The Misfit tells them “
She would have been a good woman if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life”
(O’Connor 368). The Misfit is saying if the grandmother had been afraid for her life, she would have made the right choices and been a better person. This refers back to the theme of the story.
What does the misfit say would have made the grandmother a good woman?
“She would have been a good woman,” The Misfit said, “
if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life.
”
What does the misfit mean at the end when he says about the grandmother?
The Misfit says that
the grandmother would have been a good woman if she had had someone there to shoot her every minute
because he feels abject disgust towards her. … Firstly, the Misfit might mean that the grandmother would have been a good woman if she had lived every minute with her life under threat.
Why did the misfit shoot the grandmother?
The Misfit kills the grandmother,
recoiling from what seems so foreign to him
, but the grandmother has already had her moment of redemption. … Killing the grandmother gave him no pleasure. Instead it troubles him. In that way, grace has worked on him too, and we might see the beginnings of a deep transformation.
Why does the author introduce the grandmother with her comments about the Misfit in paragraph 1? … It
conveys the grandmother’s perception of the world and its changes
. It contributes to the smooth progression of events in the story.
The grandmother used the article in the newspaper about the Misfit who had escaped prison in Florida. She explained to the mother that the kids had already been to Florida and they should go to Tennessee instead. … Their
comments contribute to the generational gap between them and the grandmother
.
How does the grandmother convince Bailey to visit the plantation?
Back on the road, the grandmother gets the kids
all excited by telling them about an old plantation she
once visited that’s located nearby. The kids convince the reluctant Bailey to take them all to see it. He turns onto a dirt road, which, the grandmother assures him, leads to the plantation.
What does she mean by the word mean when she says of the trees that the meanest of them sparkled?
Discussion Questions. ➢ What is the effect of the reader on O’Connor’s prolific use of details (dress, colors, etc. )? ➢ What does she mean by the word “mean” when she says of the trees that “the meanest of them. sparkled?” The word “mean” will appear again, so this is
a kind of foreshadowing
.
How is the grandmother a hypocrite in a good man is hard to find?
In “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” the grandmother is a small-minded, selfish, and capable of foolish remark that transitions into a kind and righteous lady. She is drawn as a
hypocritical, superficial and self-absorbed due to the fact that she does not take care or take any consideration of other people’s feelings
.
What does the misfit’s response to being called a good man reveal paragraph 98?
The Misfit’s response shows
that he recognizes her act as goodness, even though he recoiled from it
.
What happens at the end of the story after the grandmother tries to convince the misfit He’s a good man?
What happens at the end of “A Good Man is Hard to Find” after the grandmother tries to convince the Misfit he’s a good man?
The Misfit repents and prays with the grandmother. The Misfit shoots the grandmother in the chest three times
. The Misfit offers to let the grandmother join his gang.
What does the grandmother blame for the way things are today?
He and the grandmother discussed better times. The old lady said that in her opinion Europe was entirely to blame for the
way
things were now.
What is the main theme in A Good Man Is Hard to Find?
The main themes in “A Good Man is Hard to Find” are
finding grace, prejudice, and family
. Finding Grace: Extraordinary circumstances allow a selfish character like the grandmother to truly understand the meaning of grace.
Who was more evil the grandmother of the misfit?
Flannery O’Connor labels the grandmother as good, and
the Misfit as evil
. There is no such thing as a perfect human being. However, most good people have a conscience and decent morals. Evil people yet have no conscience or guilt as the Misfit and grandmother demonstrated in the book.
What does the monkey mean in a good man is hard to find?
The monkey symbolizes
the devil-serpent
, who, ironically, no longer has to tempt anyone to come near the tree… The pair of kids eagerly rush right up to meet the weary old creature, which quickly retreats. I’ll mention this again in just a little while, as it supports a theory of mine.
What does the dirt road symbolize In A Good Man Is Hard to Find?
When the family turns off the main road and down the dirt road towards the old plantation house, it is symbolic
how people depart from the straight and narrow and lead lives of sin
.
