A Good Man is Hard to Find - Blog 4

When I first started reading this story, the grandmother seemed arrogant, selfish, controlling and kind of greedy. As I read further, little glimpses of her "caring" and "concern" came out (though sometimes unconventionally). She was concerned about her cat, "She didn't intend for the cat to be left alone in the house for three days because he would miss her too much and she was afraid he might brush against one of the gas burners and accidentally asphyxiate himself." (354). Here she was concerned about the cat. When they came across Red Sammy at the restaurant, he was bemoaning the fact that he had just given these fellows gas, and he rehortically asked "Why did I do that?" (357) and the grandmother answered "Because you're a good man!" (357). All in all though the grandmothers times of selfishness far outweighed her few moments of caring.

I kind of felt bad for Bailey in this story. Here he was generous enough to have his mother live with his family, and it seems like she isn't very grateful. Instead she wants to control everything, with her comfort and wishes met first.

The scene of the accident wasn't funny, but I found myself chuckling. The grandma brings up a house that everyone wants to see, forgetting that the house is in Tennessee, not Georgia. Then the cat that Grandma brought along (that she knows her son wouldn't want with them) ends up causing an accident. "As soon as the children saw they could move their arms and legs, they scrambled out of the car shouting "We've had an ACCIDENT!" The grandmother was curled up under the dashboard, hoping she was injured so that Bailey's wrath would not come down on her all at once." (359). I don't blame her!

After that I didn't laugh anymore though. The men who came along and "helped" after the accident ended up shooting them all. And through reading this story, I would say it was the grandmothers fault. She seemed like a greedy controlling person who demanded to get her way. From the way the story reads, she had been like that her whole life, and I think the Misfit recognized that. Here the grandmother was trying to convince the Misfit he was good, to save her own skin, "You've got good blood! I know you wouldn't shoot a lady I know you come from nice people! Pray! Jesus, you ought not to shoot a lady. I'll give you all the money I've got!" (364) Not one word about her family, or trying to save them. When she was calling for her "Baily boy!" (362) I think that her intentions were not to see if he was alright, it was for him to come protect her.

I think that part of the irony in this story is that the grandmother was actually right - though for selfish reasons. In the beginning, she didn't want to go to Florida. She wanted to go to Tennessee, and tried to convince her son to take them there. But he didn't listen and the next day they started out for Florida. In the end it was the grandmothers selfish actions and lie/exaggerations that cost them all their lives.