O’Connor Flannery’s short tale “is hard to find a good man” unfolds where unnamed grandmother complains that she would rather visit Tennesse for a holiday rather than Florida. Bailey the son to the old lady ignores her views and the family decides to visit Florida. O’Connor uses foreshadowing, imagery, smiles, situational and dramatic irony to communicate her ideas. The story depicts a cynical tale, vividly displaying out human manipulations and meanness. Closer examination of the story exhibits many outcomes such as comedy, horror, and how God uses man over his will. It is for a reason that, many readers of this story have different reactions towards O’Connor’s, real intended message.
Foreshadowing is a chief stylistic device used by O’Connor‘s to communicate her story “it is hard to find a good man.” When O’Connor‘s narrates her story, she uses several instances of foreshadowing to prepare the reader what might happen next. For example, in the start of the story, the grandmother forewarns Bailey, and she says “she can not take the children in the direction of a criminal who is on the loose (paragraph 1).” After her son refuses to hinder to her advice, she seeks support from the daughter in law. To emphasis her point she says “the children have been to Florida before but not in east Tennessee.” This advice is further ignored by the daughter in law by pretending that she is busy feeding the baby. Her grandchildren also do not take her side either, and they scorn her by telling her to stay at home if she does not wish to go to Florida (paragraph 4).
Another instance, where O’Connor‘s uses foreshadowing to foretell what could occur in the future, can be seen where the grandmother dresses immaculately to be noticed incase of an accident. The writer says “she could be identified as a lady easily incase of an accident on highway (paragraph 12).” The grandmother warns Bailey against overspending, and she starts to point at other amusing things on the highway. For instance, she points at five or six graves on the road side, ironically they are six of them in the car. This foreteller’s of a misfortune that is about to happen to them.
When the family decides to take a rest in a restaurant, the aged lady asks Red Sammy if he has heard about a criminal called Misfit. Red Sammy’s wife responds “she can not be taken by surprise if that criminal struck their restaurant any time (paragraph 41). This discussion presents and prepares the reader what might happen to the family as they proceed with their journey. To conclude their talk with the old lady, Sammy says “it is tough to get a good man, and everything is getting horrible (paragraph 43).
After the family leaves the restaurant and drives off, the writer gives a hint that the journey is almost to end in a wrong way. The author does this by noting that the family is approaching a town called Toomsboro (paragraph 81). Through the old woman’s canny tricks, she manages to convince the family to go and visit a nearby plantation that contains a secret panel. In their way, they encounter a road that is dusty, dirty and with dark forests as surrounding. The author uses this signs to refer to a misfortune that is in waiting. The car eventually gets an accident, but luckily no one gets hurt. After this accident, the old lady seeks assistance from a ‘black’ car, totally not knowing it is Misfit the criminal in it. The writer mentions a black car to signify evil in that car. This turns to be true when Misfit gets out of that car.
In this story “is hard to find a good man” O’Connor uses two types of ironies to pass her powerful message. These true ironies are situational and dramatic. In this story, the author employs dramatic irony in the sense that, the old lady views herself as a classic example of a southern lady; genteel, wise and upright. However, her actions reveal the other side of her. She lies, uses racist language, primps and foolishly identifies Misfit. She realizes that she is mistaken when the story takes a tragic turn. O’Connor uses situational irony in the story where the evil Misfit makes the old lady know what she is like (sinner). Her enlightenment makes her receive redemption as she dies smiling. This makes Misfit say “I am delighted that she has died a good woman now (paragraph 82).”
O’Connor uses simile to make every word in her story to have a contribution in the general effect of the whole story. For example, when describing the wife of Bailey, the writers say, “her face was as extensive and as blameless as a cabbage (Paragraph 2).” This simile portrays the Bailey wife as shy and guilelessness, this making her a prey to be easily manipulated by other members of the family. On the hand, this makes the reader think that, maybe she wanted the family to visit Tennesse and not Florida, but because of her naivety, she could not speak out her mind.
Lastly O’Connor uses imagery to bring out color and light. For example, the old lady dresses in best clothes to reflect her image (paragraph 1). To be specific, she puts on her white gloves, blue hat, navy blue dress and white organdy collar. The author uses this to present how the old woman views herself as a righteous and principled. Nature mimics her in number of ways. For instance, she points at “blue granite on the highway…brilliant red clay and green crops (paragraph 13). The use of imagery by the author helps the reader to realize the dark soul of the old lady.
O’Connor uses climax in her story “it is hard to find a good man” in several ways. In the first instance, where the author employs climax, is where the old lady recognizes Misfit as the driver of the black car. On (paragraph 82), she says, “You are Misfit.” This allows the reader imagine that the story is almost coming to an end. The second instance where O’Connor hints her climax of the story is where the old lady tries to reach and touch the Misfit. Misfit eventually fires at her three times, and she dies a smiling lady.
O’Connor uses foreshadowing as her main stylistic device; however, she uses other stylistic devices in a lesser scale. The short story “is hard to find a good man” opens with comic episodes and foretelling a tragic ending. This story is wonderful narration told in the third person point of analysis. The characters in this tale are round, flat and dynamic. This makes the reader, have a variety of imaginations of what the author intended to achieve.
