Mikaela - I think this text relates to gothic literature because of the unknowing. I feel like throughout the story there is a lack of knowledge, about who the misfit is and what is going to happen, and also towards the end. When the grandmother is talking to the misfit, he does not kill her right away and the suspense builds up. Then, she gets shot and it comes back to this gothic idea.
Mikaela- This text relates to gothic literature through the Southern Gothicism.It is more relatable to real life and that is what also makes it more terrifying.
The kids seemed kind of excited when they got into the accident.There are a few lines in the text that made me think this, the main one was, "But nobody's killed, June Star said with disappointment", why do you think the kids were like this?
@Nicole - I'm not sure as to what the grandmother considers as "good", but you do get the sense that the grandmother is almost trying to convince herself and The Misfit that he is a good man.
Maria- I think that it is very interesting how O'Connor uses or doesn't use names for his characters. Some characters have no name while others have two name. Like John Wesley and June Star.
Chris- I think that there needs to be a lengthy introduction to set the scene in most Gothic stories. It helps state exactly what is there so the rest is left up to our thoughts.
Mikaela - I think it's the same things as the Gothic Literature, just more specific to the south. Also it's much more violent than the other texts. At each story there seems to be as shocking ending, or a downfall, and this story has that too. How do you think it differs?
Daniel - I think that the main reason for the story's title is because the grandmother says it. She talks about how a good man is hard to find, and may never be found. Also, I think the contradiction of this statement in the story. When the family runs into the misfit, she tries to explain to him that he is a good man, when he ends up killing her after a while.
Daniel: All of the characters had some bad hidden within them. Bailey had a raging temper and control problems, the wife was completely passive in nature and seemed to not enforce any rules upon her children, the children are outwardly rude and mildly sadistic, and the grandmother hides things from her family.
@Maria She doesn't necessarily exclude the names of all women. Only the mother which I think is because there is no relationship between the grandmother and the mother, so to the Grandmother the mother is no one important because she is so focused on blood ties. The grandmothers name is not revealed in order to leave us thinking what if that was me.
Maddie- I think maybe it was to show the difference in generations. The children who are a younger generation are wanting violence and for someone to get hurt, but the older generations are not wanting any violence at all.
Maddie- There is an recurring idea of the younger generation loosing in there morals. First in the grandchildren and their lack of respect and then the Misfits when they kill the older generation without any though.
Chris- I think it gives the reader a chance to get to know the family and the town before bad things happen. I was also thinking that there really wasn't a point to the story, and it really added to the surprise at the end.
Chris: June Star is not a lady for numerous reasons (i.e. her behavior and age); I mean full grown women like Red Sam's wife, the grandmother and Bailey's wife.
Chris- I think the intro is so long to set up the comparison between times when the grandma is little and how trusting she is and the murder and robbery filled current times. It is necessary to find out the personalities and morals of the characters.
On the second page, towards the bottom, John asks where the plantation is and the Grandmother relies that it is "Gone With The Wind" (caps on each 1st letter). What reference does this have to the actual story "Gone With The Wind?"
Class - Close to the end of the story, after the family runs into the misfit, the grandmother starts very much going into the ideas of Jesus and how Jesus would save her life. Why do you think this part is so emphasized?
Maddie - I noticed this too, but I think that most of it has to do with the fact that kids and people in general love excitement and action. Think of the stories they could tell their friends if someone had died, and how much buzz would surround them. They seem to be at the age of elementary school when you always want to be the coolest kid on the playground.
@Sarah- I agree with your answer to Maria. I think that Flannery O'Connor doesn't want to take away from the important aspects of the story, by throwing a name into the reader's mind that doesn't add any level.
Another element that I found interesting that was an underling theme in "A Good Man...",was the constant nostalgia of the grandmother and Red Sammy, they seem to be in accordance that in the past"good" people were easier to come by, "'People are certainly not nice like they used to be,' said the grandmother."'. Do you agree with this? Is it the way they define "good" that dictates that it was more common trait of people in the past? If so how do would "good" be defined so that it was more common in the past than now?
