The Grandmother in “a Good Man Is Hard to Find”

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The Grandmother in “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” In Flanner O’Conner’s “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” the character named grandmother only sees herself to be a “Lady” but within the story other forms are shown otherwise. Being manipulative to get what she wants, confusion with her faith, and senile, the grandmother exhibits throughout the passage leading to the bad consequences. Facing the facts, the grandmother is a manipulator. Her style is always more subtle, she never does this directly. She doesn’t want to go to Florida, but to Tennessee instead, and to get her way she tries to scare Bailey and puts him on a guilt trip with reports of a criminal on the loose. “’Just you read it. I wouldn't take my children in any direction with a criminal like that aloose in it. I couldn't answer to my conscience if I did.’" (277). She does anything in her power such as lying just manipulate to get her way, she purposely says something false to ensure the children will persuade their dad, "’There was a secret panel in this house,’ she said craftily, not telling the truth but wishing that she were, ‘and the story went that all the family silver was hidden in it when Sherman came through but it was never found . . .’" (282). As seen since the beginning of the story, the grandmother tries to use her skill to manipulate The Misfit in sparing her life. "You wouldn't shoot a lady, would you?" the grandmother said and removed a clean handkerchief from her cuff and began to slap at her eyes with it.” (86), the grandmother begins to convince The Misfit not to shoot her for being a lady. After all, everyone knows it's not proper to shoot ladies. The grandmother describes herself as a lady, and according to her, a lady should believe in a God. Yet nothing else in the story has led us to think that religion is an important part of her life. Not until she encounters The Misfit does she

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