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A Good Man Is Hard To Find By Flannery O Connor

1192 Words5 Pages

“Everyone is a moon, and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody” this quote by Mark Twain touches on a question that has been present throughout the history of mankind, the human nature. Can man only be good or evil or is it possible for human nature to be multidimensional and share characteristics of both natures? The short story A Good Man Is Hard To Find by Flannery O'Connor is a story about a family on their way to vacation that through various choices have an unfortunate encounter with the criminal known as the Misfit that ultimately ends in tragedy. However, A Good Man Is Hard To Find is also a social commentary on the multidimensionality of human nature. O’Connor, through the use of literary devices such as characterization, …show more content…

O’Connor’s specifically uses the theme of moral codes to show that humans are capable of having characteristics of both good and bad natures regardless of the influence of moral codes on individuals. O’Connor introduces the readers to theme of moral codes through the conversation the Misfit and the grandmother share about their religious beliefs. Religion is a common source for positive moral codes within society because religious beliefs often influences the choices individuals make. The story indicates that religion and moral codes have heavily influenced the grandmother in her life. An example of this can be seen when the grandmother is praying reverently and calling out Jesus name. Another example would be her willingness to forgive the Misfit for killing her family, this is especially a sign of her religious beliefs because it echoes Christian message of forgiveness. These examples show that religious moral codes are a part of the grandmother’s characteristics. If moral codes did actually influence human nature it can be said that the grandmother’s human nature would be good. However, that is not the case because O’Connor proves that even though the grandmother has religious values/moral codes it does not negate her darker characteristics. These characteristics can be seen when the grandmother lies, manipulates and promotes racism during the story. O’Connor shows that moral codes have no effect on human nature due to the fact that individuals have characteristics of both good and bad natures, the grandmothers character is an example of that, thus proving the theory of

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