Why does the author tell us some of the characters names (Bailey, john wesley, and june star) but not others (the grandmother, baileys wife, red sam's wife)?
Relating to the Inner Circle... The number 3 is a very religious symbol. It can symbolize the holy trinity in certain religions. I think the 3 gunshots can represent how there is religion hidden under the crimes being comitted.
@sara- I believe that people can be good. In fact I believe most people are good. People try to do good, or what they view as good but others view those actions as bad.
Maddie F - The last line is very interesting and I am not sure how to interpret it. I think that it might be that he is does not like this job he has, and it does not bring his pleasure. He may have felt bad for shooting someone that was so innocent.
John- The title of the story is "A Good Man is Hard to Find", and in the story she did not really find a good man. My thoughts of why they emphasized Jesus so much was because in her mind he was a good man and could save her, and a man who has done bad things.
Nick- In most families the father is the man in the house. But form this story, I felt that Bailey didn't fall into this criteria. He did what he wanted to do and only did what his family wanted when they annoyed him.
John- I think that the Jesus part was emphasized because people usually associate religion with a chance at redemption. This relates to the story because the Grandma tried to provide a way out for the Misfit to escape his current life style. This was mostly as way for the Grandma to save her own life.
John - I think the emphasis of Jesus emphasizes the idea that good men are hard to find, because Jesus was a perfect man -- a large contrast to the Misfit.
Rachel- I think some of the names are more emphasized than others because of there importance. The author wants us to think more about the grandmother and wives. Almost trying to portray a hidden message.
@ Nicole - I think that as our society changes and evolves, so do our attitudes, our words, and our actions. This therefore changes the meaning of "good" or a "good man".
What is ironic about the accident that the children and others seemed to diminish the severity of some injuries and how they wished that someone had died? Do you think this also foreshadowed what was about to happen?
@Nicole I don't think it's necessarily true that people were better in the past, but it is common to view the past through rose colored glasses. Because the now is so painful, we have to have happy memories.
This story seems to support the idea that society is at fault. The misfit became as he is because of what happened to him, and the grandmother has her southern morals because she lived in that society.
Did the grandmother predict the death by saying in the beginning "if there was an accident they would know I was a lady."? Did she predict anything else?
John: I feel as if the part of the story that revolves around her ranting about Jesus and prayer and when the Misfit says, " I found out that crime don't matter. You can do one thing or you can do another...later you're going to forget what it was you done and just be punished for it", shows that no matter the crime, or a crime at all God will punish him but with Jesus came forgiveness of all, so no matter the person and the circumstance all receive grace.
Maria- I think the lack of names for the women indicates how those characters are perceived by those around them. The grandmother is either thought of as grandmother or mother by the others in the family. Red Sammy's wife is thought of as Red Sammy's wife by those who visit the restaurant due to the name of the restaurant. Another person who is not called by name, The Misfit, is thought of by those around him as a notorious killer, not an actual person.
@daniel I agree the point I was trying to make is that it is hard to define what good is, and the grandmother is very vague and critical with her definition of goodness.
Mikael- The last statement agrees with the title of the text. In this society everyone's morals have decreed. Making it hard to find an good person. When everyone had low morals they will treat each other unkindly. Making it hard to find any pleasure in life.
Rachel- I don't think the author wants us to make assumptions but more to draw attention to these people. For instance, towards the end of the text, we find out the grandmother and the misfit were related.
After the Misfit shoots her, he and Bobby talk about how much she talked, the Misfit then tells Bobby "She would have been a good woman, if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life." What do you think he means by this?
@ Maddie... She could be using a religious reference. Church communities are sometimes considered "families". She may be trying to appeal to the Misfit's good side by telling him he is her son from a religious perspective.
Hannah H - I think that is seems like the grandmother did predict the death. Also, it seemed to me that she was extremely scared of the misfit and she felt that she might meet him. She knew that her only chance of survival was to show off her femininity.
