A significant idea that I came across in “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” is the theme of morality and redemption.The grandmother presents herself as a morally upright Christian but instead demonstrates selfishness and manipulation throughout the story. Without reading the article I would’ve thought that it was going to be centered around a man in the story but in reality the grandmother in the story lacked morals more than the Misfit, she just likes to portray herself in a certain way, very ladylike and elegant but she lacked a lot of care even for her own family, the misfit says at the end of the story ” she would have been a good lady if there was somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life”, this shows how the misfit viewed the grandmother as a deceitful person who was just crying for mercy and saying the nicest things while a gun was pointed to her.
Daily Archives: March 29, 2024
I would have overlooked the importance of the parental role if I hadn’t read the article before reading the story. I think it would have been important for the parents to have a say in it, even though the grandma gets all the spotlight. They didn’t appear to be discussed much, and they gave off the impression of being rather absent parents. Even when they were dealing with the outcast, the father remained silent and did not say or do anything. With her kids, the mother also gave off the impression of being absent and uninvolved. The grandmother’s pride and selfishness was not discussed in the story. Her priorities, such as finding the home from her past, took priority over her family’s well being. It seems as though the parents, although having children, have no obligations. It appears as though they are not parenting their children. Additionally, it seems as though Bailey, the husband, has no obligations as a man. It’s as if he failed his wife and kids by not intervening to save them when the Misfit kidnaps the family. They also don’t enforce rules for their kids. They don’t punish or interfere with them, allowing them to act and do as they choose.
Had I not read the article prior to the story, I believe I would have overlooked the significance of the parents’ roles and their actions within the narrative. I felt they were hardly mentioned, and they seemed to be very unassertive when it came to disciplining their children. The father also didn’t do much or say much, even when they were dealing with the misfit. The mother seemed to be uninvolved and passive with her children as well. The article didn’t talk about the grandmother’s self-centered behavior. She was more concerned about her own desires, like finding a house from her past, than with the safety of her family. By the grandmother not using a road map for directions to find this house from her past, led to the car accident. She seemed more worried about getting attention for herself, then checking on her family after the car crash. I feel if I hadn’t read the article prior to reading the story I might have missed how the grandmother’s behavior changes. She comes across as selfish at the beginning, but by the end of the story she shows a sense of concern and compassion.
In the article I feel as if it’s really just about the grandmother and how much of a narcissist she is . She’s too self absorbed and doesn’t really care about anyone else’s feelings. Also the grandmother is also a racist ignorant person. It’s as if the parents have no responsibility even though they have kids . It’s really like they’re not raising their kids. It’s also like Bailey the husband doesn’t have any responsibility as the man . Kind of like he failed his children & wife because he does nothing to save them when the Misfit takes the family . Also they don’t discipline their children . They let them do whatever they want and act however they are without repercussions or reprimanding them . Also I read this when I was in middle school so it’s actually a refreshing experience to re read it again . But I still felt the same way about reading it when i read it in middle school .
