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A Good Man is Hard to Find
A family sets out on a road trip in the American South. The grandmother suggests they change course in order to avoid 'the Misfit', an escaped convict who's reportedly heading towards Florida. But when their car turns over in a ditch, who should they flag down for help but the very man whose picture they recognise from the paper ...
Flannery O'Connor's famous fifties story evokes heat and dust, family and feuding, God and grace - and is utterly uncompromising in its brutality.
Flannery O'Connor's famous fifties story evokes heat and dust, family and feuding, God and grace - and is utterly uncompromising in its brutality.
48 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1953
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942 people want to read
About the author
Flannery O'Connor
214 books5,318 followersCritics note novels
Wise Blood
(1952) and
The Violent Bear It Away
(1960) and short stories, collected in such works as
A Good Man Is Hard to Find
(1955), of American writer Mary Flannery O'Connor for their explorations of religious faith and a spare literary style.
The Georgia state college for women educated O’Connor, who then studied writing at the Iowa writers' workshop and wrote much of Wise Blood at the colony of artists at Yaddo in upstate New York. She lived most of her adult life on Andalusia, ancestral farm of her family outside Milledgeville, Georgia.
O’Connor wrote Everything That Rises Must Converge (1964). When she died at the age of 39 years, America lost one of its most gifted writers at the height of her powers.
Survivors published her essays were published in Mystery and Manners (1969). Her Complete Stories , published posthumously in 1972, won the national book award for that year. Survivors published her letters in The Habit of Being (1979). In 1988, the Library of America published Collected Works of Flannery O'Connor, the first so honored postwar writer.
People in an online poll in 2009 voted her Complete Stories as the best book to win the national book award in the six-decade history of the contest.
The Georgia state college for women educated O’Connor, who then studied writing at the Iowa writers' workshop and wrote much of Wise Blood at the colony of artists at Yaddo in upstate New York. She lived most of her adult life on Andalusia, ancestral farm of her family outside Milledgeville, Georgia.
O’Connor wrote Everything That Rises Must Converge (1964). When she died at the age of 39 years, America lost one of its most gifted writers at the height of her powers.
Survivors published her essays were published in Mystery and Manners (1969). Her Complete Stories , published posthumously in 1972, won the national book award for that year. Survivors published her letters in The Habit of Being (1979). In 1988, the Library of America published Collected Works of Flannery O'Connor, the first so honored postwar writer.
People in an online poll in 2009 voted her Complete Stories as the best book to win the national book award in the six-decade history of the contest.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 266 reviews
August 7, 2017
Over the last year, I have found myself enjoying short stories, especially when I am in between denser books or when my schedule warrants a quicker read. Flannery O'Connor, a gothic, harrowing, southern tale.
The Grandmother lives with her son Bailey Boy, his children John Wesley and June Star, his baby, and the children's mother somewhere in the backwoods of Georgia. It appears to be summer as the children are home and clamoring for both attention and something fun to do from the adults. The Grandmother is a religious woman although we do not find this out until later on, and she often tells both her son and the children stories as a way to temper their short attention span. She gets it in her head that the entire family, even the mother who appears to complain a lot, needs to take a family road trip to Tennessee, and that is what they decide to do.
Immediately in the car, it is apparent that O'Connor wrote during the Jim Crow era. She referred to a rural African American boy as a poor n---, and, while this was normal for the time and place, it is a word that I am uncomfortable with. O'Connor was a religious person and lived in the bible belt, and the grandmother desired salvation of all people, even the unclothed boy that her family saw while driving. Despite her station as a religious woman, the grandmother could strike up a conversation with anyone, even the proprietor of a bar, and this is where she exclaims to him that, "a good man is hard to find." Perhaps it is because the good men had all been lost to the Great War, or because she had been widowed for years, but the grandmother sees that in the south, that good men are like diamonds in the rough. The barman and his wife warn the family of a bandit named the Misfit, and they are back on their way.
For a short story, the characters are extremely well developed, especially the feisty grandmother who is the protagonist. It is easily apparent what each family member's role in the unit is, and the grandmother takes on the role of spokesperson. This becomes evident when the family does encounter the Misfit and his small gang of men, and it is the grandmother who uses the premise of both salvation and one being from good southern stock as a way to get her family out of its current predicament. Emphasizing that the Misfit did indeed come from a good southern family is something I have seen repeatedly in southern writing, where the old south mirrored a caste system, and the grandmother wonders why a good man from a good family would go rotten. I enjoyed the dialogue between the grandmother and the Misfit, and, because this is a short story, these interchanges took up nearly half of the prose. Even though this story is slim in length, these exchanges and the premise behind the plot really packed a punch.
Even though A Good Man Is Hard To Find is short in length, it exposed me to the southern gothic writing of Flannery O'Connor, who is still known as a leading short story writer from the first half of the 20th century. With rich prose and well developed characters, O'Connor's writing is deep and provocative and was interesting for me to read. While I am an eclectic reader and may not revisit O'Connor for awhile, I know that when I do I will be entertained by a classic short story writer. A Good Man Is Hard To Find is said to be her premier work and did not disappoint, and for this, I rate it 3.5 stars.
