Norms In A Good Man Is Hard To Find

In Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man is Hard to Find” we see the impact societal beliefs and norms have on a person’s life. Whether people are pushed into troublesome situations or make choices that lead them into being punished this can lead them to have a huge change in their life. Although most would consider the punishment to be hard enough to deal with then comes the aftermath, the weakness’ that are created, along with the hardships, the breaking of your own beliefs and doubting yourself along with doubting those around you. At the beginning of the story all we see is the Misfit’s outer shell and the grandmothers perception of him, “ ‘I wouldn't be a bit surprised if he didn't attack this place right here … If he hears about it being

Is it the kindness, the empathy, or simply the beliefs that everyone is a good person, in this case a good man. The argument of what a good person is is always changing based on the society around them. Male characters specifically are the ones in question throughout this story. Not only with the character of the Misfit but also in the character of Red Sam who questions his judgment in other males. “ … You know I let them fellers charge the gas they bought? Now why did I do that?” (page 409). This pinpoints Red Sam’s attempt to be a good guy but needing the reassurance of a women, the grandmother, to tell him he is a good man. In this scenario a good man would be defined as someone who is courteous to those around him. There is also the scenario of Red Sam describing what the past was like, “Everything is getting terrible. I remember the day you could go off and leave your screen door unlatched. Not no more” (page 409). Trustworthiness is another characteristic of a good man according to this conversation between the grandmother and Red Sam. While being courteous and trustworthy seem to be simple attributes any person should have in this society these qualities are considered rare and special but also significant to be considered a good