Waritsara Theerakulwijan

Outline

I. Introduction

A. Thesis statement: In A Good Man is Hard to Find, Flannery OConnor creates the character of

the nameless grandmother, who is motivated by selfishness,superstitiousness , and flattery.

II. Body Paragraph #1

A. Topic sentence: In the story, grandmother has been shown as a selfish person.

B. Supporting evidence:

i. The grandmother didnt want to go to Florida.She wanted to visit some of her connections in the

east Tennesee and she was seizing at every chance to change Baileys mind. (P.8)

ii. You wouldnt shoot a lady,would you? the grandmother said and removed a clean

handkerchief from her cuff and began to slap at her eyes with it. (P.14)

iii. Youve got good blood! I know you wouldnt shoot a lady! I know you come from nice people!

Pray! Jesus, you ought not to shoot a lady (P.17)

C. Clincher sentence: These are some of the evidences from the story that causes grandmother

considered to be selfish person.

III. Body Paragraph #2

A. Topic sentence: OConnor specify grandmother as a person who is superstitious.

B. Supporting evidence:

i.Pray, pray, the grandmother bagan, pray, pray (P.16)

ii. If you would pray, the old lady said, Jesus would help you. (P.16)

iii. Jesus! the old lady cried. Youve got good blood! I know you wouldnt shoot a lady! I know

you come from nice people! Pray! Jesus, you ought not to shoot a lady. (P.17)

iv. Jesus was the only One that ever raised the dead. (P.17)

C. Clincher sentence: She always thinks of religion doctrine but, it never change her to be a good or

better person.
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IV. Body Paragraph #3

A. Topic sentence: Grandmother is motivated by flattery

B. Supporting evidence:

i. The old lady said in her opinion Europe wa entirely to blame for the way things were now.She

said the way Europe acted you would think we were made of money. (P.11)

ii. Grandmother said I know youre a good man.You dont look a bit like you have com- mon

blood. I know you must come from nice people!

iii. Listen, she said, you shouldnt call yourself The Misfit because I know youre a good man at

heart.I can just look at you and tell

C. Clincher sentence: She thought she was success to make the him spare her life but in the end her

action still result to her death.

V. Conclusion A. Rephrased thesis statement: Even Shes really concerns about religion, it never

purifies her soul to be , generous,and selfless person.

The Unique Old Woman

The short story A Good Man is Hard to Find, was written by Flannery OConnor. Since,

the author is an American from the South; She wrote this story by using the theme of Southern

Gothic literature. The main characters are the grandmother and Misfit. Its about the grandmother
 Waritsara Theerakulwijan

and family. They all go to Tennessee. Unfortunately, on the way it is an accident and it even worst

because the criminal whose name Misfit also drove to Tennessee. Suddenly, he sees a car on the

hill. Three men get out then try to kill everyone, but Misfit kills the grandmother the last. In A

Good Man is Hard to Find, OConnor creates the character of the nameless the grandmother, who

is motivated by selfishness, superstitiousness, and flattery.

In the story, the grandmother has been shown as a selfish person. She cares only herself.

According to the story, the author describes The grandmother didnt want to go to Florida. She

wanted to visit some of her connections in the east Tennessee and she was seizing at every chance

to change Baileys mind. (P.8). Since, shes the oldest member in the family; she should care about

other people in the family. This evidence show us clearly how she show her selfishness. Even no

one want to go to Tennessee, she doesnt care and still tries to change the plan. This is not a thing

that the grandmother should be done. Another situation that show us obviously is when she begs for

herself Youve got good blood! I know you wouldnt shoot a lady! I know you come from nice

people! Pray! Jesus, you ought not to shoot a lady. (P.17). She begs for herself many times in the

story. The grandmother who know that her whole family is going to die, how she begs for herself

instead of beg for all members in family. It quite strange because normally people whose being a

grandmother really love their family and sacrifice for their descendant. The grandmother in story

has vastly different characteristic. These are some of the evidences from the story that causes the

grandmother considered to be selfish person.

OConnor specify the grandmother as a person who is superstitious. She really cares about

religion and always talk about it. Until the last minute of her life, she still talk something relates to

religion. Its like a kind of person who concerns about that too much. In one short story, therere

more than five times that she mention about religion. For example, Youve got good blood! I

know you wouldnt shoot a lady! I know you come from nice people! Pray! Jesus, you ought not to

shoot a lady. (P.17). This is when she begs for herself she also talks about Jesus. Its opposite

from her daily life because she still selfish, doesnt care about other person much and also close
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minded. Next, this also show her superstitiousness when she says Pray, pray, the grandmother

began, pray, pray (P.16).Think about doctrine of Christian, Jesus taught people to love others.

She does different from what religion taught. If she not concerns about religion much ,but being

kind and think about other. It will be better. Some people religion is not necessary for them because

they try to do the good things and avoid to make other in trouble in every single day. Thats good

and enough for them. Its better than who really care about religion ,but dont do the good things.

For the grandmother, she always thinks of religion doctrine but, it never change her to be a better a

person.

The grandmother is motivated by flattery. She flatters the main antagonist of the story, the

Misfit. She says Listen, she said, you shouldnt call yourself The Misfit because I know youre

a good man at heart. I can just look at you and tell.(p.14). She doesnt knows whether Misfit is a

good person or not because they never meet each other before. However, she know that Misfit is an

escaped convict and condemn his action earlier in the story. The grandmother says Here this

fellow that calls himself The Misfit is aloose from the Federal Pen and headed toward Florida and

you read here what it says he did to these people. Just you read it. I wouldnt take my children in

any direction with criminal like that aloose in it. I couldnt answer to conscience if I did. (p.8).

She knows that the Misifit has done something wrong because of the news of him escaping out. The

purpose of this appreciation to him is only to make Misfit spare her life. She thought she was

success to make the him spare her life but in the end her action still result to her death.

To summarize, the grandmother take part to be selfish, superstitious and a flatterer. She

never give or do anything for other people and she doesnt care others as much as she should be.

She also flatters to many people in the story for her benefit. Lastly, even shes really concerns about

religion, it never purifies her soul to be generous,sincere and selfless person.

 Waritsara Theerakulwijan

Reference

OCorner F. (1953) . A good man is hard to find.