The Grandmother lives with her son Bailey Boy, his children John Wesley and June Star, his baby, and the children's mother somewhere in the backwoods of Georgia. It appears to be summer as the children are home and clamoring for both attention and something fun to do from the adults. The Grandmother is a religious woman although we do not find this out until later on, and she often tells both her son and the children stories as a way to temper their short attention span. She gets it in her head that the entire family, even the mother who appears to complain a lot, needs to take a family road trip to Tennessee, and that is what they decide to do.
Immediately in the car, it is apparent that O'Connor wrote during the Jim Crow era. She referred to a rural African American boy as a poor n---, and, while this was normal for the time and place, it is a word that I am uncomfortable with. O'Connor was a religious person and lived in the bible belt, and the grandmother desired salvation of all people, even the unclothed boy that her family saw while driving. Despite her station as a religious woman, the grandmother could strike up a conversation with anyone, even the proprietor of a bar, and this is where she exclaims to him that, "a good man is hard to find." Perhaps it is because the good men had all been lost to the Great War, or because she had been widowed for years, but the grandmother sees that in the south, that good men are like diamonds in the rough. The barman and his wife warn the family of a bandit named the Misfit, and they are back on their way.
For a short story, the characters are extremely well developed, especially the feisty grandmother who is the protagonist. It is easily apparent what each family member's role in the unit is, and the grandmother takes on the role of spokesperson. This becomes evident when the family does encounter the Misfit and his small gang of men, and it is the grandmother who uses the premise of both salvation and one being from good southern stock as a way to get her family out of its current predicament. Emphasizing that the Misfit did indeed come from a good southern family is something I have seen repeatedly in southern writing, where the old south mirrored a caste system, and the grandmother wonders why a good man from a good family would go rotten. I enjoyed the dialogue between the grandmother and the Misfit, and, because this is a short story, these interchanges took up nearly half of the prose. Even though this story is slim in length, these exchanges and the premise behind the plot really packed a punch.
Even though A Good Man Is Hard To Find is short in length, it exposed me to the southern gothic writing of Flannery O'Connor, who is still known as a leading short story writer from the first half of the 20th century. With rich prose and well developed characters, O'Connor's writing is deep and provocative and was interesting for me to read. While I am an eclectic reader and may not revisit O'Connor for awhile, I know that when I do I will be entertained by a classic short story writer. A Good Man Is Hard To Find is said to be her premier work and did not disappoint, and for this, I rate it 3.5 stars.
July 26, 2019
Wew, this is some story. Excellent writing, food for thought, brutal though. Nothing really visible, but the described sounds say it. I would say not for the faint of heart ;-) Can't say too much, the story is short and to the point and it would be spoiling. But... here is the outline:
A family of grandmother (plus cat), father, mother and kids go out on a trip. All the while a well known criminal is out on the loose. While the grandmother is strongly against the trip direction due to this situation, she is the one who brings the family into danger zone unwillingly but stubbornly.
Wew... And amazing how much info, detail and character a writer can bring across in such a short story. That is quality writing. But wew... brutal. Have to read again though, take it all in again....
A family of grandmother (plus cat), father, mother and kids go out on a trip. All the while a well known criminal is out on the loose. While the grandmother is strongly against the trip direction due to this situation, she is the one who brings the family into danger zone unwillingly but stubbornly.
Wew... And amazing how much info, detail and character a writer can bring across in such a short story. That is quality writing. But wew... brutal. Have to read again though, take it all in again....
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November 9, 2023
|| 2.5 stars ||
This review contains some spoilers:
This story follows a family of two small children, a mother, a father and a grandma who decide to go on holiday to Florida. Nobody in the family really listens to the grandma or cares about her wishes (most likely due to a generational divide), which leads the grandma to often use manipulation to get her way. It doesn’t always work, but unfortunately, it does work near the end of the story when the grandma wants to take a quick detour to visit some mansion. This detour leads to a series of unfortunate events where the family is eventually confronted with a criminal who escaped from prison and who seems to have no qualms about putting a family in the ground if it comes down to keeping himself safe and hidden…
Personally, I wasn’t a big fan of the writing style, but the story itself was pretty good and interesting.
This review contains some spoilers:
This story follows a family of two small children, a mother, a father and a grandma who decide to go on holiday to Florida. Nobody in the family really listens to the grandma or cares about her wishes (most likely due to a generational divide), which leads the grandma to often use manipulation to get her way. It doesn’t always work, but unfortunately, it does work near the end of the story when the grandma wants to take a quick detour to visit some mansion. This detour leads to a series of unfortunate events where the family is eventually confronted with a criminal who escaped from prison and who seems to have no qualms about putting a family in the ground if it comes down to keeping himself safe and hidden…
Personally, I wasn’t a big fan of the writing style, but the story itself was pretty good and interesting.
