and the grandmother’s large bag.
Once again, we are dealing with figurative, not literal descriptions. We are supposed to find this style
enjoyable and it has an odd visual appeal.Remember: good writing attempts to appeal to the senses. That is why people like to read fiction. Fiction – novels and short stories – is more pleasurable to read than a typical textbook. Fiction is a form of entertainment.
c) The description of the odd pet at the gas station / rest stop is for enjoyment. O’Connor is distracting
us with fun facts. The interactions within the family are almost comical, like watching a comedy. Even
when their car turns over, it is because of a cat, and the reactions of the unharmed passengers is
amusing. Also, the grandmother’s hat flower gets bent.d) Notice that the man at the gas station explains the title in a certain context of customers, but the title
takes on more significance at the end.e) The ending is quite shocking since all the members of the family are slaughtered by a serial killer.
Just before she is killed, the grandmother says to the killer that he is like her son? Why was she
saying this?f) Some people say that this story shows the old woman as the bad one, and she is like a witch with a
hat and a black cat, but that seems unfair. She is rather likable and seems to have a good heart.There are no redeeming qualities in the killer.
g) Do you think that the author is biased against men?
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