A Hidden Religious Message

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A Hidden Religious Message Flannery O’Connor, a Catholic writer, makes religious references through out her short story “A Good Man Is Hard to Find.” Everyone views religion differently in the world. Catholics think more in depth than most of the other religions. Colors in the Catholic Church represent seasons and have specific meanings. The names of people, places, and items hold special significance in the faith. In this tale, the Grandmother and the Misfit disagree on their ideas about God until the end. Symbolism and characters create a religious theme. Colors, names, and numbers reveal how symbolism helps construct a religious theme. First color symbolizes a religious theme. By the use of black, the reader gets the feeling of death. Pitty Sing the black cat, “sprang onto Bailey’s shoulder” causing Bailey to wreck the car (410). In addition, the “big black battered hearse-like automobile” gives a strong sensation of death (411). The darkness of the woods behind them also gives a sensation of death. The color red means passion, fire, blood, or God’s love. The meaning of the color purple stands for penance, humility, and melancholy. When the grandmother points out the details of Stone Mountain, “the brilliant red clay banks slightly streaked with purple,” show the meaning of blood and penance (406). The color green stands for Holy Ghost, life, and eternal hope. The detail the grandmother points out is “the various crops that made rows of green lace-work” means there is eternal hope still (406). The meaning of silver and white simply stands for light, innocence, purity, joy, triumph, and glory. “The trees were full of silver-white sunlight” stands for innocence or purity (406). The color pink represents joy. When Bailey decides to go down the dirt road to see the house, “a swirl of pink dust” forms behind them (410). Therefore, the pink dust

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