May 26, 2017
..... And I thiught it would be about some young woman looking for a man to marry!
March 25, 2023
"It isn't a soul in this green world of God's that you can trust."
A family, including a grandmother, is traveling to Florida in this Southern Gothic story. The Misfit is on the loose, escaped from the federal prison, which worries the travelers. The story begins with the grandmother, a Southern lady, acting in a self-centered, manipulative, and hypocritical manner. There are many instances of dark foreshadowing during the trip with the journey ending on a frightening note.
The story questions the nature of goodness. The Misfit is not good, but he is honest about it. Flannery O'Connor has created characters that are very memorable. She also brings up religious elements, the idea of divine grace and salvation, in the midst of violence in a very dark ending.
A family, including a grandmother, is traveling to Florida in this Southern Gothic story. The Misfit is on the loose, escaped from the federal prison, which worries the travelers. The story begins with the grandmother, a Southern lady, acting in a self-centered, manipulative, and hypocritical manner. There are many instances of dark foreshadowing during the trip with the journey ending on a frightening note.
The story questions the nature of goodness. The Misfit is not good, but he is honest about it. Flannery O'Connor has created characters that are very memorable. She also brings up religious elements, the idea of divine grace and salvation, in the midst of violence in a very dark ending.
March 29, 2019
A family goes on a roadtrip hollyday, taking old Grandma Everygranny with them. There’s also a serial killer called The Misfit on the loose. But they couldn’t possibly run into him - after all this story’s called An Unhinged Evil Serial Killer is Hard to Find - riiiiight….. /??
This was absolutely great! Flannery O’Connor’s writing and storytelling is so on point that if the story was simply a quirky old lady and her family go on a trip across the south, I’d’ve still been satisfied. But things take a very, very, very dark - and unexpected - turn towards the end which tipped it over the top for me.
I loved all of it. The characterisation is brilliant. The grandma subtly and not so subtly manipulates her son’s family to do her bidding, the kids’ voices are convincing, the restaurant owner’s voice is distinctly Southern and The Misfit is chillingly bleak, in stark contrast to the warmth of the family on vacation. Their names are great too - John Wesley, June Star, Red Sam - and you get a strong sense of Southern culture.
As soon as the grandma convinces her son to drive them down a dirt road though the unease builds and builds so superbly. And when things go completely to hell, it was masterful of O’Connor to have the horrors happen off the page rather than explicitly tell the reader what’s going on - it makes the events that much more shocking.
A Good Man is Hard to Find reminded me of Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery for the total U-turn in tone with that final scene. The story is like a distilled and immensely potent mix of Shirley Jackson and Cormac McCarthy - an amazing example of Southern Gothic and a thoroughly impressive piece. Bravo, Flannery O’Connor!
This was absolutely great! Flannery O’Connor’s writing and storytelling is so on point that if the story was simply a quirky old lady and her family go on a trip across the south, I’d’ve still been satisfied. But things take a very, very, very dark - and unexpected - turn towards the end which tipped it over the top for me.
I loved all of it. The characterisation is brilliant. The grandma subtly and not so subtly manipulates her son’s family to do her bidding, the kids’ voices are convincing, the restaurant owner’s voice is distinctly Southern and The Misfit is chillingly bleak, in stark contrast to the warmth of the family on vacation. Their names are great too - John Wesley, June Star, Red Sam - and you get a strong sense of Southern culture.
As soon as the grandma convinces her son to drive them down a dirt road though the unease builds and builds so superbly. And when things go completely to hell, it was masterful of O’Connor to have the horrors happen off the page rather than explicitly tell the reader what’s going on - it makes the events that much more shocking.
A Good Man is Hard to Find reminded me of Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery for the total U-turn in tone with that final scene. The story is like a distilled and immensely potent mix of Shirley Jackson and Cormac McCarthy - an amazing example of Southern Gothic and a thoroughly impressive piece. Bravo, Flannery O’Connor!
March 28, 2023
The story is about a stone killer. And an older woman, a potential victim, who tries to befriend him. Dorothy was trying to say something with this plot but few understood her writings among the general population. I remember being in a class that included a religious man who railed against this story. Dorothy was Catholic (like Anthony Burgess - A Clockwork Orange; and Graham Greene and his whiskey priest in The Power and the Glory). He seemed to expect her to act like one and therefore write like a nun. He had never noticed the Bible doesn’t sound like it was written by a nun either. On the other hand, who knows what a nun may write? Dorothy followed Emily Dickinson’s admonition to tell the truth but tell it slant.
