The story is gothic in nature and centers on The Misfit and his grandma. The Misfit is unique among the characters in that he is passionate, whilst the rest are passive (O’Connor 07). At the conclusion of the story, the reader is given the opportunity to read the discussion between The Misfit and his grandma. One thing is certain: the grandma was a hypocrite who believed in the virtues. The grandma believed that whatever she did was right and that she was teaching her children the Lord’s ways. However, with closer examination of her jabber, it becomes clear that she was a hypocrite, superficial, and flawed woman. By contrast, the Misfit lacked faith and was overwhelmed by his own pain and the suffering of others as a result of secular and divine laws’ injustices (O’Connor 09). When The Misfit is labeled as the lone person who understands the hardship of finding a good man, the story’s gothic element is revealed.
Notably, despite their disparate personalities, both the grandmother and The Misfit are products of grace. There is a blurring of what is good caused by the grandmother’s constant belief that everything is wonderful, which makes it difficult to discern what is not good. Both the grandmother and the Misfit have several flaws, have fallen into sin, and are fundamentally defective; nonetheless, they are both recipients of redemption, since all individuals are rescued by grace. The story demonstrates that only God determines who will enter heaven, which indicates that even people who commit sin can enter paradise as a result of God’s rescuing love. The grandma and the Misfit do not deserve grace for their awful characteristics, yet God chooses them both, conveying the readers that even bad people have a chance to enter heaven via God’s grace.
2 thoughts on “Marisa Cuni week 8”
Response
Marisa, your article is informative and presented clearly. The introduction section has identified the story’s interior meaning and hooks readers to your essay’s body. I agree with your perception that Flannery O’Connor`s story is trying to communicate the controversies in explaining divine grace when an individual is dealing with good and evil. In addition to presenting a compelling introduction, the example provided in the essay (Red Sammy’s incident) communicates the deeper meaning in the short story.
Hi Marisa, it is clear to see that you have a firm hold on what this story is about the themes that run throughout it. Such as the idea that just because your doing what you think is right doesn’t necessarily mean that you are. The grandmother and the Misfit as you conveyed are really two sides of the same coin. they are both doing what they justify as right and move forward with that. The grandmother in her backward hypocritical teachings and the Misfit in his recklessness in regards to committing all sorts of crimes and murders.