Misfit Sermon Analysis

Great Essays
Show More
Register to read the introduction… The hate and bitterness of his “snarl” is the final implication as to how the Misfit feels about religion (O’Connor 645). Bellamy insists that the reason for the devilish message in the Misfit’s speech is due to his mission to play to role of the Anti-Christ. Bellamy asserts that, “The central message of the Misfit’s sermon, for a sermon is what his remarks amount to, is a familiar one in Flannery O’Connor’s fiction; there is no middle ground between absolute belief in Christ’s messianic fiction and a belief that like is nasty, brutish, and short,” (200). Katherine Feeley notes that the Misfit “embodies all reason and no faith,” which is the opposite of the faith-based personality of the grandmother (202). As Madison Jones remarks, the Misfit “may be haunted, at times tormented, by vision of Christ raising the dead, but he cannot believe it: he was not there. All that he can believe, really believe, is what his eyes show him: this world without meaning or justice, this prison house where we are confined,” (208). The Misfit is thus likened to the Anti-Christ because of his rejection of Jesus and his abhorrence for …show more content…
“Everything Off Balance: Protestant Election in Flannery
O’Connor’s ‘A Good Man Is Hard To Find’.” The Flannery O’Connor Bulletin (1979) 199-201. Vol. 7, Autumn. Rpt. in Short Story Criticism. Volume 23. Eds. Margaret Haerens and Drew Kalasky. Detroit: Gale, 1998. 199-202.
Feeley, Kathleen. “The New Jesus.” Flannery O’Connor: Voice of the Peacock (1982)
67-76. Rpt. in Short Story Criticism. Vol. 23. Eds. Margaret Haerens and Drew Kalasky. Detroit: Gale, 1998. 202-03.
Jones, Madison. “A Good Man’s Predicament.” The Southern Review (1984) 836-41. Rpt. in Short Story Criticism. Vol. 23. Eds. Margaret Haerens and Drew Kalasky. Detroit: Gale, 1998. 186-202.
Montgomery, Marion. “Miss Flannery’s ‘Good Man’.” The Denver Quarterly 3.3 (1968):
1-19. Rpt. in Short Story Criticism. Vol. 23. Eds. Margaret Haerens and Drew Kalasky. Detroit: Gale, 1998. 184-189.
O’Connor, Flannery. “A Good Man Is Hard to Find.” Literature: An Introduction to
Reading and Writing. 6th ed. Eds. Edgar V. Roberts and Henry E. Jacobs. Upper
Saddle River:Prentice-Hall, 2001. 635-45. Rpt. in Short Story Criticism. Vol.

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Compare And Contrast Blues Ain T No Mockin Bird And To Build A Fire
    • 1130 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Compare And Contrast Blues Ain T No Mockin Bird And To Build A Fire

    In “To Build a Fire” by Jack London and “Blues Ain’t No Mockin Bird” by Toni Cade Bambara, the authors explore the idea of human flaws through their storytelling. In each story, the author conveys the flaws of various characters and how they affect themselves and others. Although the narrators in “To Build a Fire” and “Blues Ain’t No Mockin Bird” are portrayed very differently, both stories achieve their objectives by allowing the reader to see the human flaws and errors in man’s way in each story.…

    • 1130 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Good Man Is Hard To Find Irony
    • 1075 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Good Man Is Hard To Find Irony

    Without understanding the literary mechanics of a story, the underlying causes cannot be uncovered. Literary devices such as foreshadowing, symbolism, and irony are critical in understanding the roots of any story. These three devices are best suited to represent an important message that O’Connor intended to convey through her writing. Flannery O’Connor’s writing contains many subtle messages that are only unlocked through close study of the devices in her stories. The short story “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” by O’Connor exemplifies the use of these three devices, and uses each element to not only contribute to the main theme, but also to bring small, individual ideas to the peripheral of the story. While foreshadowing, irony, and symbolism each work the story from different directions, each device ties into the idea that pride comes before the fall.…

    • 1075 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Compare And Contrast Most Dangerous Game And Young Goodman Brown
    • 1338 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Compare And Contrast Most Dangerous Game And Young Goodman Brown

    This essay will compare two short stories: Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Young Goodman Brown and Richard Connell’s The Most Dangerous Game. Works do not have similarities at the first sight. Stories are about a century apart (were published in 1835 and 1924 respectively), have different plots, types of characters and conclusions. However, it is possible to make a comparison and find both similarities and differences in these stories.…