Tell all the truth but tell it slant —
Success in Circuit lies
Too bright for our infirm Delight
The Truth's superb surprise
As Lightning to the Children eased
With explanation kind
The Truth must dazzle gradually
Or every man be blind —
Tell all the truth but tell it slant —
Success in Circuit lies
Too bright for our infirm Delight
The Truth's superb surprise
As Lightning to the Children eased
With explanation kind
The Truth must dazzle gradually
Or every man be blind —
April 30, 2023
5★
“The grandmother didn’t want to go to Florida. She wanted to visit some of her connections in east Tennessee and she was seizing at every chance to change Bailey’s mind.”
This famous short story was first published in 1953, eighty years ago, and is also the title of a longer book of Flannery O'Connor stories.
The grandmother lives in Georgia with her adult son, Bailey, his wife and two children. She tries to convince them to go to Tennessee instead of Florida by carrying on, waving a newspaper article, and talking of a killer in that area.
“ ‘Here this fellow that calls himself The Misfit is aloose from the Federal Pen and headed toward Florida and you read here what it says he did to these people. Just you read it. I wouldn’t take my children in any direction with a criminal like that aloose in it. I couldn’t answer to my conscience if I did.’”
She gets no support from the wife or the kids, who suggest she stay home, but they know she’d never miss out on a trip. The next day, she’s the first one in the car (sneaking the cat in as well), and they’re off across Georgia, headed for Florida.
She points out all the sights, including a “ ‘cute little’” black boy standing at the door to a shack who waves at them when they stare.
“ ‘He didn’t have any britches on,’ June Star [the girl] said.
‘He probably didn’t have any,’ the grandmother explained. ‘Little n*s in the country don’t have things like we do. If I could paint, I’d paint that picture,’ she said.”
During the trip and at a rest stop, “Red Sammy’s”, she carries on about how times have changed. Her grandchildren are not respectful the way children were in her day. He agrees. She says he’s a good man.
“ ‘A good man is hard to find,’ Red Sammy said. ‘Everything is getting terrible. I remember the day you could go off and leave your screen door unlatched. Not no more.’
He and the grandmother discussed better times. The old lady said that in her opinion Europe was entirely to blame for the way things were now. She said the way Europe acted you would think we were made of money and Red Sam said it was no use talking about it, she was exactly right.’ ”
When she suggests revisiting an old plantation house she thinks she remembers, the story really takes off.
Not the usual family road trip, but it is only short and worth your time!
Thanks to the Short Story Club for the link to a PDF of the story online:
https://repositorio.ufsc.br/bitstream...
The club
https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
“The grandmother didn’t want to go to Florida. She wanted to visit some of her connections in east Tennessee and she was seizing at every chance to change Bailey’s mind.”
This famous short story was first published in 1953, eighty years ago, and is also the title of a longer book of Flannery O'Connor stories.
The grandmother lives in Georgia with her adult son, Bailey, his wife and two children. She tries to convince them to go to Tennessee instead of Florida by carrying on, waving a newspaper article, and talking of a killer in that area.
“ ‘Here this fellow that calls himself The Misfit is aloose from the Federal Pen and headed toward Florida and you read here what it says he did to these people. Just you read it. I wouldn’t take my children in any direction with a criminal like that aloose in it. I couldn’t answer to my conscience if I did.’”
She gets no support from the wife or the kids, who suggest she stay home, but they know she’d never miss out on a trip. The next day, she’s the first one in the car (sneaking the cat in as well), and they’re off across Georgia, headed for Florida.
She points out all the sights, including a “ ‘cute little’” black boy standing at the door to a shack who waves at them when they stare.
“ ‘He didn’t have any britches on,’ June Star [the girl] said.
‘He probably didn’t have any,’ the grandmother explained. ‘Little n*s in the country don’t have things like we do. If I could paint, I’d paint that picture,’ she said.”
During the trip and at a rest stop, “Red Sammy’s”, she carries on about how times have changed. Her grandchildren are not respectful the way children were in her day. He agrees. She says he’s a good man.
“ ‘A good man is hard to find,’ Red Sammy said. ‘Everything is getting terrible. I remember the day you could go off and leave your screen door unlatched. Not no more.’
He and the grandmother discussed better times. The old lady said that in her opinion Europe was entirely to blame for the way things were now. She said the way Europe acted you would think we were made of money and Red Sam said it was no use talking about it, she was exactly right.’ ”
When she suggests revisiting an old plantation house she thinks she remembers, the story really takes off.
Not the usual family road trip, but it is only short and worth your time!
Thanks to the Short Story Club for the link to a PDF of the story online:
https://repositorio.ufsc.br/bitstream...
The club
https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
June 23, 2023
A Bad Man is Easy to Find would have been a more accurate title for this story.
The protagonist calls himself The Misfit. He was traumatized by his experiences in the carceral system and now he is going to make society pay for his suffering. “I call myself The Misfit because I can’t make what all I done wrong fit what all I gone through in punishment.”
He expressed the joy he took in hurting people, telling the grandma that there is “no pleasure but meanness”, and then later tells his co–conspirator, “it’s no real pleasure in life.”
The Misfit and his gang are a reminder that the real horror story is as close as the front door of our homes…and that we are all truly defenseless against the evil lurking in people’s hearts.
