A Good Man Is Hard To Find Narrative Essay

The story is about a family from Georgia who is on a trip to Tennessee.  In the midst of the journey, the grandmother mentions an old plantation which her grandchildren wanted to see.  Despite Bailey’s hesitation, the family proceeds based on the grandmother’s instructions.

However, on their way to the said plantation, the grandmother suddenly remembers that the plantation she was talking about was in Tennessee and not in Georgia, where they were.  The family meets in an accident which damages their car.

They see a passing vehicle on the road and call for help. The people riding it, unfortunately, are The Misfit and his companions who just recently escaped from prison.  In the end, The Misfit ordered his companions to kill the entire family, except the grandmother who he killed himself.
The themes of this story are grace and redemption.  In the beginning of the story, the distinction is simple.  The grandmother represents the good, while the Misfit represents the bad.  However, in actuality, both characters have a negative side (“Interpretations,” n.d.).
Their negative side was reflected by their selfishness and their fixation with it. The Misfit was preoccupied with his penchant for killing, while the grandmother was absorbed with her efforts to save herself (“Interpretations,” n.d.)
The grandmother was immersed with her own concerns until her encounter with The Misfit.  Her transformation to goodness only started when she was in danger (“Interpretations,” n.d.).  She began to pray, and succumbed to faith in the face of death.  At that point, she reached her moment of grace before she died (“Interpretations,” n.d.).
On the other hand, The Misfit addresses his desire for grace when he answers grandmother’s question—whether Jesus can raise the dead.  When she reached out to him and declared him as one of his children, the grandmother gave him an opportunity for redemption.  Thus, the story conveys that everyone has a chance for grace and redemption.
References
Interpretations of “A Good Man is Hard To Find.” Retrieved February 15, 2008, from http://astro.armstrong.edu/~archerki/essay/interpretations.html