Abbie - "Gone With The Wind" tells the story of a spoiled daughter of a well-to-do plantation owner, who must use every means at her disposal to come out of the poverty that she finds herself in after Sherman's March to the Sea. ----- Wikipedia
Mikaela- I think that The Misfit is capitalized because he himself feels like he is "Jesus" and that the nickname he has been given is too harsh. Could this mean that the author is hinting that he could be a good person rather than completely terrible?
Mikaela- I think that it is because that is The Misfit, is his only title, he doesn't have another name. But I do find it weird that "The Misfit" is capitalized but other names such as "the grandmother" are not. Why do you think that is?
Hannah M - I think that the grandma tried to talk to the misfit because she was scared for her life. She wanted to convince the misfit that he is too good to kill her, and that he would never kill a woman.
Hannah- I saw a lot of foreshadowing like that. I think the author kind of warned us she was going to run into the Misfit because of how much she talked about it in the beginning.
Hannah- The Misfit made so much small talk because she still had that hope inside of her that he would not harm her, or kill a lady. You wouldn't scream and try and run away, the killer would want to hurt you more so she felt that if she was friendly and civil he may be a little more civil as well. But he wasn't.
@ Mikaela- I think the author capitalized the Misfit simply because he was a particular person and that was his "name". However, it could probably represent how important he is... Because he is also one of the few characters that was given a name.
Hannah - Partially I think its because it's her nature. How is one supposed to react to such a traumatic situation? Making small talk is in her comfort zone so I think it was the most she could do not to lose it. In addition throughout the story we see her craving respect and reflecting on the old days when people respected her elders, and he does show her respect by saying yessum.
Hannah- I think the grandmother wanted to believe that the Misfit was reasonable and could be talked to sensibly to save her life, even though she probably knew this wasn't the case.
@Maddie I think the idea was blood isn't really important, because blood doesn't pass morals down. This also connects to the children who weren't being raised very well. So if the older society criticizes the morals of the younger generation they are really criticizing themselves.
Class - When the family runs into the strangers, the grandma says after a while, "You're The Misfit!" What do you think would have happened if the grandmother had not recognized him? Would the family have survived?
Chris: It seems like you're saying the women in this text are set in a specific role, but their contributions are completely disregarded by others. Red Sam's wife did all the burdensome work in the restaurant and Bailey's wife raised their children. Why does The Misfit's "name" differ from the two wives "names"?
Mikaela: I think the incorporation of the Misfit's actual name plays in when he says, "I call myself The Misfit,' he said, "because I can't make what all I done wrong fit what all I gone through in punishment." I think this is an interesting concept, is he trying to say he was punished and for no reason, so now he is giving them a reason for why they punished him, it is just a little out of order?
Hannah- I think the grandmother was making so much small talk with the Misfit in an attempt to tap into his good side, and ultimately save herself from being killed.
Maddie- The Title of this text is a Good Man (or women) Is Hard to Find. Its ironic that the only way for the grandmother to be "found" as a good person is to be shoot, says the Misfit. I think this shows how hard it really is hard to find some good in this story.
I feel that any human, no matter the society would not feel that killing a human being is right (unless they have purpose.) So that seems to be human nature, but then culture has an impact. What is the right balance?
Maria- I don't think it has to do with their roles, but rather the point of view of the characters around them. In other words, the character's names are based on what the other characters would call them. I'm not sure what you are getting at with the last question.
John- I think that if that had not been yelled the family could have been spared but it is a slight chance. The Misfit also said it isn't good that she recognizes me proving that he wanted to get rid of her since she could have gone to the police and told them where he was.
Rachel- I think the story was given this title to emphasize a theme in the story. Through the whole story, we really don't meet a "good man". At Red Sammy's, he mentioned the two men buying gas on credit. His wife also tells them she doesn't trust her husband. We meet the Misfit who obviously isn't a good man. And even Bailey has a short temper.
