StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...

Character Analysis of the Grandmother in A Good Man is Hard to Find and Mrs. May in the Greenleaf - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
"Character Analysis of the Grandmother in A Good Man is Hard to Find and Mrs. May in the Greenleaf" paper identifies the similarities between the protagonists of the two stories – the grandmother in “A Good Man is Hard to Find” and Mrs. May in “Greenleaf.” …
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER91.1% of users find it useful
Character Analysis of the Grandmother in A Good Man is Hard to Find and Mrs. May in the Greenleaf
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Character Analysis of the Grandmother in A Good Man is Hard to Find and Mrs. May in the Greenleaf"

Download file to see previous pages

Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man is Hard to Find” is a story about a family that is going to Florida on vacation. However, on the way, they have an accident and end up meeting an escaped convict and his posse, who end up killing the whole family. “Greenleaf” by Flannery O’Connor is a story about a widow, Mrs. May, who has singlehandedly, and without the help of her two adult sons, run a farm for fifteen years. She does not like her employee Greenleaf, nor his family. The story conveys her contempt and enviousness at seeing her employee’s sons succeed when hers have not, at least according to her standards. There is a definite sense in both stories that the protagonists are very aware and conscious of their social standing. What is more, they seem to revel in it, to the point where they think that they are not “common” folk, so to speak.

The grandmother in “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” while going with her family on vacation, appears to be very conscious of the sort of clothes she has worn. It is explained that the reason for her to have done so is that in case they are involved in an accident, she wants others to know that she was a lady (422), and not a common woman. To keep up that appearance, she does not even allow her grandchildren to throw an empty sandwich box and paper napkins out of the car window after they had a snack during the car ride. Mrs. May, in “Greenleaf,” also seems to harbor such ideas about herself.

She does not like the idea that her son has become an insurance man to African-Americans, or a “nigger insurance man” as she calls it (451). One of her biggest fears is that her unmarried sons will marry “trash,” thereby ruining everything she had sought to achieve, which is of course her social standing, or what she deems it to be. Another similarity between the two protagonists is that both of them are quite controlling. The grandmother wants her son to change her plan of vacation because she wants to go somewhere else, and for that, she uses the excuse of The Misfit, the renegade convict right when the story starts.

What is more, during the trip when she wants to visit her old house, she makes up a story to entice her grandchildren who, as expected by her, make clamor till the father agrees to take them there (425). Mrs. May, similarly, seems to have a very controlling attitude. Even though throughout she has a feeling that she is the victim as nobody would help her, however, it is clear that she is the controlling one in the family – she does not want to let go of the control she has over her sons. This is apparent from the way she gets her will changed so that even after her death her sons would not opt to marry, what she deems to be, low born girls, by putting in a proviso that if they do so, their wives would not inherit any money from them (451).

Lastly, both protagonists had complicated relationships with their children. Bailey seems to be quite reluctant to listen to his mother, the grandmother of “A Good Man is Hard to Find.” What is more, he does not associate with her much. Throughout the story, he seems aloof from her. Mrs. May’s sons, also, do not have a close relationship with their mother. They do not follow in her footsteps to take over the farm, instead, both of them go out and seek other professions.

What is more, they do not appear sympathetic to their mother’s pleas either. This is perhaps because she is controlling and feigns her victimization too much for their taste. 

...Download file to see next pages Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Character Analysis of the Grandmother in Flannery O'Connor's story A Essay”, n.d.)
Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/environmental-studies/1410768-character-analysis-of-the-grandmother-in-flannery-oconnors-story-a-good-man-is-hard-to-find-and-mrs-may-in-the-story-green
(Character Analysis of the Grandmother in Flannery O'Connor'S Story A Essay)
https://studentshare.org/environmental-studies/1410768-character-analysis-of-the-grandmother-in-flannery-oconnors-story-a-good-man-is-hard-to-find-and-mrs-may-in-the-story-green.
“Character Analysis of the Grandmother in Flannery O'Connor'S Story A Essay”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/environmental-studies/1410768-character-analysis-of-the-grandmother-in-flannery-oconnors-story-a-good-man-is-hard-to-find-and-mrs-may-in-the-story-green.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Character Analysis of the Grandmother in A Good Man is Hard to Find and Mrs. May in the Greenleaf

