Compare And Contrast The Lesson And A Good Man Is Hard To Find

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Introduced by these stories, “The Lesson” and “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” are both influential by the way they focus on achieving an epiphany for their characters. O’Connor writes about the downfall of a southern family while they’re on a family vacation. Her story differs from that of “The Lesson” written by Bambara, who introduces three children that are led by an older woman to F.A.O. Schwarz toy shop, where they learn an important life lesson. In both stories, O’Connor and Bambara progress their stories while discussing their characters inner turmoil, where they come to the realization of their vice that helps outline the central theme. Toni Cade Bambara introduces the three children to a mysterious woman who lives on the block called…show more content…
This is shown on the road trip as she retells her grandchildren stories of the south and how there were good men back then, mentioning one where a man courted her by dropping a watermelon on the front porch with his initials inscribed. The idea of a good man is thrown about in the story with O’Connor using the Grandmother to babble on about how the standards have gone down. After being the only one left with The Misfit the Grandmother continues on persuading him to let her go and comes to the realization that ends her life “Why you’re one of my babies. You’re one of my own children!” (715). O’Connor leads up to a climatic end with the Grandmother reaching out to the Misfit and having him shoot her dead. The Grandmother’s epiphany contradicts Sylvia's in “The Lesson” with her accepting. She comes to the conclusion that her actions from the start of her being a young woman were void of real emotion, having the purpose of being vain. This then stripes her of the title that she holds dearly believing now that she was never a lady in the beginning, while looking upon the Misfit she feels remorse. Taking it upon herself that she caused his distraught and harmful

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