@ Rachel I think that the title is what it is because they never really found a good man in the story. They kind of looked for one and talked about it but never found one
A good man is hard to find was basically making a generalization that all men are "bad". This was represented by the misfit and the father not being very "nice" people.
HannahM - It seems like this is what caused him to become a bad person. This seems like something that would scar his life, and it leads him to build up anger.
Rachel- I think that O'Connor is trying to send a message with the title of this story and its content. He is trying to show that morals are decreasing in society making it harder to find some who will do the right thing.
When the family crashed, there wasn't anyone around them, but once the vehicle with the Misfit arrived (top of page 7), the Misfit says, "We see it happen." How did he see it happen?
Maria K:When I read about Red Sammy's monkey, I felt that it represented the idea of evolution and the earliest of human nature and how we have changed so much in physicality but more so in morality we have evolved, and every generations morals change.
Class - Why do you think it is such a big deal to the Grandma to be considered a lady? For example in the beginning it says that "In case of an accident, anyone seeing her dead on the highway would know at once that she was a lady."
Chris: All three of these people are technically nameless, so my question is why does The Misfit's name represent him differently than "Red Sam's wife" and "the children's mother"?
At the end the grandmother says The Misfit is his son, is this literal? She also mentions, "his face was familiar as if she had known him all her life" and "I recognized you at once".
How do you think this text relates to Gothic Literature?
ReplyDeleteThe idea of someone who is "good" is explored in this text, what do you think defines good for the grandmother?
ReplyDeleteWhy did Flannery O'Connor exclude the names of the women in the text?
ReplyDelete@ Mikaela To me it relates because there is a major shock at the end which seems to be a large component of gothicism
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think is accomplished by having such a lengthy introduction before the climax (accident)?
ReplyDeleteWhy is the title A Good Man is Hard to Find? There seems to be some good people in the story, like the parents. Or are all the characters bad?
ReplyDeleteMikaela - I think this text relates to gothic literature because of the unknowing. I feel like throughout the story there is a lack of knowledge, about who the misfit is and what is going to happen, and also towards the end. When the grandmother is talking to the misfit, he does not kill her right away and the suspense builds up. Then, she gets shot and it comes back to this gothic idea.
ReplyDeleteMikaela- This text relates to gothic literature through the Southern Gothicism.It is more relatable to real life and that is what also makes it more terrifying.
ReplyDeleteThe kids seemed kind of excited when they got into the accident.There are a few lines in the text that made me think this, the main one was, "But nobody's killed, June Star said with disappointment", why do you think the kids were like this?
ReplyDelete@Nicole - I'm not sure as to what the grandmother considers as "good", but you do get the sense that the grandmother is almost trying to convince herself and The Misfit that he is a good man.
ReplyDeleteMaria- The author does name June Star. Could you be more specific?
ReplyDeleteNicole- I think that someone "good" in the grandmothers eyes would be someone who worships the lord and tries to do good by others.
ReplyDeleteWhy does the author capitalize The Misfit? What is the significance of that?
ReplyDeleteMaria- I think that it is very interesting how O'Connor uses or doesn't use names for his characters. Some characters have no name while others have two name. Like John Wesley and June Star.
ReplyDeleteChris- I think that there needs to be a lengthy introduction to set the scene in most Gothic stories. It helps state exactly what is there so the rest is left up to our thoughts.
ReplyDeleteMikaela - I think it's the same things as the Gothic Literature, just more specific to the south. Also it's much more violent than the other texts. At each story there seems to be as shocking ending, or a downfall, and this story has that too. How do you think it differs?
ReplyDeleteDaniel - I think that the main reason for the story's title is because the grandmother says it. She talks about how a good man is hard to find, and may never be found. Also, I think the contradiction of this statement in the story. When the family runs into the misfit, she tries to explain to him that he is a good man, when he ends up killing her after a while.
