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The Characterization of the Misfit in Flannery O'Connor's "A Good Man Is Hard to Find”

While it is true that a person’s actions can have both positive and negative consequences, the impression that these behaviors or expressions have on others can play a great role in determining the imaginations of those that were not present during the incidents. Meanwhile, most people are good at hiding their true intentions and behavior until faced with adversities that remove the coverings used to conceal their identity. The Misfit is a bad person when consideration is given to the various acts he committed in the short story, especially the ones that got him imprisoned and those after he escaped from incarceration with his gang members (Shinn 58). In Flannery O'Connor's A Good Man Is Hard to Find, the Misfit’s efforts to seek redemption for his atrocities resulted in more crimes despite being presented with an opportunity to change his ways, especially when he made utterances that reflected his frustrations and created the wrong impression in others

The Misfit is characterized by what she says as a damned soul that cannot be redeemed even with the most emotional and heartbreaking moments such as the final moments before the death of the grandmother. In spite of the potential of the forgiveness of the woman to help him fulfill his desires of becoming a good man, he chose to say “I do not want help, I am doing all right by myself” (O’Connor 373). This scenario was presented by O’Connor to show the audience the delicate nature of redemption despite its attractiveness to most people. Furthermore, the utterances of the Misfit were successfully used to characterize him as someone in denial of his true self despite having a chance to be saved. This approach was clear when he said that “there is nothing wrong in following Jesus if He did what He said. If He did not, then there is no need to follow Him, but enjoy spend the remaining time the person has left the best way he or she can either through murder or arson. No pleasure but meanness” (O’Connor 374).

The Misfit is further characterized by what he did as an unrepentant criminal that is condemned to suffer in Hell. While he was used to affording the other characters a chance to atone for their sins and die gracefully, he rejected the same opportunity on several occasions. According to Ferguson, the characterization of the Misfit by O’Connor was to show that guide the audience to the path of the designed meeting between the criminal gang and the woman that provide them the final chance to redeem their soul and avoid the punishment of Hell (9). Rather, his violent actions that culminated in him shooting her shooting her three times through the chest was the climax of evil ways. An additional method for characterizing the Misfit by what he did was the way he was not concerned with appearances since he did not have a shirt one during his meeting with the family.

The Misfit is also characterized by what others say about him regarding their understanding of the reasons for all the atrocities that he committed. The psychiatrist failed to understand the Misfit’s motivation for killing his father despite his statement that he was tired of hearing the old man say terrible things about his personality. Although the physician concluded that he was an extreme narcissist that held on to the principle of self-sufficiency to justify his crimes and focus on the satisfaction derived from them to continue anti-social behaviors (Harris 5). Finally, an understanding of the characterization of the Misfit can be derived from what the grandmother said about him before her demise. In her state of fear for her life, she saw a glimpse of a man seeking redemption and asked excitedly, “well then, why don’t you pray?” (O’Connor 373).

In conclusion, the characterization of the Misfit in A Good Man Is Hard to Find by Flannery O'Connor's was accomplished through the illustration of the spiritual events that provided him a chance to save his soul from damnation. While the central theme of the story in A Good Man Is Hard to Find was salvation even for the most evil person, the role played by the Misfit was to show the audience that despite the depth of certain experiences, some individuals would reject God and continue to pursue those things that satisfy their ego and self-indulgence. Finally, the author characterized the personality of this individual to educate the reader of the spiritual meaning of the circles of Hell that some people find themselves after their death.

Works Cited

Ferguson, Paul F. "By their names you shall know them: Flannery O'Connor's onomastic strategies." Literary Onomastics Studies 7.1 (2014): 9. Web 6 Jul 2017.

Harris, Abbie C. "Jesus Thrown Everything Off Balance": Grace and Redemption in Flannery O'Connor's" A Good Man is Hard to Find." Papers & Publications: Interdisciplinary Journal of Undergraduate Research 3.1 (2014): 5. Web 6 Jul 2017.

O’Connor, Flannery. “A Good Man is Hard to Find.” Norton Introduction to Literature: Shorter Ninth Edition. Booth, Alison, J. Hunger, and Kelly Mays. New York: W. W. Norton and Company, 2006. 364-375. Print

Shinn, Thelma J. "Flannery O'Connor and the Violence of Grace." Contemporary Literature 9.1 (2006): 58-73. Web 6 Jul 2017.