The setting of this short story has many grotesque features. for example the setting on a road
trip, which is essentially the middle of nowhere. The family ends up getting
killed in the woods after their car crashes into a ditch.
“A Good Man Is
Hard to Find”, points out the negative aspects of America’s southern culture
through racial bigotry, when the grandmother talks about how blacks are so poor
that they can’t afford clothes. Or that they are not as smart because of the
story she told about the black kid who ate the watermelon because it said
“E.A.T”. The short story also points out violence in the south at the beginning
of the story when the grandmother shows her son the paper about how “The
Misfit” has broken out of the penitentiary and at the end of the story kills
the family. This could also be a part of irony.
It is ironic that the Grandmother says “I wouldn't take my children in any direction with a criminal like that aloose in it. I couldn't answer to my conscience if I did.” (p. 498). And yet she still goes on
the trip with them and they all get killed because of it. She also tells the
restaurant owner that he’s going to get robbed and she’s the one who gets
robbed of her life.
One of the characters that I found to be grotesque
is the grandmother. To be honest I never
liked her from the beginning. She insisted on going on the trip and she also
insisted on bringing her cat. Both of these things ended up leading her and her
family to their doom. Her son and grand kids definitely do not win the family of
the year award in my book. Because of this I do feel bad for her. I also feel
sorry for her because as hard as she tried, she couldn't get the Misfit to
accept Christ.
Even though this short story didn't show anyone to
have any physical grotesques there were grotesque secular grotesques. For
example when the grandmother was listening to the gun fire as her family was
being killed, how she tried to change an unchangeable man. Only to find out it couldn't be done because of the evil thoughts that he possessed.
Yes, true Southern Grotesque is often about what's beneath the surface. For example, you may have a red shiny apple, but if you bite into it, it's rotten or wormy. Such is the case with the grandmother. She talks about being Christian and a lady, but is she?
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