Bailes~Composition 2

Monday, October 09, 2006

Irony of Situation & the Grotesque in Flannery O'Connor



A Catholic and a Southerner, Flannery O'Connor is one of our finest American writers. Born in 1925, O'Connor died before she was 40 years old, plagued by lupus (an autoimmune disease). Despite an early death and difficult battle with lupus, O'Connor persisted in creative endeavors.

The O'Connor story we will study this week is "A Good Man is Hard to Find." Although the title may allude to Mae West's famous line, it does so only ironically. In fact, it is irony of situation that turns this story of grace into the exploits of gratuitous cruelty.

Irony is critical to understanding O'Connor's fiction. In this short story, how is irony effectively used to give the reader a grotesque revelation of reality?

posted by John Bailes at Monday, October 09, 2006

6 Comments:

  • The story was full of irony, that made the story interesting to read. First of all it is the grandmother that did not want to go on this trip to Florida. Later we find out that the misfit is her son. Also, it was her decision to take the dirt road that led to the accident, that eventually led to their deaths.

    Matt H

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at October 11, 2006  

  • I think that irony shows the reader a grotesque view because the whole situation with the way the family was murdered could happen to anyone and it is reality. They just happened to be in yhe wrong place at the wrong time.- Jillian

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at October 11, 2006  

  • I dont really like it when evrybody lives or it is a short funny story. I did enjoy the fact that it was a single persons fault for what happened and in her haste to avoid running into the Misfit she ran right into him and paid the ultimate price.

    Thad Myers

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at October 13, 2006  

  • I think that it's ironic that the grandmother would rather stay in Tennessee and that they're afraid of being attacked by "The Misfit", but you never think that they will ACTUALLY get attacked and killed....


    Ha. I thought it was funny.

    By Blogger Unknown, at October 20, 2006  

  • I thought this was a very interesting story. It captivating my interest because I was waiting to find out what where the story was leading. I found it very ironic that the grandmother was running from the Misfit, and instead cause the incident that led to runnning into him, and inevitably cost her family's life and her own. Irony sucks! Still... Excellent story!

    ~Alicia Lascelles

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at October 21, 2006  

  • I decided to read this story because I couldn't sleep one night and I wish I didn't!!! It made me soo depressed! I can't believe the misfit killed her & her whole family! It is so sad, who would write things like this one?? Overall, It was an okay story, I just didn't like the ending at all. The whole story was just a coincidence!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at October 27, 2006  

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