Christianity plays a central role in much of Flannery O’Connor’s work. As a devout Catholic, faith had an enormous influence on Flannery as a writer. Her key themes include the journey towards salvation, the search for Christ, and the awareness of grace. Through that lens, one can accurately interpret O’Connor’s stories, which often center around a character in need of salvation and the violence that highlights that need. In the context of divine truth, the crises in life, despite their ominous exteriors, take on a minor role compared to the truths that these dilemmas often reveal. The grandmother’s journey to enlightenment, in “A Good Man is Hard to Find”, illustrates these themes. Because of O’Connor’s faith, one must read the story with a focus
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The three shots to the chest are indicative of the Holy Trinity. The bullets find their way into the grandmother’s heart just as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have done. Upon her death, The Misfit states, “She would have been a good woman…if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life” (22). Even The Misfit understands the conviction it takes to follow Christ. Christianity is not a just a one-time event; it must be pursued each day without fail. Symbolism is also prevalent in the posthumous position of the grandmother. The author describes that the grandmother “half sat and half lay in a puddle of blood.” Her legs were crossed “like a child’s,” and she smiled up at the “cloudless sky” (22). Legs crossed, referencing the cross Jesus bore; lying in blood, embodying the sacrificial blood of Christ, she is free from her earthly bonds to finally meet God in Heaven. Jesus believed that his followers must have the faith of a child. The grandmother’s posture is representative of this tenant. With all the pretenses stripped away, the grandmother finally finds true faith, the faith of a
The three shots to the chest are indicative of the Holy Trinity. The bullets find their way into the grandmother’s heart just as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have done. Upon her death, The Misfit states, “She would have been a good woman…if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life” (22). Even The Misfit understands the conviction it takes to follow Christ. Christianity is not a just a one-time event; it must be pursued each day without fail. Symbolism is also prevalent in the posthumous position of the grandmother. The author describes that the grandmother “half sat and half lay in a puddle of blood.” Her legs were crossed “like a child’s,” and she smiled up at the “cloudless sky” (22). Legs crossed, referencing the cross Jesus bore; lying in blood, embodying the sacrificial blood of Christ, she is free from her earthly bonds to finally meet God in Heaven. Jesus believed that his followers must have the faith of a child. The grandmother’s posture is representative of this tenant. With all the pretenses stripped away, the grandmother finally finds true faith, the faith of a