_ Instead of staying behind the morning of the trip, the grandmother is the first one in the car. While traveling the grandmother tells the children a made up story about a plantation house that she had once visited with a secret panel only to excite the children so they would beg their parents to visit it. After a trip down the long dirt road the grandmother realizes that the plantation house was not in Georgia but in Tennessee. Too embarrassed to admit her mistake she causes her cat who she secretly concealed into the car jump out onto her son Baily who is driving. He then crashes the car into a ditch and the family is stranded.
There are several examples of her deceitful and untrustworthy actions. In the beginning of the story, “The grandmother didn’t want to go to Florida” (O’ Connor 9), so she made up false excuses to try to persuade her family to take her to Tennessee. On the way to Florida, she lied to the children about the secret panel by telling them, “‘There was a secret panel in this house not telling the truth but wishing that she were” (O’ Connor 16,17) so she can get what she wants and visit the old plantation. She also chooses not to reveal that she made a mistake about the location of the house. In addition, the grandmother talks about Jesus with The Misfit when she hopes that it might help save her life.
“I just know you’re a good man! You’re not at all common!” This tells a lot about the grandmother’s character, which is portrayed as a selfish, cruel, and superior being until the end. Early in the story, we are told that the family is going on vacation to Florida, which the grandmother does not want to go but would rather go to Tennessee to visit family. She tries to convince her son Bailey to change his mind in going to Florida by showing him a section of the paper. “Here this fellow that calls himself The Misfit is aloose from the federal Pen and headed toward Florida and you read here what it says he did to these people.”(250) she told Bailey.
The real misfit !! In Flannery O’Connor “A Good Man Is Hard To Find” she identifies hat the fugitative is the misfit although the grandmother is more likely to be the misfit. It seems as like the family doesn't like her, and she is the oldest on the road trip. For instance it says in the story when she tries to tell bailey and the children's mother that is a bad Idea to go to Florida because of the fugitive that is loose going to Florida. When she was trying to tell every one about the fugitive they acted like they couldn’t hear her for instance in the “ The grandmother when she showed her son Bailey the newspaper about the fugitive he just continued to to his reading ignoring the grandmother.
The grandmother shows she is good by finally giving in and going with the family to Florida. She already knew that the Misfit was evil and was scared what may happen to the family if they came in contact with him while going to Florida. Even the Red Sam said “a good man is hard to find ( O’Connor 303).” The grandmother defines Red Sam as a good man with values that are aligned with hers. Red Sam is seen as good because trusts people blindly. The family meets the Misfit after the family is involved in a car wreck on the way to Florida.
The narrator explains that the "grandmother didn't want to go to Florida" (320). Although a major conflict could result from her dislike of the family's choice of vacation spots, it does not. When the grandmother first speaks she asks Bailey to read a newspaper article that she has found. She attempts to change his mind about not going to Florida, by saying, "Here this fellow that calls himself The Misfit is aloose from the Federal Pen and headed toward Florida and you read here what it says he did to these people..." (320). Bailey does not make eye contact with her.
The beginning of the story starts off with the Grandmother trying to persuade her family not to take the road trip to Florida. She brings up the release of the Misfit, a serial killer, saying "I couldn't answer to my conscience" if the family came across him as if she was referring to herself. From here, every decision or thought made by the Grandmother steers her wrong, as a consequence for ignoring her first instinct. The Grandmother is first in the car, ready to go. She dresses like a lady "just in case" something may happen to her.
The Tragic Fall of the Family In “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor, the author creates a character called The Misfit who kills a family. The story begins with the family discussing where to travel on their vacation. The grandmother tries to tell the family that there is an escaped convict in Florida where they are travelling and that they should not go there. But instead the family does not listen to her and they are destined for tragedy. There are many elements that foreshadow the tragic events to come.
Brayan Burgos Dr. Stryffeler English 102 2/23/13 Short Story Analysis A family is planning a vacation in Florida, but their grandmother points out that there is an escaped murderer loose there and she would not take her family to such a place. She wants to go to east Tennessee. The next morning they head out and she sneaks her cat with them. After driving for a while, the grandmother thinks she remembers a plantation she once visited in this area. She suggests they go and the more she talks about it the more she wants to go.
The grandmother warns Bailey of a convict that is on the loose in Georgia, who calls himself The Misfit, and tries to manipulate him into going to Tennessee where she wants to go but it doesn’t work and they go Georgia anyway. The grandmother believes she sees