By Flannery O’Connor, “Christ Character In A Good Man Is Hard To Find”

The sales of books with religious content totaled 593.7 million dollars in 2018. “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor will be the text we will be examining. This is a short narrative that is set in the current day and has a contemporary setting. The grandma and The Misfit are two individuals whose interactions with one another will be examined. The grandmother is emphasized as a religious figure throughout the narrative, and Misfit is also shown as a religious figure, suggesting that religion has a significant impact on both of their lives. The chapter on Christ’s character in Thomas C. Foster’s book How to Read Literature Like a Professor has an impact on the key traits in this close reading.

The environment in which the narrative is situated is the first characteristic. On the edge of a woodland, it happens. The woodland is described in the Bible as the region of death. It is so named because you are often alone and cut off from society while you are out there. In addition, many people think that the forest is the devil’s domain. People who enter the forest and do not exit are regarded as having passed away, hence it is said to be the abode of death and the devil.

Her capacity for forgiveness for everyone in her vicinity is her second quality. People don’t treat her with any respect at any point in the narrative. The worst aspect is that she doesn’t defend herself, and even her own family doesn’t treat her with respect. When her grandson asks, “If you don’t want to travel to Florida, why don’tcha stay here,” she is being disrespected. O’Connor, p. 130 The Misfit has escaped the Federal Pen, she is telling her family, and she does not want to leave. He was said to be traveling in the direction of Florida. She was not even bothered by his comment. She just replies, “Yes, and what would you do if this person, The Misfit, caught you?” in response to his remark. O’Connor, p. 130 She and her family later encounter the Misfit in the narrative. Even if Misfit murders her whole family and ultimately kills her, she extends forgiveness to him. Jesus teaches that you should never keep a grudge against someone and that you should always forgive them in the New Testament.

The grandmother encounters a figure that resembles the devil is the third feature. The devil-like figure is The Misfit. when the grandma advises him to pray and ask Jesus for what he needs. “I don’t want any assistance,” he says in response to the grandma asking him to allow Jesus in. I’m doing OK on my own. 143) O’Connor She first fails to see the relevance of his words beyond the fact that he does not fervently believe in Jesus. After that, he continues, “Jesus was the only one who revived the dead…Jesus upsets everything.” 145) O’Connor She begins to question her Christian faith and all she has learned about Jesus as she understands what he has said. When she begins to doubt if Jesus revived the dead and whether what she learns about her background is accurate. She begins to feel very lightheaded as soon as those ideas begin to cross her mind, and shortly after, she collapses to the ground in a ditch with her legs twisted beneath her. This occurs because she places a great deal of importance on her faith, and the idea that it could not be real makes her queasy. Going back to my opening argument, if they are in a forest that, according to those who read the Bible, is the devil’s domain, why wouldn’t “Good Man is Hard to Find” have a figure who resembles the devil?

The grandmother’s conviction that she is a follower of Jesus is the last trait. The grandma tells Misfit that she is sure he hails from nice people and good blood for the most of the narrative. “If you would pray…Jesus would assist you,” she says to Misfit. 143) O’Connor Following his death, Jesus instructed his followers to spread the word to others that if they prayed to him and showed genuine regret for their misdeeds, he would pardon them. She says to Misfit, “Why you’re one of my kids,” just before he kills her. You belong to my family! 145) O’Connor She says this because Jesus is using her to communicate with Misfit. She also believes Misfit is sobbing when she turns to face him, which is another reason why she makes this claim. She assumes he is sobbing because he has just now become aware of all his misdeeds and begun to feel regret for them. Jesus exclusively converses with her since she leans completely on him and will always pay attention to him, while Misfit is very narrow-minded and thinks Jesus is bad. She is now Jesus’ disciple because she is spreading his message. Soon after all of this happens, Misfit shoots her and ends her life. She makes all of these predictions about what will ultimately happen to her.

The short narrative now has to explain why the grandma is a Christ figure and what part she plays in it. Her encounter with a demonic figure who put her faith to the test, her ability to forgive others, the setting of the major action, and the words she said just before she died were some of the story’s most important themes. This argument is significant because it has a significant impact on reality. Because so many individuals in today’s society are portrayed as Christ figures, it has an impact on the actual world. Being able to forgive others, encountering someone who puts your faith to the test, and being a follower who spreads the gospel are some qualities that make you fit the description of a Christ figure.