Even story’s title can have an influence on how a reader prepares for the story line. Before reading the story “A Good Man Is Hard to Find”, I expected to be a romance story, just from reading the tittle. Getting deeper into the reading, I was looking forward to a happy ending love story , since the grandmother was describing a gentleman that she remembers from her working days, who passed away a wealthy man and told a story of a mystery house with hidden treasure ” she would have done well to marry Mr. Teagarden because he was a gentleman and had bought Coca-Cola stock when it first came out and that he had died only a few years ago, a very wealthy man”.
Unfortunately the story does not end with happiness/love and discovery of the mystery treasure, it becomes a tragedy, ending in brutal deaths and agony. One unexpected decision in the story, altered the faith in the characters story life. I read the story twice and every time I had a vivid image of the kids being taking away to the woods, while seeing the parents fear and pain through their eyes. The grandmother on the other hand , did her best part to speak some sense into Misfit by using religious language and reversed psychology.
One main specific idea, that I had to read and research after reading “Excerpt from ‘On Her Own Work’: The Element of Suspense in ‘A Good Man Is Hard to Find.’” was the part of the grandmother’s gestures. First gesture was “hands waving” after the accident that family just had, to attract attention of approaching vehicle, in which there were 3 man , whom one of them was her killer, Misfit. Second gesture was mentioned at the end of the story, grandmother says to Misfit: “Why you’re one of my babies. You’re one of my own children!” She reached out and touched him on the shoulder.” – after that the grandmother was shoot 3 times by Misfit through the chest. The gestures might have more of symbolic meaning to them, ” hands waving”- intentional calling for help, that brought 3 “good man” for help, that turned out to be evil. And the gesture of “touch” – acceptance of fate and acceptance of death, while still trying to connect with Misfit in a humane and spiritual way.
One thought on “Michal Piencioszko Week Discussion 9”
MIchael, yes, O’Connor spends a good deal of time in her article/speech talking about “the gesture.” I’m not sure about her awareness of her own fate and impending death. I have the sense that in her moment of grace, she is not thinking about herself—apparently for the first time ever—and that the gesture is simple and from the heart. It’s interesting to look for other stories with important gestures that show where “the heart of the story” lies.