    • 1338 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    The Misfit In O Connor's A Good Man Is Hard To Find
    • 1899 Words
    • 8 Pages

    The Misfit In O Connor's A Good Man Is Hard To Find

    The Misfit was a complicated character, but he was good deep within his soul. He was wrongly accused of the crime of killing his father, although his father died from complications from the flu. Ultimately, the Misfit spent time in prison which gave birth to bitterness and made him question what was right and wrong. He claimed, "I was never a bad boy, that I remember of... but somewheres along the line I done something wrong and got sent to the penitentiary" (150). He also spoke with the grandma about the validity of Jesus and admitted, "... if I had been there I would have known and…

    • 1899 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Literary Critique Of Boundless Grace By Mary Hoffman
    • 1058 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Literary Critique Of Boundless Grace By Mary Hoffman

    The book I chose for the literary critique is Boundless Grace by Mary Hoffman. This book is a fictional narrative from the point of view of a young girl named Grace’s point of view. Grace lives with her mother and Nana in the United States. Her father resides in Gambia, Africa with his new wife, Jatou and their two younger children Neneh and Bakary. However, Grace sees her father as a distant memory. She associates her father with letters and photographs (p. 2). This is not Grace’s idea of a father; she wants the fairytale picture of a father seen in Beauty and the Beast (p.2). Hoffman unfolds Grace’s dilemma with her family not being “right” (p. 3) and the emotional struggle she goes through understanding where she fits in. The reason I chose…

    • 1058 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Scarlet Ibis And Earle Berney Comparison
    • 458 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Scarlet Ibis And Earle Berney Comparison

    Sometimes in life, it seems like nature reflects us. From stormy weather to match our struggles, or the warmth of the sun on our back to mirror the warmth of the joy in our hearts, pathetic fallacy follows our every move, both in our realities and in the many books we read. This is especially evident in the story “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst and the poem “David” by Earle Birney, where each path the characters take is wrought with descriptions that reflect their actions. Whether the choice be positive or negative, these two pieces use pathetic fallacy to match the tone of the action.…

    • 458 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Great Essays

    Hypocrisy In A Good Man Is Hard To Find
    • 1439 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Hypocrisy In A Good Man Is Hard To Find

    The grandmother and The Misfit both fail to find remorse in their hearts for their actions and desires. Flannery O’Connor’s tale allows the audience to see the flaws in a person esteemed to be perfect, giving them the opportunity to assess their own hypocrisies and moral flaws. O’Connor’s portrayal of tradition and its emersion in to modern day society allows audiences to remember the good old days, and to question if a good man really is hard to find? O’Connor also leaves the audience with the answer that a good man really is not hard to find as long as you are willing to look a the soul of person rather than their initial actions that label them. The Misfit really was a good man in the sense that he stood firm in his beliefs and he was not a hypocrite. The Misfit was a criminal labeling him as bad, but down to the core he was a person and believer than the grandmother every was or ever hoped to…

    • 1439 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    A New Leaf Analysis
    • 1192 Words
    • 5 Pages

    A New Leaf Analysis

    There are many different elements to use in order to properly evaluate short stories. These elements include plot, character, point of view, and theme. Not only do these elements help the reader understand the story, it also allows the reader to be able to classify a short story as either commercial or interpretative fiction. When evaluating, it is important to pay attention to all aspects of the story as different interpretations can not only switch the meaning of the story, but also give the reader the wrong message that the author was trying to give. Although it may not always be an easy task as a reader to interpret stories, it is vital in being able to have a better understanding. The short story titled “A New Leaf” by F. Scott Fitzgerald…

    • 1192 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Comparing 'Gift Of The Magi And The Last Leaf'
    • 1671 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Comparing 'Gift Of The Magi And The Last Leaf'

    William Sydney Porter, otherwise known by his pen name, O. Henry, is a very influential American short story writer in the world of literature. “The true adventurer goes forth aimless and uncalculating to meet and greet unknown faith”, and such is the way he led his life (O. Henry). He undeniably sacrificed an unadventurous, mundane existence for one that yielded a wide range of occupations, acquaintances, and experiences that greatly influenced his writing. O. Henry was capable of taking the world around him and transforming it into a work of art. One of his most popular short stories, “Gift of the Magi”, along with “The Last Leaf”, reflects his use of surprise endings, witty plots, and association to his everyday…

    • 1671 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    A Good Man Is Hard To Find Response
    • 1076 Words
    • 4 Pages

