Symbolism in A Good Man Is Hard to Find Essay Example

"A good man is hard to find" is about a Christian stereotypical southern grandmother who is often hypocritical and two-faced. The grandmother tried to convince the family to take a trip to Tennessee instead of Florida. On the day of the trip, the grandmother hid her cat in a basket also worn and dressed  hat with flowers so the people would know that she was a lady. And when passing the cotton field, the grandmother mentions that the grave belonged to the plantation. Through imagery and symbolism, Flannery O'Connor highlights the theme of racism throughout the story. 

Flannery O'Connor integrates the literary device symbolism to create a  difference between good and evil. In the story, the grandmother was concerned about how she would be seen after death  she dressed elegantly and wore white gloves and a flower printed hat to give the impression of a lady."The grandmother had on a navy blue straw sailor hat with a bunch of white violets on the brim and a navy blue dress with a small white dot in the print." The grandmother shows that the way she dresses is different from the family, and she is concerned about her looks.  Another example that the author uses to is the misfit car because it symbolizes death. After all, misfits are designed to carry coffins to a funeral. "The Misfit’s car is a clear symbol for death when it enters the family story of petty conflicts. A hearse, a type of car that is unusually long and designed to carry the coffin to a funeral." this quote tells me that the symbol of the misfit car represents deaths and conflicts in the family and that death has arrived. The author has implemented imagery to create a mood and images by using the sky and . 

Furthermore, he author early in the story by describing the conversation between bailey and the grandmother to try to convince her son to travel to Tennessee. "Bailey didn’t look up from his reading so she wheeled around then and faced the children’s mother, a young woman in slacks, whose face was as broad and innocent as a cabbage and was tied around with a green head-kerchief that had two points on the top like rabbit’s ears." The use of imagery in this quote is significant because it portrays the theme of fear and it illustrates  behavior and the grandmother's goal to convince him not to go to Florida. The author gives us a life vs death which prepares the reader for later events that will be presented in the story. 

In conclusion,  the author uses these literary devices to describe and clarify the plot and events of the story. Also, she uses this literary device to describe the grandmother's concerns about looking like a lady and how the grandmother didn't want to have a  family vacation in Florida instead she wanted to travel to Tennessee. This story portrays death, mortality, and loss because a misfit is being used in the story which symbolizes death.