As seen in the beginning of the story, the grandmother tricks her family into thinking that she has left their cat, Pitty Sing, at home while they leave for their trip. In reality she has snuck the cat in a basket into the car. Her son, Bailey and …show more content…
As soon as she reveals the unknown man’s true identity, she does not stop once to think about what he could do to her family. Instead, she pleads him to spare her life only. She goes on and on about the Misfit being a good man and that this means he could not possibly be able to hurt a good woman like her. As she tries to convince him to let her live, the Misfit’s companions, kill her family members one by one. She is able to see and hear when her son is taken away, and she does not beg the Misfit to spare her child’s life. Her moment of realization is described as follows, “You’re The Misfit...I recognized you at once! You wouldn't shoot a lady, would you? the grandmother said and removed a clean handkerchief from her cuff and began to slap at her eyes with it.” (O’Connor, 946-947). The grandmother even in a situation that involved harm to her own child, refuses to acknowledge anyone but herself. Her selfish thoughts and actions, prove to the reader that the “grandmother” is in reality a self-centered