Contributions to the Southern Gothic genre as seen in “A Good Man is Hard to Find.” Although the genre of Gothic literature is broad and includes many different characteristics and ideas, one can better understand the genre by focusing on the Southern Gothic subgenre. Flannery O’Connor’s A Good Man is Hard to Find'' is a primary example of this type of Gothic literature. O’Connor uses elements of Southern Gothic to contribute to the story’s dark, macabre atmosphere and showcases the flaws and complexities of human nature. Through analyzing the aspects of Southern Gothic literature O’Connor uses, such as setting and characterization, it is shown that humans are neither inherently good nor bad but rather shaped by their environment. O’Connor’s characterization of the main characters in the story, such as …show more content…
The portrayal of the character Red Sam and the grandmother through their interaction in this scene shows the hypocrisy and manipulation associated with these characters/ Red Sam’s physical description with his unkempt appearance and his disrespectful attitude contradicts the conversation that he had about a good man being hard to find. This also can create a sense of uneasiness amongst readers, which further adds to the dark and grotesque nature of human behavior and the effects that it can have on others. Furthermore, his agreement with the grandmother calling him a “good man” is O’Connor’s way of commenting on human hypocrisy and self-centeredness to readers. This contributes to the theme of societal decay and how people are not always what they seem, underscoring the darker aspects of human nature. Furthermore, this theme is further explored when the family finally encounters the Misfit, as seen in this scene,"I wasn't there so I can't say he didn't," The Misfit said. "I wish I had been there," he said, hitting the ground with his fist. "It ain't right, I wasn't there because if I had