How are the misfit and grandmother different?
Most notably, the characteristics of both the Grandmother and the Misfit. The Misfit portrays
an immoral personality
and seems to be the evil in the story while the grandmother is the innocent lady seeking to be the good in this story.
Where did the misfit order Bobby Lee and Hiram take Bailey and John Wesley?
The Misfit instructs Hiram and Bobby Lee to take Bailey and John Wesley
over to the woods
, telling Bailey that his men need to ask him something.
How is the grandmother manipulative?
The grandmother is outrightly a manipulative woman throughout the story. However, her manipulative tendency
is concealed in the manner in which she expertly executes it
. She takes every opportunity to have her way in every situation that does not favour her.
How does the grandmother get the family into trouble?
First, she is pretty
directly responsible for the car accident they have
. She hides her cat in the car, against Bailey’s wishes, and then she upsets the cat with her feet, causing it to leap onto Bailey’s shoulder, causing the accident. Later, she identifies The Misfit, making him unable to let the family go.
What is the name of the grandmother’s only son?
Bailey
is the grandmother’s only son, and the father of June Star and John Wesley. He is also the driver for the family trip. In his mind, he’s in charge—and he won’t let you forget it.
What in his life history is the misfit unsure about?
Because the Misfit has questioned himself and his life so closely, he reveals
a self-awareness that the grandmother lacks
. He knows he isn’t a great man, but he also knows that there are others worse than him. He forms rudimentary philosophies, such as “no pleasure but meanness” and “the crime don’t matter.”
Why was the grandmother dressed so formally on the family trip?
Dresses like a lady for the family vacation so
that if she is found after an accident they’ll know
that’s what she was. Takes her cat with her on the family trip, unbeknownst to the rest of the family. Has a son named Bailey, whom she calls Bailey Boy.
How does the grandmother Change In A Good Man Is Hard to Find?
The grandmother only becomes a “good” woman (that’s not to say she was bad before)
when she leaves behind her superficial ideas about “goodness” and religion and “being a lady” for a moment and does something radically out of keeping with herself
. That sudden transformation is the focal point of the story.
Where did the grandmother want to go instead of Florida?
The grandmother tries to convince her son, Bailey, and his wife to take the family to
east Tennessee
for vacation instead of Florida.
What is the grandmother’s argument to the misfit to try to convince him to spare her life does it work?
The grandmother tries to appeal to the Misfit’s
nonexistent sense of morals by claiming to see in him his “good blood” and by asserting that she “knows” he “come[s] from nice people
.” She delivers these appeals in a panic, desperate in her knowledge that she is likely not going to survive these moments.
When the grandmother’s head clears for an instant?
His voice seemed about to crack and the grandmother’s head cleared for an instant. She saw the man’s face twisted close to her own as if he were going to cry and she murmured, “Why you’re one of my babies. You’re one of my own children!” She reached out and touched him on the shoulder.
You’re one of my own children!” The
Misfit isn’t literally the grandmother’s child
; rather, this points to the fact that she realizes they are both human beings. Her comment seems inappropriate—even insane—given the circumstances, but this is actually the grandmother’s most lucid moment in the story.
Why does the grandma stop at an old house?
Why does the grandmother want to stop at an old house?
She visited the house as a young girl. The house has secret passages. She thinks the children will enjoy it.
What do we learn from the conversation between the misfit and the grandmother while the others go out to the woods?
During this dialogue with the grandmother, we learn that
the Misfit’s father had early recognized in him an individual who would have to know “why it [life] is
,” and we learn that the Misfit has pondered the human condition and has reached certain conclusions concerning his experience with life.
What does the misfit represent?
The Misfit is portrayed as the stereotypical criminal and more specifically,
an illiterate, violent hick – someone who has gone wrong in life
. It is hard to empathize with him, especially after he kills the grandmother’s family in such a casual manner, as if he’s used to murder.