ReplyDeleteDaniel: All of the characters had some bad hidden within them. Bailey had a raging temper and control problems, the wife was completely passive in nature and seemed to not enforce any rules upon her children, the children are outwardly rude and mildly sadistic, and the grandmother hides things from her family.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't the misfit also have morals? He just feels that pain is more important than kindness. That is morals, just people view it as immoral.
ReplyDeleteClass- How do you think the overall pessimistic attitude of Bailey added/retracted from the story?
ReplyDelete@Maria She doesn't necessarily exclude the names of all women. Only the mother which I think is because there is no relationship between the grandmother and the mother, so to the Grandmother the mother is no one important because she is so focused on blood ties. The grandmothers name is not revealed in order to leave us thinking what if that was me.
ReplyDeleteMaddie- I think maybe it was to show the difference in generations. The children who are a younger generation are wanting violence and for someone to get hurt, but the older generations are not wanting any violence at all.
ReplyDelete@ Daniel I would agree he just has a very different view than we do
ReplyDeleteMaddie- There is an recurring idea of the younger generation loosing in there morals. First in the grandchildren and their lack of respect and then the Misfits when they kill the older generation without any though.
ReplyDeleteChris- I think it gives the reader a chance to get to know the family and the town before bad things happen. I was also thinking that there really wasn't a point to the story, and it really added to the surprise at the end.
ReplyDeleteChris: June Star is not a lady for numerous reasons (i.e. her behavior and age); I mean full grown women like Red Sam's wife, the grandmother and Bailey's wife.
ReplyDeleteChris- I think the intro is so long to set up the comparison between times when the grandma is little and how trusting she is and the murder and robbery filled current times. It is necessary to find out the personalities and morals of the characters.
ReplyDeleteOn the second page, towards the bottom, John asks where the plantation is and the Grandmother relies that it is "Gone With The Wind" (caps on each 1st letter). What reference does this have to the actual story "Gone With The Wind?"
ReplyDelete*I have not read GWTW
Class - Close to the end of the story, after the family runs into the misfit, the grandmother starts very much going into the ideas of Jesus and how Jesus would save her life. Why do you think this part is so emphasized?
ReplyDelete@daniel I think that one of the ideas in the story is that no man can ever truly be good, because everyone has a different idea of what good is.
ReplyDeleteMaddie - I noticed this too, but I think that most of it has to do with the fact that kids and people in general love excitement and action. Think of the stories they could tell their friends if someone had died, and how much buzz would surround them. They seem to be at the age of elementary school when you always want to be the coolest kid on the playground.
ReplyDelete@Sarah- I agree with your answer to Maria. I think that Flannery O'Connor doesn't want to take away from the important aspects of the story, by throwing a name into the reader's mind that doesn't add any level.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you guys think about the very last line? "It's no real pleasure in life"
ReplyDeleteAnother element that I found interesting that was an underling theme in "A Good Man...",was the constant nostalgia of the grandmother and Red Sammy, they seem to be in accordance that in the past"good" people were easier to come by, "'People are certainly not nice like they used to be,' said the grandmother."'. Do you agree with this? Is it the way they define "good" that dictates that it was more common trait of people in the past? If so how do would "good" be defined so that it was more common in the past than now?
ReplyDeleteKimberly: Why do you think O'Connor chose to use two names instead of just one?
ReplyDeleteRachel: What part of the text made you think this?
ReplyDeleteWhy does the author tell us some of the characters names (Bailey, john wesley, and june star) but not others (the grandmother, baileys wife, red sam's wife)?
ReplyDeleteThe very last sentence of the story, is "It's no real pleasure in life."
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think this sentence means? What about the fact that it is the last sentence?
Relating to the Inner Circle... The number 3 is a very religious symbol. It can symbolize the holy trinity in certain religions. I think the 3 gunshots can represent how there is religion hidden under the crimes being comitted.
ReplyDeleteSara: What about Red Sam's wife? She was never given a name.
ReplyDelete@sara- I believe that people can be good. In fact I believe most people are good. People try to do good, or what they view as good but others view those actions as bad.
