The title of the story and the context of it go hand in hand. The grandmother is referring to society as a whole, but in the story it applies to both her son and the misfit. Her son wouldn't listen to her when she suggested he take the kids to Tennessee instead of Florida due to the escaped murdered heading towards Florida. He didn't even really take it into consideration. Personally whenever my mother suggests something, i strongly take it into consideration because mothers usually know whats best/are right. Her son wasn't turning out to be what she had hoped, "a good man".
The misfit obviously wasn't a good man, being a murderer and all. Although she did try to convince him that he was in order to save herself from being murdered. She was so upset with the newer generation not being what it used to, but here she was trying to convince a murderer he was a good man. The story could be interpreted in many ways.
We, try out some interpretations.
ReplyDeleteSee my post her: the central (internal) conflict resides with the grandmother....the misfit can be seen as embodying that world-view shattering force that she--may or may not--finally comprehend (the final scene is teasingly ambiguous)
This is an excellent observation. It makes me think, wow, why didn’t I think of that. And it makes total sense because of the title. “A Good Man Is Hard To Find” is a generalization, and in order to make a generalization, multiple examples are needed. So, if the Misfit was the only man who was “no good” in the story, then the title would indeed be strange. The father of the family is at fault in the occurrence to a degree. The story even begins with a clear statement that the grandmother did not want to go to Florida. Perhaps a good son should at least take his mother’s wishes into consideration when making decisions. So, maybe, the story is a criticism of men who are inconsiderate of others, women in particular.
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