The protagonist calls himself The Misfit. He was traumatized by his experiences in the carceral system and now he is going to make society pay for his suffering. “I call myself The Misfit because I can’t make what all I done wrong fit what all I gone through in punishment.”
He expressed the joy he took in hurting people, telling the grandma that there is “no pleasure but meanness”, and then later tells his co–conspirator, “it’s no real pleasure in life.”
The Misfit and his gang are a reminder that the real horror story is as close as the front door of our homes…and that we are all truly defenseless against the evil lurking in people’s hearts.
May 29, 2025
I can't explain it, but I found this story riddled with wry humour. I may have chuckled at the naivety of the grandmother, the children's cheekiness, the mother's quietness and the stoic personality of Bailey, the father, the leader.
A strange instance occurred where someone (a nameless grandmother) manifested "something" based on an article she had read, which later contributed to the "oh, grandma was right" scenario, had it not been for her idea of visiting the plantation house. But it isn't just that. It's the way she uses the article as an excuse, hoping that she'll go to Tennessee instead of Florida for a short trip so that she can visit friends. "A good man is hard to find", the grandma remarks consistently throughout this beautiful piece of writing. Connor points out that even Grandma has a cheeky side.
The following pages of the short story capture the essence of helplessness and complete fear. If I may assume this, A Good Man Is Hard to Find by Flannery O'Connor is horror at its best.
I have read horror books in the past (and still occasionally do*) where monsters kill people, and I sleep well afterwards. I do this because I know that these monsters do not exist. Then there are books like Nightmare Alley, 1922, and now A Good Man Is Hard to Find, where words like greed, morality, and the nature of humanity scare the big pulp out of me. Monsters don't frighten me at night. But I cannot say the same concerning human nature. People do frighten me, and a good man is indeed hard to find nowadays. By the way, Flannery O' Connor achieves this feat with only 23 pages.
It is the horror that keeps me awake all night, pondering my true purpose in life, and whether I will witness it come to fruition; the fear that it will suddenly come to an end, or some poor soul I love gets hurt because of me. It is dreadful! It's also how Bailey crumples when he realises what is about to happen after his old Ma says she recognises the Misfit. How helpless he might've felt. Words of comfort fall short on dry lips. And how lofty the ideas of the Misfit seem to him as he explains himself. That loud, shrill cry of the nameless wife in the woods. F*ck!
* I am rereading At the Mountains of Madness by H.P. Lovecraft, and I'll review it again after I finish it.
5/5. Read this!
A strange instance occurred where someone (a nameless grandmother) manifested "something" based on an article she had read, which later contributed to the "oh, grandma was right" scenario, had it not been for her idea of visiting the plantation house. But it isn't just that. It's the way she uses the article as an excuse, hoping that she'll go to Tennessee instead of Florida for a short trip so that she can visit friends. "A good man is hard to find", the grandma remarks consistently throughout this beautiful piece of writing. Connor points out that even Grandma has a cheeky side.
The following pages of the short story capture the essence of helplessness and complete fear. If I may assume this, A Good Man Is Hard to Find by Flannery O'Connor is horror at its best.
I have read horror books in the past (and still occasionally do*) where monsters kill people, and I sleep well afterwards. I do this because I know that these monsters do not exist. Then there are books like Nightmare Alley, 1922, and now A Good Man Is Hard to Find, where words like greed, morality, and the nature of humanity scare the big pulp out of me. Monsters don't frighten me at night. But I cannot say the same concerning human nature. People do frighten me, and a good man is indeed hard to find nowadays. By the way, Flannery O' Connor achieves this feat with only 23 pages.
It is the horror that keeps me awake all night, pondering my true purpose in life, and whether I will witness it come to fruition; the fear that it will suddenly come to an end, or some poor soul I love gets hurt because of me. It is dreadful! It's also how Bailey crumples when he realises what is about to happen after his old Ma says she recognises the Misfit. How helpless he might've felt. Words of comfort fall short on dry lips. And how lofty the ideas of the Misfit seem to him as he explains himself. That loud, shrill cry of the nameless wife in the woods. F*ck!
* I am rereading At the Mountains of Madness by H.P. Lovecraft, and I'll review it again after I finish it.
