A Good Man Is Hard To Find
The story revolves around the Grandmother, her son Bailey and his wife and children preparing to all go on a trip to Florida. Early in this story, we realize that nobody pays attention to the Grandmother and arguments come about constantly. It all begins with how The Grandmother would rather go to east Tennessee instead. She approaches Bailey in hopes of changing his mind about the upcoming trip. She brings to his attention an article about ‘The Misfit’, an escaped criminal heading toward Florida. To reinforce her point of not going there; she also adds that the children have already been there. The Grandmother says that she would never take her children near such a dangerous criminal, and that she “couldn’t answer to (her) conscience if (she) did.” reflecting on how she fears to get in touch with ‘The Misfit’ as if that was her biggest fear. John Wesley, the 8-year-old boy suggests that the Grandmother stays home and on the contrary, his sister, June Star confirms that the Grandmother would never do so. The Grandmother attempts to manipulate by using guilt to get her way.
This suggests that the Grandmother is quite selfish deep down - especially displayed by bringing her cat ‘Pitty Sing’ in a basket in the car, only because ‘he (the cat) would miss her too much’ which sounds nothing but kind or caring but she abuses the selfishness by keeping it a secret. She makes it evident through multiple attempts replacing the ‘bad’ parts of the story with more ‘good’ sayings or positive outcomes; such as “I wouldn’t talk about my native state that way. Tennessee has the mountains and Georgia has the hills.” after John Wesley says, “Let’s go through Georgia fast so we won’t have to look at it much,” to which she adds and ends with, “children were more respectful of their native states and their parents and everything else. People did right then.” and then flips the topic instantly by not letting anyone add anything else to her ‘proper’ views on the world, “Oh look at the cute little pickaninny!’ she said and pointed to a Negro child standing in the door of a shack.” and that that would make a great picture and that if she could paint she would paint that picture. This sentence is quite intense as it really displays her overall views - longing for the ‘Old South’. The Grandmother thinks the others are simply behaving ignorant of what it means to be ‘good.’ as if she is trying to keep ‘good’ on constant to the point that it turns obsessive. She keeps annoying the others speaking on every situation in hopes to adjust for a more ‘proper’ outcome; for example when she reminds Bailey to keep the speed limit and therefore; they will stay out of trouble. The responses she got from John Wesley and June Star reflects on the morals of today’s society that she has no choice but to live in but largely disagrees with - then flips the topic in an instant to proudly showcase her own old-fashioned morals that also reveals racism throughout. The Grandmother always makes sure she has a ’proper’ outcome to it all - even her appearance; she dresses up for the trip, confident that, “In case of an accident, anyone seeing her dead on the highway would know at once that she was a lady,” she will be looked at as a proper lady, no matter what. But we find out in the end that her looks and behavior might have seemed all proper and ‘good’ on the outside… but it is the inside; the true intentions that truly matters and therefore, ‘a (truly) good man is hard to find’.
This suggests that the Grandmother is quite selfish deep down - especially displayed by bringing her cat ‘Pitty Sing’ in a basket in the car, only because ‘he (the cat) would miss her too much’ which sounds nothing but kind or caring but she abuses the selfishness by keeping it a secret. She makes it evident through multiple attempts replacing the ‘bad’ parts of the story with more ‘good’ sayings or positive outcomes; such as “I wouldn’t talk about my native state that way. Tennessee has the mountains and Georgia has the hills.” after John Wesley says, “Let’s go through Georgia fast so we won’t have to look at it much,” to which she adds and ends with, “children were more respectful of their native states and their parents and everything else. People did right then.” and then flips the topic instantly by not letting anyone add anything else to her ‘proper’ views on the world, “Oh look at the cute little pickaninny!’ she said and pointed to a Negro child standing in the door of a shack.” and that that would make a great picture and that if she could paint she would paint that picture. This sentence is quite intense as it really displays her overall views - longing for the ‘Old South’. The Grandmother thinks the others are simply behaving ignorant of what it means to be ‘good.’ as if she is trying to keep ‘good’ on constant to the point that it turns obsessive. She keeps annoying the others speaking on every situation in hopes to adjust for a more ‘proper’ outcome; for example when she reminds Bailey to keep the speed limit and therefore; they will stay out of trouble. The responses she got from John Wesley and June Star reflects on the morals of today’s society that she has no choice but to live in but largely disagrees with - then flips the topic in an instant to proudly showcase her own old-fashioned morals that also reveals racism throughout. The Grandmother always makes sure she has a ’proper’ outcome to it all - even her appearance; she dresses up for the trip, confident that, “In case of an accident, anyone seeing her dead on the highway would know at once that she was a lady,” she will be looked at as a proper lady, no matter what. But we find out in the end that her looks and behavior might have seemed all proper and ‘good’ on the outside… but it is the inside; the true intentions that truly matters and therefore, ‘a (truly) good man is hard to find’.
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