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The Grandmother Analysis

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Many of us tend to hold our beliefs above everyone else’s and this can lead to quite a few problems when you encounter people who have opposing viewpoints. O’Connor’s deep Catholic faith is also present in her short story through the very self-absorbed and religious personality of Bailey’s mother. On the way to Florida for a family vacation they would meet an unlikely end. The grandmother would see how finding good in the world has become almost hopeless in her current mindset, especially the way she views how society has changed. A person’s perspective and idea of good can be skewed by their own personal and moral beliefs. Throughout the story, the grandmother struggles to discover the true meaning of good and how it is different to everyone. …show more content…

This is in great comparison to The Misfit himself; the cloudless, empty sky is a reflection of him. He is a man who has no good in him, but is not passionate about being bad either, just as the sky has no sun or a cloud in sight. He sees how highly the grandmother holds herself and proclaims to be a lady, but she is not a good person. The Misfit knows that her age does not excuse her behavior and in no way does she deserve special treatment. However, he sees that the grandmother has the ability to become a good woman when she is faced with death. The pedestal that she put herself on crumbles as she embraces the reality between herself and The Misfit: “Why you’re one of my babies. You’re one of my own children!” The Misfit feels this change in the grandmother’s beliefs and understands that if she could have lived every moment of life at gunpoint, she could have embraced the reality and fixed the error of her

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