5/5. Read this!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 11, 2021
what an incredible short. it feels almost as if o'connor drew inspiration from dostoevsky because i see a distinct parallel between this story and the brothers karamazov. both depict violent scenes where certain characters commit premeditated acts of evil all the while striving to dialectic good because in this instance good by default is a "natural and divine grace intervening in human affairs".
catholics, like all christians, as far as i'm concerned, believe humans are inherently sinful and require the intercession of divine grace to be redeemed and saved. but usually the idea of grace in abrahamic religions is expressed in love, or kindness, in the idea of god forgiving us our trespasses and allowing us into heaven despite our sinful natures. what makes o'connor particularly striking is that she, just like dostoevsky suggests that "evil", like merciless killing and cruelty go hand in hand with the redemptive power of god. we see this in the character of the grandmother. she’s awful, and we’re supposed to ridicule and dislike her. yet she becomes a far better and more sympathetic character as she faces the misfit’s violence. her speech patterns change and she becomes more generous, more understanding, and you see a very different side of the grandmother.
the famous line from that story, “she would have been a good woman ... if there had been someone there to shoot her every minute of her life,” perfectly captures that theme. grandmother is a pretty terrible person, but faced with violent death, she is redeemed. she requires violence and suffering to be saved, and would have been a better person with a gun constantly to her head.
it’s pretty provocative to suggest murderers are actually agents of salvation. but any religion that believes in an all-powerful benevolent deity has to explain why the world is so frequently violent and awful. o'connor’s answer is basically that human beings are so wicked, that’s what it takes for god to shock us back onto the right path. violence and death provide humans with an opportunity to be saved.
i am an atheist but i enjoyed this story a lot for its great characters, its plots, its humour, and even the sentiment of its message. after all, there's a certain virtue in being able to appreciate a work on its own merits
catholics, like all christians, as far as i'm concerned, believe humans are inherently sinful and require the intercession of divine grace to be redeemed and saved. but usually the idea of grace in abrahamic religions is expressed in love, or kindness, in the idea of god forgiving us our trespasses and allowing us into heaven despite our sinful natures. what makes o'connor particularly striking is that she, just like dostoevsky suggests that "evil", like merciless killing and cruelty go hand in hand with the redemptive power of god. we see this in the character of the grandmother. she’s awful, and we’re supposed to ridicule and dislike her. yet she becomes a far better and more sympathetic character as she faces the misfit’s violence. her speech patterns change and she becomes more generous, more understanding, and you see a very different side of the grandmother.
the famous line from that story, “she would have been a good woman ... if there had been someone there to shoot her every minute of her life,” perfectly captures that theme. grandmother is a pretty terrible person, but faced with violent death, she is redeemed. she requires violence and suffering to be saved, and would have been a better person with a gun constantly to her head.
it’s pretty provocative to suggest murderers are actually agents of salvation. but any religion that believes in an all-powerful benevolent deity has to explain why the world is so frequently violent and awful. o'connor’s answer is basically that human beings are so wicked, that’s what it takes for god to shock us back onto the right path. violence and death provide humans with an opportunity to be saved.
i am an atheist but i enjoyed this story a lot for its great characters, its plots, its humour, and even the sentiment of its message. after all, there's a certain virtue in being able to appreciate a work on its own merits
March 1, 2016
A very Sountern Gothic collection of stories with very malevolent undertones.
November 8, 2021
I didn't especially get on with this story. Perhaps I'll try more by Flannery O'Connor in the future.
June 7, 2024
Fuckin' hell, this is a tragedy!!
What started as an ordinary story quickly turned into an edge-of-your-seat thriller. The twists and turns are best experienced firsthand—trust me, you’ll want to dive into this one without any spoilers.
What started as an ordinary story quickly turned into an edge-of-your-seat thriller. The twists and turns are best experienced firsthand—trust me, you’ll want to dive into this one without any spoilers.
March 25, 2023
Dark, funny, slightly scary. Flannery O'Connor at her best.
October 6, 2023
" 'She would have been a good woman if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life', the Misfit said."
Wow how stupid is this.
Not knowing much about Flannery, I read this book as criticism against the hypocrisy of the religious and found it quite good, but then upon getting some context, turns out Flannery is a supremely religious person and this book's purpose is to illustrate "divine grace in Catholic theology" and that we, the readers, are simply "underestimating" the main character - an exceptionally toxic person, a racist and a liar with no true sense of morality.
So terrible was the backlash against this character that Flannery felt herself obligated to write countless letters and essays justifying this terrible main character as if it were Jesus on the cross. But it's not Jesus on the cross, it's a terrible person who finds beauty in the image of a poor naked child and who takes the righteous path only when they are taken completely out of their comfort zone and are facing actual Death.
This is not divine grace. This is cowardice. This is truly defining the hypocrisy of the religious. Down to all the explanatory letters and justification essays that Flannery wrote afterwards in a lame attempt to discredit the readers for "misunderstanding" and "underestimating" her preachy attitude.
But the readers do understand. They're just not buying it.
After all, the main character would indeed have been a good woman if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life.
Wow how stupid is this.
Not knowing much about Flannery, I read this book as criticism against the hypocrisy of the religious and found it quite good, but then upon getting some context, turns out Flannery is a supremely religious person and this book's purpose is to illustrate "divine grace in Catholic theology" and that we, the readers, are simply "underestimating" the main character - an exceptionally toxic person, a racist and a liar with no true sense of morality.