A Good Man Is Hard to Find: Analysis

From the very title of the short story, "a good man is hard to find," Flannery O'Connor indicates that there will be a discussion of moral codes, virtue and righteousness, and what being a "good" human being means.... Through the characters of the grandmother and the Misfit in her short story, she has demonstrated the different attitudes they each have towards religion and spirituality, and by the end of the story the readers will end up having to question their own religious stance From the very title of the short story, "a good man is hard to find," Flannery O'Connor indicates that there will be a discussion of moral codes, virtue and righteousness, and what being a "good" human being means....
3 Pages (750 words) Essay

Revelation & A good man is hard to find Flannery OConner

Two short stories; Revelation and a good man is hard to find, written by Flannery O'Conner share the common theme of transformation within individuals blessed by the grace of God due to violent actions (verbal and physical) or spectacular displays of cruelty.... Her writings are influenced by a coherent theme of relation of God to the human spirit transcending nature (Stafford) In the two short stories, commonality occurs in the main characters of “Revelation” and “a good man is hard to find”....
6 Pages (1500 words) Research Paper

A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery OConnor

a good man is hard to find is one of the most well-known works of Flannery O'Connor.... the grandmother in the story is a hard-headed character that remains selfish, mean, and annoying throughout the story, but when violence strikes her in person, she accepts her time of grace, saying, “Why you're one of my babies.... His quote reflects the enlightenment of The Misfit to the experience of the grandmother before her death.... Many people of the like of the grandmother exist in the real world as well, which makes the readers identify with or recognize the grandmother to some extent....
3 Pages (750 words) Essay

A Good Man Is Hard to Find

In the paper 'a good man is hard to find' the author focuses on O'Connor's book, which opens with grandmother trying to talk her son into taking his family to Tennessee for vacation instead of Florida.... Analysis of a good man is hard to find The title of the book, a good man is hard to find, points to Red Sammy Butts at the moment he conversed with grandmother while at The Tower.... They reckon that it is hard to trust anybody in the world....
5 Pages (1250 words) Book Report/Review

The Greenleafs of May

the greenleaf boys, O.... Mays died all she left was the progeny who would never marry as the tree would wither and die, while the greenleaf's would continue to prosper bent against life's wind and rain.... May and mrs.... greenleaf and his two sons brought along Mrs.... greenleaf and 5 little girls.... greenleaf was lying in the road screaming, "Jesus, Jesus", Mrs.... In the paper 'The Greenleafs of may' the author analyzes Flannery O'Connor's short story, which describes the slow and steady process a family goes through when confronted with the elements of life....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Flannery OConnors A Good Man Is Hard to Find

This essay 'Flannery O'Connor's a good man is hard to find' compares and contrasts the element of irony utilized in O'Connor's and Faulkner's short stories.... The author of the essay says that at the beginning of O'Connor's story, the grandmother -- who is the protagonist -- is widely portrayed as a good and virtuous Christian woman.... the grandmother implies two things: (1) she was good to her old folks back in younger days; and (2) as an old woman, she wants her grandchildren to be nice to her....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

A Good Man Is Hard to Find by Flannery O'Connor

Thesis statement: The character analysis of the grandmother in a good man is hard to find proves that the character's her self-centred attitude, capacity to manipulate others, interest in the conduct/ discipline of other characters, complicated relationship with other characters, and interest in religious matters help her to transform/realize her fault in the end, but leads the whole family towards ultimate doom.... The paper "a good man is hard to find by Flannery O'Connor" states that O'Connor made use of the character of the grandmother to communicate with the readers and to spread her views on the importance of faith in human life and the end result of self-centeredness and opportunism....
6 Pages (1500 words) Book Report/Review

A Good Man is Hard to Find

The essay "a good man is hard to find" focuses on a story "a good man is hard to find" by Flannery O' Connor.... 'a good man is hard to find' by Flannery O' Connor is a story which has many literary devices which make it a masterpiece.... the grandmother is a person with religious values and misfit doubts his punishment and thinks there is no right or wrong in life.... the grandmother manipulates people including her family members and the criminal....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us