A Good Man Is Hard To Find
Gothic writing relies on the tone and setting of the story to give an overall dark mood to the story. Images of the grotesque and the idea of irony are prevalent throughout all Gothic writing. In “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” O’Connor uses the key elements of Gothic style, and places them in a Southern setting, to examine society’s attitudes towards class, violence, religion, and family relationships.
The most important element of American Southern Gothic writing is the use of grotesque or macabre events (Southern Gothic. (2008). In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved October 8, 2008, from Encyclopedia Britannica Online: http://www.britannicca .com/EBchecked/topic/ss6752/Southern.Gothic). O’Connor’s story is grotesque and gruesome, relating violence in society to the story of a family hijacked and murdered on the side of the road. However, O’Connor takes the style of writing even further by portraying the two main characters as grotesque individuals. The Misfit is a cold-blooded murderer who expresses his aggression through murder and mental torture, “It would have been better for all of you, lady, if you hadn’t reckernized me.” The Misfit is alluding to the future deaths of the entire family, but is also implying that the Grandmother is ultimately responsible for the deaths. In doing this, both characters are seen as grotesque individuals. O’Connor’s story goes beyond just physical violence and parallels the fear that is present in ever day life. The Misfit represents the violence present in society and the Grandmother represents the imminent death of us all.
O’Connor further goes on to define Southern Gothic writing by using Southern stereotypes. The Grandmother is a model of the aging Southern woman. She is distant from the real world, her only knowledge coming from newspapers and television, and feels safe in her sheltered environment. She is obsessed with manners and vanity, and is constantly remarking about the family’s lack of respect for...
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