A Good Man Is Hard to Find by Flannery O'Connor | Introduction & Overview

A Good Man Is Hard to Find Introduction

Flannery O'Connor's short story "A Good Man Is Hard to Find" first appeared in the author's short story collection by the same name, which was published in 1955. Since then, it has become one of O'Connor's most highly regarded works of short fiction because it exhibits all the characteristics for which she is best known: a contrast of violent action with humorously and carefully drawn characters and a philosophy that underscores her devout Roman Catholic faith. Critics have admired the prose and the way O'Connor infuses the story with her Catholic belief about the role God's grace plays in the lives of ordinary people. The story is disturbing and humorous at the same time—a quality shared by many of O'Connor's other works, including her novels Wise Blood and The Violent Bear It Away.

Though the story begins innocently enough, O'Connor introduces the character of the Misfit, an escaped murderer...
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