In every group of short stories, there is always one that strikes me imediately. There is also always one author that amazes me with his or her prowess and ability to tackle important concepts. Recently, Flannery O'Connor accomplished this in my mind. Her use of irony in "A Good Man is Hard to Find" inspired me to write this blog. Not only did she make good use of irony in her story, but the humerous technique served a dual purpose. The imminent and ironic fate of the grandmother as well as the ironic, even hypocritical, nature of religion made a great page-turner.
The irony in the plot is quite obvious. The grandmother, who tries to deter her son from going to Florida, tells Bailey about the Misfit, a criminal on the loose in the South. When she fails to convince her son to vacation in Tennessee instead, Grandma is the first in the car in the morning. As their journey progresses, Grandma refuses to let her vivid plantation memories fade away. She lies to her grandchildren and coaxes her son down a dirt path to find an old plantation that has sentimental value to her. The cat from Grandma's lap--one she wasn't supposed to bring in the first place--leaps from its resting place onto Bailey's shoulder. Unfortunately for this family, Bailey cannot control the steering wheel with a vicious cat strapped to his neck and rolls the car. So far, Grandma is responsible for placing the family on the dirt road towards the plantation and also for the car crash. To make the situation even better, O'Connor shows Grandma recalling that the plantation she is remembering is actually located in Tennessee. Without skipping a beat, Grandma flags down a hearse-like car to help the family. Finally, she does something right. But, wait, in a perfect moment of realization, Grandma squeals, "You're The Misfit! I recognized you at once!" (83) In a perfect world, criminals might enjoy being revealed, but this is Flannery's world and the Misfit doesn't much appreciate the attention. As her family gets killed off two by two, Grandma is left reflecting on her pitiful life, knowing inside that she is the cause of extreme pain and hardship.
In her last moments of life, Grandma makes a sincere regression to innoncence and acceptance of Christ. Her selflessness is out of character when she knows she must forgive the Misfit for all of his sins. She dies in a child-like pose, smiling up at the sky, leaving the reader to feel that her last minute repentence has been rewarded with a ticket to the pearly gates. Thus presents one of the greatest ironies of religion. There are devout Christians that honor the grace of past-child molesters, rapists, and murderers such as the Misfit because after their deeds were done, they asked God for forgiveness and repented their sins. Despite what you may think, this isn't a limited-time offer. Saving grace is available by the bushel. Our Lord and Savior is ever-forgiving. It seems odd...or maybe I'm just being cynical. Could it really be that easy? They do say that it is always easier to beg forgiveness than it is to beg permission.
Whether Flannery O'Connor is satarizing Christianity or recommending repentence as an end all be all solution is hard to determine. However, her lack of definitive opinion in this area opens her stories up for many heated discussions and debates. Stories like "Revelation" and "A Good Man is Hard to Find" are the most interesting perhaps because they are open to multiple interpretations, none of which could ever be proven true. [605]
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Chelsea, I see what you mean about the way one story in each group gives you something to think about even several days after you've read it. And I think you've put your finger on one of the central ironies of O'Connor's short stories--that even a religious hypocrite can experience a moment of grace--and let yourself speculate whether that irony makes her stories more or less believable. Keep on thinkin' and I hope you get back to being libero very soon.
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