Good Man

In Flannery O’Connor’s short story “A Good
Man is Hard to Find,” the gruesome ending
comes as quite a shock. But, upon a second
read, signs of an ominous end permeate the
work. Hints of the family’s tragic finale exist
throughout the plot until the time of the first
murder. The story contains pervasive images
of death and to foreshadow the ultimate
demise of the nameless family at the hands of
the malicious Misfit and his henchmen.
Before the story begins, O’Connor provides
the reader with an epigraph. It quotes, “The
Dragon is by the side of the road, watching
those who pass. Beware lest he devour you.
We go to the father of souls, but it is
necessary to pass by the dragon.” (St. Cyril of
Jerusalem). These few sentences provide the
reader with an overview of the story’s events.
This quote about the “dragon” relates to the
story in that the anonymous ordinary family
sets out on a road trip to Florida, and the
passengers ar...