ENG 1101 English Composition I, section OL 0110

Discussion

You must be logged in to reply to this topic.

  • 12-7-22 5th of 6 readings (for discussion and for the next essay)
  • December 7, 2022 at 1:26 pm #82579

    Prof. Masiello
    Participant

    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 are 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. No answer required.

    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?

    December 8, 2022 at 7:16 pm #82611

    Viviana
    Participant

    A) It can be a quirk, which is a behavioral habit that men can have with women considering this was written 1925-1964. It would not surprise me that men would diminish women by not referring to them by their birth name.

    Viviana, Flannery O’Connor is a woman as explained in the questions.

    E) I am very conflicted with this question because I have different answers. Throughout the reading, she kept saying pray, pray, pray, and was claiming that he is a good man. Knowing the possibility that she was next to be killed, anyone would say anything to prevent the trigger from being pulled by the killer. Although it can be that since she is known as a judgmental person to almost anything and anyone that at the moment when it was just her and the misfit together, her pride and judgment were lost and she came to an understanding that they are the Misfit are same because they are human and he can be her son. Though it was odd, it was more of a moment of redemption/clarity for her.

    Very interesting.

    I would like to add, she doesn’t seem like she has a good heart because not once was she pleading for her family. Though she called Bailey, she never begged or cried for her family. When it comes to her, she would say anything for her to be saved.

    Isn’t it possible she was in disbelief of what was happening “off screen”? Shock and hope might have made her not realize what was happening until she was face-to-face with the killer. Her family were killed off screen by the other escapees.

    F) I don’t think the author is against men, solely since the men in the article are called by their names, and the women are referred to as “old lady” and “children’s mother.”

    Okay, but the title is intriguing and the killers are, indeed, men.

    December 8, 2022 at 11:32 pm #82613

    Manahill Arshad
    Participant

    A. Yes, like how the grandmother is not named because they decide to just show them their physical appearance and how women would be described during that time.

    E. The Grandmother is saying this because she knows that the man is not the actual villain, and he is not what he wants to do. Whatever happened in the past with him is being affected by his future and making him a separate family that he should not do [your meaning is unclear. Please reword this.]. But we can also see that he could have let the family go because he knows how it feels to be without a family and he just wants everyone to suffer.

    Okay. Interesting.

    G. I don’t think that the author is biased against the man because he says how the man had problems and shows how the man was “Forced” to kill an innocent family that were not even at fault. Also, women are given a label, and men are given a man rather than just giving a name to both genders.

    Could that mean she (O’Connor) is against her female characters? I doubt that.

    December 10, 2022 at 4:19 pm #82631

    Tahreem Imran
    Participant

    a) I think it’s obvious because back then they just didn’t give women equal rights and thought men were better than women just because how they were the owners of the house and had outside jobs while women would be at home taking care of the children.
    e) Probably because she thinks he’s doing it because he’s told to. Maybe he doesn’t mean to do what he is doing.
    g) I don’t think the author is biased against men at all because they use their names for them and not how they appeared like they described women.

    They? Do you mean the author? Don’t forget, Flannery O’Connor is a woman.

    December 21, 2022 at 4:21 am #82774

    Ali Ammar
    Participant

    A) This could just be a quirk, however, the author could be coming from a men’s perspective when it comes to the portrayal of women within this time period.
    E) This is most likely an act of desperation, with some elements of revealing her true character when the grandmother
    says this, she’s probably doing everything she can to save her life, while also revealing her true nature of being an understanding person with a good heart.
    G) Considering a man is the killer in this story, there isn’t a bias as there’s no reason this was done, even the argument that this was forced is shut down from the end of the story. This is also true with the constant reminder that a good man is hard to find, which is the title of the story.

    December 21, 2022 at 2:42 pm #82785

    Tiffany O
    Participant

    A.) I think the women don’t have names in the story because their words or character was enough.
    E.) She is saying the killer is just like her son because she sees him as a human like herself and her son. She sees him in a different light.
    G.) By reading his story I honestly can’t tell wether O’Connor was biased against women or not. I think she was trying to get a message across regarding humans and empathy or life in a way,

Viewing 6 posts - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)

You must be logged in to reply to this topic.

All Topics