The Misfit

1004 Words5 Pages
When reflecting over a work we have previously read in class, one that stood out in particular in my mind is, “A Good Man Is Hard to Find”, by Flannery O’Conner. When examining this passage in a theological sense I truly appreciated the way it had several spiritual allusions within it to God and goodness, as it emphasized the characters of the grandma and the Misfit to place implications regarding salvation and the imperfection of humanity . In addition to my opinions on the work, another source by Aimee Byrd had a similar view in which the grandma, the most prominent character, had a warped sense of what was “good”, viewing gullibility and a person’s susceptibility to manipulation as something that was good, due to the fact that the outcome…show more content…
I appreciate how the writer describes that this is in fact symbolic of fallen humanity and imperfection. This decision the Misfit made is also linked in a spiritual manner as O’Connor, “uses the Misfit to show how grace and salvation are available to saint and sinner alike.” The Misfit exercised that free will as he chose to commit the evil act of killing the grandmother. Another thing demonstrated by the Misfit was the contemplation of Jesus resurrection and death as his curiosity portrayed the same skepticism other religious individuals may have today, and consider evil as conquering over good rather than the other way around. He also questioned Jesus in a defiant manner as he said that if Jesus, “did what he said”, you needed to follow him, but since he didn’t, it was just best to enjoy the moments left, which is the path he chose to follow. The grandmas role can further be acknowledge as well as she appeals to his sense of humanity in trying to persuade him not to kill her, commenting on his “goodness”. She emphasizes the theme that nobody is without sin, even in a minor capacity, along with the implication that nobody is beyond redemption, since in her final breathe she appeared to be smiling, perhaps an indication of this “redemption”. This analysis is very similar to the previous one as it shows the emphasis on the evil acts of the Misfit and the imperfect nature of the
Open Document