In this paper there will be the analysis of the themes that are present in a chosen short story. Themes can be defined as the prevalent issues that arise from a story. The story to be looked into is A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O’Connor. This is a tragic story of a family that decides to go for a vacation and they end up being murdered. There are various things during the story that foreshadow their death like the graveyard that has six graves and the hearse that the character known as the Misfit drives. In this story, we can see that there are various themes that stand out like the various definitions of good, the prevalent obsession with death, religion and hypocrisy among others. The various themes in the story help in the development of the plot and enable the writer to present various facts of the story to the reader. The themes in this story will be looked into below.
In the book, the theme of death is prevalent. It can be seen whereby, when they are driving during their journey, the Grandmother comments about a graveyard which has six graves. This first encounter of this theme helps the reader forecast on the events that will happen later in the story. This is because the six graves they see in that yard were equivalent to the number of people that were in the car. This theme is further propagated by the fact that when they crash, a hearse-like vehicle drives towards them. This is a bad omen and a clear representation of death. It paints the driver in this story as the dealer of death which turns out to be true. The Misfit and his cronies deal death to the entire family including the Grandmother who is shot in the chest two times by the Misfit. Therefore, we can see that the theme of death is a central part in the book A Good Man is Hard to Find. The author uses death to bring about the various conflicts that exist between people and how it changes them.
The elusive nature of the term ‘good man’ is another theme that is present in this story. In the book, the grandmother uses this term indiscriminately until it loses pits meaning. This makes the reader question what the qualities of a good man are and who qualifies to be a good man. The usage of the term seems to be ironical. For instance, when Red Sammy gets swindled of gasoline, she terms him a good man. This is not the case as being gullible is not good. Then, later in the story we see that she call the Misfit a good man and so as to convince him not to kill her. Her application of good seems to be warped and she uses it if it conforms to her values. She considers something good if it favors her and therefore her definition of good is not based on ethical or moral grounds but on convenience. From the story we can see that Red Sammy is ‘good’ because he is gullible and also reminisces the good times that are gone which makes him a favorite with the grandmother. She defines the Misfit as ‘good’ for she reasons that she will be spared as he cannot shoot a lady.
Another theme that is present in the short story is the glorification of the past. There is the expression of nostalgia by various characters from the Grandmother, Red Sammy and even the Misfit. Their nostalgia for the past shows the reader that these characters believe that finding a “good man” was easier in the past and that the pursuit of good deeds in the present times is not easy and it is even futile. Throughout the trip, the grandmother recalls the days in which she had a suitor, Edgar Adkins Teagarden. She says that the suitor brought her a watermelon each and every weekend. She supposes she should have married the man for he had gentlemanly manners—and consequently he was a “good man” too—and became rich. Also we see Red Sammy and the grandmother muse over the gone days, when individuals were trustworthy. Red Sammy is quoted saying that “a good man is hard to find,” proudly. He considers himself—easy to fool and gullible—as the good men who are rare to come by, as one of this dying breed. Even the Misfit recalls things his father used to say and do and also he recounts the injustices that came with the punishment for crimes which he couldn’t recall committing. As per these characters, the present existence is filled with uncertainty and unhappiness. Things were much better a long time ago. They therefore do not conform to the present as they perceive it to be different from what they were used to in the past. They still live in the past.
Racism is present in the story even though it is a minor theme in A Good Man Is Hard to Find. The Grandmother shows her racist feelings when she offers a commentary on the child which the family sees out of a window. She uses derogatory terms like "Little niggers” who live in the country and lack things like they (the family) does. She goes further to call the boy a "cute little pickaninny." Even though she says she is compassionate to the plight of the blacks, her feelings and utterances are clearly racist.
In the short story "A Good Man is Hard to Find" we see a confrontation that occurs between good and evil. This is embodied by the struggle that is seen between the grandmother who has a fake sense of goodness, and the Misfit who is a criminal who represents real evil. The grandmother treats the act of goodness more often than not as a function of being well-mannered, decent, and being from a family of what she calls "the right people." We see the contrast, when the grandmother meets The Misfit. He clearly evil and has little or no sense of remorse, and a real desire to commit cruel or vicious things because he can. Coming to understand the drive of The Misfit and the notion of goodness as presented in the story gives the reader something to ponder about.
Issues of social class are also prevalent in this short story. The grandmother in "A Good Man is Hard to Find" is seen to give a lot of importance in the quest of being "a lady.” She carries herself in a manner in which she seems to have originated from the upper crust of the society. She uses derogatory words like ‘nigger’ when referring to blacks. In her reminiscing, she talks of pretty plantations that she used to visit as a kid. It is during the visit to such a plantation that she lets loose her cat which contributes to the accident and then the encounter with the Misfit.
In conclusion, we see that there are various themes that help to deliver the story in this text. We see the theme of death that is represented by various symbols until it happens. The grandmother and the Misfit seem to embody the struggle that is present between good and evil even though the notion of good is warped and biased. There is also the reminiscing of the past with characters living in the past glories and refusing to encounter the present.
References
O'Connor, F. (2001). A good man is hard to find: Stories. London: Women's Press.
