The Impacts Of A Good Man Is Hard To Find By Flannery O Connor

The Impacts of the 1950’s as Seen Through “A Good Man is Hard to Find”

The Southern setting in “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’connor influences the way the characters behaves based on the society in which the character lives.

It has a heavy influence from the social environment of the 1950’s South and how is affects the main character the Grandmother versus the rest of the world. As seen by the nobility the

Grandmother demands, the way the Grandmother looks down on race, and the overall morals the Grandmother has, Or lack thereof. The setting ultimately symbolizes everything the Grandmother says and does.

The Southern setting in “A Good Man is Hard to Find” has specific connections to social nobility and superiority. The Grandmother

This is seen through the narrator's comment “In case of an accident, anyone seeing her dead on the highway would know at once she was a lady.” (138). This statement proves how little the Grandmother cares about her family.

Instead her main concern is her appearance; and how the rest of the world perceives her.

However the Grandmother displays none of the characteristics a lady would have. This can be represented through her speech,ill manners and how she treats others. Infact the only ladylike quality the Grandmother does display is how she dresses; although not appropriate she makes sure she is always looking at her best. In this scene the Grandmothers reason for dressing up was solely because she believed her family would get her killed by the Misfit. In an ironic turn of events the Grandmother was at fault for the deaths of her entire family and ultimately herself.

The setting in “A Good Man is Hard to Find” takes place in the 1950’s, however the

Grandmother is stuck in the past. The Grandmother seems to believe her way of life is the only way and in turn, has a superior moral attitude. As seen through the comment “In my time… people did right [then].”(139). Immediately after she contradicts herself by saying

She sees herself as being a good old christian woman but does not express the values of one. The fact that she is still advocating slavery even though it has been abolished for 90 years proves yet again how disconnected she is from the rest of the world.

The reflection of the society in the South is in direct correlation with the morals the

Misfit and the Grandmother possess. As a result of the time they were born the Misfit and the Grandmother share very different outlooks on life. The Grandmother believes that she is a good person based on where she came from. As seen when she pleas to the Misfit “I know you’re a good man. You don’t look a bit like com­mon blood. I know you must come from nice people!” (147). “A Good Man is Hard to Find” is a constant battle between what qualifies as a good man. The Misfit believes he is judged by what he has done, whether it is good or bad. The Misfit know that he is not a good man but he knows what one looks like.

The Misfit was raised right in the South with parents who took care of him despite his differences. His moral code can be be held at a higher standard than those of