ReplyDeleteMaddie F - The last line is very interesting and I am not sure how to interpret it. I think that it might be that he is does not like this job he has, and it does not bring his pleasure. He may have felt bad for shooting someone that was so innocent.
ReplyDeleteJohn- The title of the story is "A Good Man is Hard to Find", and in the story she did not really find a good man. My thoughts of why they emphasized Jesus so much was because in her mind he was a good man and could save her, and a man who has done bad things.
ReplyDeleteNick- In most families the father is the man in the house. But form this story, I felt that Bailey didn't fall into this criteria. He did what he wanted to do and only did what his family wanted when they annoyed him.
ReplyDeleteJohn- I think that the Jesus part was emphasized because people usually associate religion with a chance at redemption. This relates to the story because the Grandma tried to provide a way out for the Misfit to escape his current life style. This was mostly as way for the Grandma to save her own life.
ReplyDeleteJohn - I think the emphasis of Jesus emphasizes the idea that good men are hard to find, because Jesus was a perfect man -- a large contrast to the Misfit.
ReplyDeleteRachel- I think some of the names are more emphasized than others because of there importance. The author wants us to think more about the grandmother and wives. Almost trying to portray a hidden message.
ReplyDeleteNicole- at the end of the text when she tries to tell the misfit to worship the lord and she keeps repeating "Jesus, Jesus".
ReplyDelete@ Nicole - I think that as our society changes and evolves, so do our attitudes, our words, and our actions. This therefore changes the meaning of "good" or a "good man".
ReplyDeleteWhat was happening towards the end of the story when the grandmother started to tell the Misfit that he was her son?
ReplyDelete@ Rachel I think he doesn't give some names because they are not really important to the story or their title is name enough
ReplyDeleteKimberly- But didn't Bailey show his authority over the rest of the family when he pulled the car over and screamed at the family to stop talking?
ReplyDeleteWhat is ironic about the accident that the children and others seemed to diminish the severity of some injuries and how they wished that someone had died? Do you think this also foreshadowed what was about to happen?
ReplyDeleteAbby- So do you that the author wants us to make our own assumptions about these people?
ReplyDelete@Nicole I don't think it's necessarily true that people were better in the past, but it is common to view the past through rose colored glasses. Because the now is so painful, we have to have happy memories.
ReplyDeleteThis story seems to support the idea that society is at fault. The misfit became as he is because of what happened to him, and the grandmother has her southern morals because she lived in that society.
ReplyDeleteDid the grandmother predict the death by saying in the beginning "if there was an accident they would know I was a lady."? Did she predict anything else?
ReplyDeleteI mentioned this earlier....but, why do you think the author capitalized The Misfit? Why was he not just referred to as the misfit.
ReplyDeleteJohn: I feel as if the part of the story that revolves around her ranting about Jesus and prayer and when the Misfit says, " I found out that crime don't matter. You can do one thing or you can do another...later you're going to forget what it was you done and just be punished for it", shows that no matter the crime, or a crime at all God will punish him but with Jesus came forgiveness of all, so no matter the person and the circumstance all receive grace.
ReplyDeleteMaria- I think the lack of names for the women indicates how those characters are perceived by those around them. The grandmother is either thought of as grandmother or mother by the others in the family. Red Sammy's wife is thought of as Red Sammy's wife by those who visit the restaurant due to the name of the restaurant. Another person who is not called by name, The Misfit, is thought of by those around him as a notorious killer, not an actual person.
ReplyDelete@daniel I agree the point I was trying to make is that it is hard to define what good is, and the grandmother is very vague and critical with her definition of goodness.
ReplyDeleteWould any of this have happened had the grandmother not brought the cat and lied to the family?
ReplyDeleteMikael- The last statement agrees with the title of the text. In this society everyone's morals have decreed. Making it hard to find an good person. When everyone had low morals they will treat each other unkindly. Making it hard to find any pleasure in life.