So terrible was the backlash against this character that Flannery felt herself obligated to write countless letters and essays justifying this terrible main character as if it were Jesus on the cross. But it's not Jesus on the cross, it's a terrible person who finds beauty in the image of a poor naked child and who takes the righteous path only when they are taken completely out of their comfort zone and are facing actual Death.
This is not divine grace. This is cowardice. This is truly defining the hypocrisy of the religious. Down to all the explanatory letters and justification essays that Flannery wrote afterwards in a lame attempt to discredit the readers for "misunderstanding" and "underestimating" her preachy attitude.
But the readers do understand. They're just not buying it.
After all, the main character would indeed have been a good woman if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life.
May 22, 2023
I have to say that I wasn't sure where this story was going but considering the size of it - you didn't have to wait long to find out - it is a very dark and disturbing story but I will not go too far for fear of spoilers.
However what I will say is that this is a great example of horror through clever writing - anyone can be disgusted but to instill fear now that takes time and effort and is perfectly applied here.
Then there is the art of the short story - as many an author will say shorter fiction are both a blessing and a curse - it allows you to explore and experiment but at the same time restricts you on how much detail you can use (at the cost of the rest of the narrative). This is a perfect blend for me and one I was not expecting to find.
However what I will say is that this is a great example of horror through clever writing - anyone can be disgusted but to instill fear now that takes time and effort and is perfectly applied here.
Then there is the art of the short story - as many an author will say shorter fiction are both a blessing and a curse - it allows you to explore and experiment but at the same time restricts you on how much detail you can use (at the cost of the rest of the narrative). This is a perfect blend for me and one I was not expecting to find.
October 24, 2021
i personally don't enjoy extensive religious discourse with racial slurs being thrown around
January 1, 2025
درسته که پایان غیر منتظره بود ولی داستان بی در و پیکر بود
داستانی بود که میتونست بهتر و جالب تر ادامه پیدا کنه
اما خیلی بی ربط و عجولانه تموم شد
داستانی بود که میتونست بهتر و جالب تر ادامه پیدا کنه
اما خیلی بی ربط و عجولانه تموم شد
May 8, 2023
From the blurb: A family embarks on a fateful road trip, setting out for a vacation in Florida. The matriarch of the family, Grandmother, wants the family to head to Tennessee instead and eventually manipulated her son into a diversion from their course that will soon lead them into danger.
Flannery O'Connor did not take any political prisoners when she set out to confront society, religion, and beliefs. The grandmother in this story represented the old mores and values. The grandma tried to inspire them to reconnect to 'the old ways'. She also did not want to stay behind in the past, but continue into the future embedded in the old ways. The young family wanted to move on and write their own new chapters. She made a mistake. The outcome was ... unfavorable.
With skillful manipulation, she managed to have her way on the family's way to Florida, with her cat (last-minute trick up her sleeve) hidden away in a basket under her legs. What traditionally worked for her was suddenly in jeopardy when she realized too late that it was not working.
The message in O'Conner's work was so profound, so tragic, in a sense. She was relentless in pushing through and shocking the readers into a completely new mindset.
The story could not continue after the ending. Nobody could turn around on the old track, not even Grandma....
The Misfit personified social upheaval and change. Those who resisted would bear the consequences.
Brilliantly written.
Flannery O'Connor did not take any political prisoners when she set out to confront society, religion, and beliefs. The grandmother in this story represented the old mores and values. The grandma tried to inspire them to reconnect to 'the old ways'. She also did not want to stay behind in the past, but continue into the future embedded in the old ways. The young family wanted to move on and write their own new chapters. She made a mistake. The outcome was ... unfavorable.
With skillful manipulation, she managed to have her way on the family's way to Florida, with her cat (last-minute trick up her sleeve) hidden away in a basket under her legs. What traditionally worked for her was suddenly in jeopardy when she realized too late that it was not working.
The message in O'Conner's work was so profound, so tragic, in a sense. She was relentless in pushing through and shocking the readers into a completely new mindset.
The story could not continue after the ending. Nobody could turn around on the old track, not even Grandma....
The Misfit personified social upheaval and change. Those who resisted would bear the consequences.
Brilliantly written.
March 8, 2021
I read this thirty odd years ago in college. I remember choosing to do a term paper on Ms. O'Connor's writing for an English literature class in part because she challenged religious teachings as much or more than religion and realized that blind faith wasn't really faith in the truest sense - or at least that is what I remember I thought...
Her stories are really timeless and challenge the reader and that is why I loved her stories as a whole. She had well drawn people and situations, so that the reader didn't participate in a passive way but felt something about these characters and their situations. To me, that is good writing. I don't need to agree with a thought I want to be challenged to either remain in my opinion or challenged to reconsider it.
Her stories are really timeless and challenge the reader and that is why I loved her stories as a whole. She had well drawn people and situations, so that the reader didn't participate in a passive way but felt something about these characters and their situations. To me, that is good writing. I don't need to agree with a thought I want to be challenged to either remain in my opinion or challenged to reconsider it.
