If I hadn’t read O’Connor’s essay in Activity 1, I would have missed some key insights into “A Good Man Is Hard to Find.” In her essay, O’Connor explains that the grandmother’s final moment with The Misfit is significant because it’s an act of grace. Without this explanation, I might not have understood how important it is when she reaches out to him and calls him “one of my babies,” showing unexpected kindness even in a dangerous situation, and after hearing his freinds killing her family. O’Connor also talks about how violence in the story serves to reveal people’s true personality, which makes the family’s encounter with The Misfit so crucial. It forces the grandmother to confront her beliefs and gain clarity. Additionally, O’Connor’s discussion of creating complex characters helped me see the grandmother as more than just a hypocritical figure because when I was reading, I kind of hated her. I thought that she was a racist by calling the black boy on the window “pickaninny” the word I just discovered. I also thought that she was hypocrite, manipulative, in short a bad person even thought she seemed to do not know that she was one; I realized that she’s someone capable of change and growth after reading activity one. These insights from the essay help me appreciate the deeper themes and moral questions in the story, like redemption and the complexity of human nature.
Powered by:
top
One thought on “week #9”
Hi there, I think your post is really good as it speaks about the characters in the story and details them. I also appreciated the essay exploring the depth of the meaning of the story. Although in a sense I feel like the author had to defend her story. I feel the violence helps us understand the importance of going all the “in” if we are going to be believers in christ. Not just be good, but to be good at it, our walk with the lord.