    A Good Man Is Hard To Find Response

    However, his role in portraying O’Conner’s theme is negotiable The misfit first off, may represent Freud’s concept of the human id. The id is a component of the human consciousness that contains the most primitive desires and behaviors. It is often suppressed by the superego however it is possible that enduring some kind of psychological trauma can strengthen the id’s influence over behavior. The dialogue between the Misfit and the grandmother is extremely telling of the Misfit’s psychological state. He mentions that he has “been in the arm service, both land and sea, at home and abroad, been twict married, been an undertaker, been with the railroads, plowed Mother Earth, been in a tornado, seen a man burnt alive oncet” (389). The experiences he mentions are extremely traumatic and brutal ones, written in harsh language to almost intensify their severity. He later mentions his time in prison as a crucial time of strife in his life. He describes his time in the penitentiary as being “buried alive” (390). In a sense the events that he lists justify his desensitized and animalistic nature and the weakness of his superego. Earlier in the story O’Connor utilizes a symbol for the Misfit and his psychological state. At Red Sammy’s there is a “gray monkey about a foot high, chained to a small chinaberry tree” (384). The monkey, a close evolutionary cousin of the human being known for its primitive and…

    • 1076 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Great Essays

    To Build A Fire And The Law Of Life Analysis
    • 1090 Words
    • 5 Pages

    To Build A Fire And The Law Of Life Analysis

    Writers often base their works on accounts of personal themes and experiences. Literary pieces can come to symbolize important aspects of a writer’s life. Authors Sui Sin Far, Jack London, and Joel Chandler Harris have greatly shown such biographical reflections in their written works. To an extent, their stories dwell deeper into the social issues that affected the environment around them. Mrs. Spring Fragrance by Sui Sin Far, To Build a Fire and the Law of Life by Jack London and The Wonderful Tar-Baby Story and How Mr. Rabbit Was Too Sharp for Mr. Fox by Joel Chandler Harris, all show how these stories are reminiscent of personal themes in life.…

    • 1090 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Comparing Metamorphoses And Aesop's Fables
    • 971 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Comparing Metamorphoses And Aesop's Fables

    These last two weeks consisted of two significant aspects of Literature and also my favorite so far. Firstly, we were assigned one or two fables to analyze and relate to, I was lucky to be assigned two fables. I had to present the following fables: the ant and the cricket, and the boy who cried “wolf”. These fables were very amusing and short, I never heard of the ant and the cricket, but once I read it I understood and related to the fable. The ant and the cricket is about a little hard-working ant that prepared all summer storing food for the harsh winter. Meanwhile, the careless young cricket sang throughout the whole summer did not have time to gather up for the winter, thus asked the ant to share some of his grain, but the ant was not willing to share his grains he worked so hard for to share it with someone who didn’t even attempt to work for it. This fable depicts lazy and careless people who indulge in other actions instead of focusing of what is important and eventually lose out.…

    • 971 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Resentful Little Women
    • 515 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Resentful Little Women

    Literature Criticism. Vol. 218. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Literature Resource Center. Web. 11 Dec. 2016. The most dramatic scene for Jo in Little Women is when Amy…

    • 515 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Decent Essays

    A Good Story By Sherman Alexiie Summary
    • 1869 Words
    • 8 Pages

    A Good Story By Sherman Alexiie Summary

    Alexie, Sherman. “A Good Story.” The St. Martin’s Guide to Writing. Eds. Rise B. Alexrod, Charles R.…

    • 1869 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Decent Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    How Does Reading Reflect The Shortness Of Time
    • 822 Words
    • 4 Pages

    How Does Reading Reflect The Shortness Of Time

    Throw-out the years, I have being told by relatives how reading since an early age, has always being a habit for me. Although not knowing how to identify the significances of certain words, my parents college thesis where among the books that I read. As the years went by, reading was no longer of my interest. The reason was not the shortness of time or responsibility, it was the lack of motivation. It was not until high school that I became interested in reading again. Ever since, Khaled Hosseini, Shakespeare, john green, Dede mirabal and Nicholas Sparks have been some of the authors who have conquered my soul with their narrative stories. Such stories can take readers into a roller-coaster of emotions. Each writer has a different perspective towards the audience with a unique interpretation.…

    • 822 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More

Related Topics

Ready To Get Started?
Discover
Company
Follow
©2023 Cram.com
Privacy Policy |  About Ads |  Site Map |  Advertise  | 
  • Cookie Settings