Good Man Roles

A Good View

The definition of a "good man" can be misunderstood and sometimes misapplied when being interpreted by the wrong person. In "A Good Man is Hard to Find", the grandmother seemingly applies the title of "good" to any man who shows even a small glimpse of morally acceptable character. This referring to how surprisingly quick she is to give that label to certain people such as Mr. Teagarden, Red Sammy, The Misfit, without even knowing the individuals that well. Her central role in the story is focused upon in several key moments, with her being heard applying the label of "good man" to certain characters. This misplaced trust of hers caused her to meet an unexpected and tragic end. Flannery O'Connor, the author of "A Good Man is Hard to Find" relates herself to the story, setting in it in her own home state and giving it a southern feel. She gives the reader an opportunity to see the story from a perspective of someone from the deep south, Georgia specifically. O'Connor, like the grandmother most likely had experiences in which she misjudged someone in her life and the choice to trust this person came back to harm her physically or emotionally. Similar to the grandmother, it was most likely in her nature to see the good in someone even when there is none to be seen. The grandmother makes references to a so-called "good man" from her past at the story's beginning. She tells her grandchildren, John Wesley and June Star a story about her younger days in which she was being courted by a man named Edgar Atkins Teagarden. The grandmother talks about him being a "very good-looking man and a gentleman and that he brought her watermelon every Saturday afternoon..." (Scene 2). She never spoke of any real conversation or interaction the two of them had other than those instances. Her opinion of him was based