ReplyDelete@ Daniel - Society isn't necessarily at fault, but has a strong influence. I think there is a distinct difference.
ReplyDeleteNicole- do you think the author believe in grace without works?
ReplyDeleteWhat was the significance of Red Sam's monkey? Why did O'Connor include this?
ReplyDeleteRachel- I don't think the author wants us to make assumptions but more to draw attention to these people. For instance, towards the end of the text, we find out the grandmother and the misfit were related.
ReplyDeleteAfter the Misfit shoots her, he and Bobby talk about how much she talked, the Misfit then tells Bobby "She would have been a good woman, if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life." What do you think he means by this?
ReplyDeleteWhy does the grandma make so much small talk with the misfit even if she knew he was a bad person?
ReplyDelete@ Maddie... She could be using a religious reference. Church communities are sometimes considered "families". She may be trying to appeal to the Misfit's good side by telling him he is her son from a religious perspective.
ReplyDeleteHannah H - I think that is seems like the grandmother did predict the death. Also, it seemed to me that she was extremely scared of the misfit and she felt that she might meet him. She knew that her only chance of survival was to show off her femininity.
ReplyDeleteAbbie - "Gone With The Wind" tells the story of a spoiled daughter of a well-to-do plantation owner, who must use every means at her disposal to come out of the poverty that she finds herself in after Sherman's March to the Sea. ----- Wikipedia
ReplyDeleteMikaela- I think that The Misfit is capitalized because he himself feels like he is "Jesus" and that the nickname he has been given is too harsh. Could this mean that the author is hinting that he could be a good person rather than completely terrible?
ReplyDeleteMikaela- I think that it is because that is The Misfit, is his only title, he doesn't have another name. But I do find it weird that "The Misfit" is capitalized but other names such as "the grandmother" are not. Why do you think that is?
ReplyDeleteHannah M - I think that the grandma tried to talk to the misfit because she was scared for her life. She wanted to convince the misfit that he is too good to kill her, and that he would never kill a woman.
ReplyDeleteHannah- I saw a lot of foreshadowing like that. I think the author kind of warned us she was going to run into the Misfit because of how much she talked about it in the beginning.
ReplyDeleteAbout the setting... Why did the author include the exact time and mileage on the car (55890) before they left?
ReplyDeleteHannah- The Misfit made so much small talk because she still had that hope inside of her that he would not harm her, or kill a lady. You wouldn't scream and try and run away, the killer would want to hurt you more so she felt that if she was friendly and civil he may be a little more civil as well. But he wasn't.
ReplyDelete@ Mikaela- I think the author capitalized the Misfit simply because he was a particular person and that was his "name". However, it could probably represent how important he is... Because he is also one of the few characters that was given a name.
ReplyDeleteHannah - Partially I think its because it's her nature. How is one supposed to react to such a traumatic situation? Making small talk is in her comfort zone so I think it was the most she could do not to lose it. In addition throughout the story we see her craving respect and reflecting on the old days when people respected her elders, and he does show her respect by saying yessum.
ReplyDelete@Hannah - I was think more along the lines of the capitalizing meaning he was more powerful, after all he did escape prison.
ReplyDeleteHannah- I think she also predicted her death again because she said you wouldn't shoot a lady?
ReplyDeleteHannah- I think the grandmother wanted to believe that the Misfit was reasonable and could be talked to sensibly to save her life, even though she probably knew this wasn't the case.
ReplyDelete@Maddie I think the idea was blood isn't really important, because blood doesn't pass morals down. This also connects to the children who weren't being raised very well. So if the older society criticizes the morals of the younger generation they are really criticizing themselves.
ReplyDeleteClass - When the family runs into the strangers, the grandma says after a while, "You're The Misfit!" What do you think would have happened if the grandmother had not recognized him? Would the family have survived?
