Question

In "A Good Man is Hard to Find", O'Connor brilliantly incorporates the conflicts of Man vs. Man, Man vs. Nature, and Man vs. Himself. Which of these conflicts do you think is strongest in the story? Be sure to use text examples and your best persuasion techniques.

Answer 1

I think the conflict which is the strongest in the story is Man vs. Himself, because the two main characters, grandmother and Misfit, both adhere to a moral code, or a series of conduct and ethics,which theyregard to be logical,and affects their choices, actions, and viewpoints. The word moral is mostly associated with good, but that is not always the case.It’s clearly a rule of behavior, whilst thedevotion of an individual's morals is completelynonobjective.Even though initially, the Misfit’s ethicsappear to be confused, it is really the grandmother’s ethics that turns out to be shallow and uncertain. The grandmother has established her moral code on the traits that she assumes make individualsgood. She takes much pride in being a lady, for instance, emphasizing looks over essence. Simultaneously, she frequentlymisleads her family and falls short of even a basic understanding of her surrounding environment. Regardless of her acknowledged adoration for Christian devoutness, she herself is not able to appeal to her God for assistance when she discovers herself in a critical situation and even starts to doubt the authority and divine nature of JesusChrist.The Misfit, however, sticks to a moral code that stays true andsolid. From his experiences as a suspect who was found guilty, he is certain that the penalty is constantlyunreasonable to the criminal activity and that when it all boils down, is of no concern. The Misfit additionally concealsan absoluteconfusionconcerning religion. Although the grandmother welcomes faith completely and insubstantially, the Misfit questions religious theories and meditates about how he should or should notlive by them. He has selected to adhere to the belief that religion is meaningless and sticks to his own kind of religion: “No pleasure but meanness.” The Misfit’s moral code is destructive and at notime varies, and ultimately,hiscodewins.