ReplyDeleteChris: It seems like you're saying the women in this text are set in a specific role, but their contributions are completely disregarded by others. Red Sam's wife did all the burdensome work in the restaurant and Bailey's wife raised their children. Why does The Misfit's "name" differ from the two wives "names"?
ReplyDeleteMikaela: I think the incorporation of the Misfit's actual name plays in when he says, "I call myself The Misfit,' he said, "because I can't make what all I done wrong fit what all I gone through in punishment." I think this is an interesting concept, is he trying to say he was punished and for no reason, so now he is giving them a reason for why they punished him, it is just a little out of order?
ReplyDeleteClass- why do you think this story was given the title ,"A Good Man is Hard to Find"?
ReplyDeleteHannah- I think the grandmother was making so much small talk with the Misfit in an attempt to tap into his good side, and ultimately save herself from being killed.
ReplyDeleteMaddie- The Title of this text is a Good Man (or women) Is Hard to Find. Its ironic that the only way for the grandmother to be "found" as a good person is to be shoot, says the Misfit. I think this shows how hard it really is hard to find some good in this story.
ReplyDeleteThe title of the text is "A Good Man is Hard to Find." What is the definition of 'a good man.'
ReplyDeleteI feel that any human, no matter the society would not feel that killing a human being is right (unless they have purpose.) So that seems to be human nature, but then culture has an impact. What is the right balance?
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think the misfit meant when he said he was buried alive in the penitentiary? Would this event have caused him to become a bad person?
ReplyDeleteMaria- I don't think it has to do with their roles, but rather the point of view of the characters around them. In other words, the character's names are based on what the other characters would call them. I'm not sure what you are getting at with the last question.
ReplyDeleteJohn- I think that if that had not been yelled the family could have been spared but it is a slight chance. The Misfit also said it isn't good that she recognizes me proving that he wanted to get rid of her since she could have gone to the police and told them where he was.
ReplyDeleteRachel- I think the story was given this title to emphasize a theme in the story. Through the whole story, we really don't meet a "good man". At Red Sammy's, he mentioned the two men buying gas on credit. His wife also tells them she doesn't trust her husband. We meet the Misfit who obviously isn't a good man. And even Bailey has a short temper.
ReplyDelete@ Rachel I think that the title is what it is because they never really found a good man in the story. They kind of looked for one and talked about it but never found one
ReplyDeleteA good man is hard to find was basically making a generalization that all men are "bad". This was represented by the misfit and the father not being very "nice" people.
ReplyDeleteThe car that the family travels in seems to me like a symbol of security. What other symbols appear in the story.
ReplyDeleteHannahM - It seems like this is what caused him to become a bad person. This seems like something that would scar his life, and it leads him to build up anger.
ReplyDeleteRachel- I think that O'Connor is trying to send a message with the title of this story and its content. He is trying to show that morals are decreasing in society making it harder to find some who will do the right thing.
ReplyDeleteWhen the family crashed, there wasn't anyone around them, but once the vehicle with the Misfit arrived (top of page 7), the Misfit says, "We see it happen."
ReplyDeleteHow did he see it happen?
Maria K:When I read about Red Sammy's monkey, I felt that it represented the idea of evolution and the earliest of human nature and how we have changed so much in physicality but more so in morality we have evolved, and every generations morals change.
ReplyDeleteClass - Why do you think it is such a big deal to the Grandma to be considered a lady? For example in the beginning it says that "In case of an accident, anyone seeing her dead on the highway would know at once that she was a lady."
ReplyDeleteAbby- I would say the definition of 'a good man' would be someone with good morals to kind of piggy-back on the idea of the Southern Gothic.
ReplyDeleteChris: All three of these people are technically nameless, so my question is why does The Misfit's name represent him differently than "Red Sam's wife" and "the children's mother"?
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that the grandmother is always focused on the past and the future. She only brings up the present to criticize it.
ReplyDeleteAt the end the grandmother says The Misfit is his son, is this literal? She also mentions, "his face was familiar as if she had known him all her life" and "I recognized you at once".
ReplyDelete