September 11, 2021
3/5
سالها پیش وقتی برای اولین بار کتاب آموزش داستاننویسیای خوندم، نویسنده وقتی میخواست آغاز خوب رو مثال بزنه داستان کوتاهِ «آدم خوب کم پیدا میشود» از فلانری اوکانر رو مثال زده بود:
مادربزرگ نمیخواست به فلوریدا برود.
نوشته بود این جمله آغازین کنجکاومون میکنه که مادربزرگ کیه و چه لجبازه و میخواد بهجای فلوریدا کجا بره و اینجور چیزها. ولی برای من اصلا جملهی جذابی نبود و هیچ کنجکاویم رو تحریک نکرد. ولی بهیادموندنی بود. اونقدر بهیادموندنی که چند سال گذشته و هنوز یادم مونده.
به هر حال داستان جالبی بود. ولی سلیقهی من نه. مضمونهاش برام بکر و عمیق نبودن. مثلا یک سوالی که مطرح شده بود این بود که اگر خدایی نباشه چه دلیل اخلاقی برای درستکار بودن هست. خب همچه چیزی تو کتم نمیره. همچنین میخواست نشون بده همهچی کاملا خوب یا بد نیست {مادربزرگ تصور میکنه فقط خودش خوبه و روش اون، در حالی که همین ویژگی منفیایه که اینقدر خودخواهه، خودبینه، خودش رو به قدری برتر میبینه که لایق بخشش باشه و نگاهش هم مادیه، از طرفی ناجور رو داریم که معلوم نیست شخصیتش کاملا سیاهه یا نه} فلسفهبافی کرده بود و من ترجیح میدم این قضیه رو با شخصیتپردازیهای خوب ببینم نه چارتا دیالوگ فلسفی درباره جنایتهای مسیح.
ولی خوب بود. وضعیت اون زمانه رو نشون داد. دیگه نمیدونم. مخاطبش من نبودم.
سالها پیش وقتی برای اولین بار کتاب آموزش داستاننویسیای خوندم، نویسنده وقتی میخواست آغاز خوب رو مثال بزنه داستان کوتاهِ «آدم خوب کم پیدا میشود» از فلانری اوکانر رو مثال زده بود:
مادربزرگ نمیخواست به فلوریدا برود.
نوشته بود این جمله آغازین کنجکاومون میکنه که مادربزرگ کیه و چه لجبازه و میخواد بهجای فلوریدا کجا بره و اینجور چیزها. ولی برای من اصلا جملهی جذابی نبود و هیچ کنجکاویم رو تحریک نکرد. ولی بهیادموندنی بود. اونقدر بهیادموندنی که چند سال گذشته و هنوز یادم مونده.
به هر حال داستان جالبی بود. ولی سلیقهی من نه. مضمونهاش برام بکر و عمیق نبودن. مثلا یک سوالی که مطرح شده بود این بود که اگر خدایی نباشه چه دلیل اخلاقی برای درستکار بودن هست. خب همچه چیزی تو کتم نمیره. همچنین میخواست نشون بده همهچی کاملا خوب یا بد نیست {مادربزرگ تصور میکنه فقط خودش خوبه و روش اون، در حالی که همین ویژگی منفیایه که اینقدر خودخواهه، خودبینه، خودش رو به قدری برتر میبینه که لایق بخشش باشه و نگاهش هم مادیه، از طرفی ناجور رو داریم که معلوم نیست شخصیتش کاملا سیاهه یا نه} فلسفهبافی کرده بود و من ترجیح میدم این قضیه رو با شخصیتپردازیهای خوب ببینم نه چارتا دیالوگ فلسفی درباره جنایتهای مسیح.
ولی خوب بود. وضعیت اون زمانه رو نشون داد. دیگه نمیدونم. مخاطبش من نبودم.
August 23, 2017
I really did not know what to make of this. It was very disheartening. I still need to think about it a bit.
October 17, 2024
É a segunda história que leio, depois de "O Gerânio", de Flannery O'Connor, uma das mais referenciadas escritoras de contos dos EUA. E, pela segunda vez, chego ao final sem me identificar com o brilhantismo que se lhe aponta. Reconheço as competências na atenção ao detalhe, no suporte aos personagens e sua evolução, mas aquilo que assume ser a razão da escrita da história não me diz nada.
Concedo que, como diz Flannery O'Connor numa análise feita ao seu próprio conto, a história funciona melhor numa segunda leitura, porque o suspense desaparece, e podemos concentrar-nos em todos os pequenos detalhes, tornando-nos muito mais conscientes da técnica e focados no que se vai efetivamente dizendo. Contudo, o núcleo das ideias continua a não falar comigo.
O conto foca-se numa família com a qual vive a avó, mãe do pai de família. Estes decidem fazer uma viagem, mas descobrem que um criminoso fugiu da cadeia, pelo que a avó tenta mudar o rumo da viagem sem sucesso. Contudo, a meio do percurso, acaba conseguindo essa mudança, e por essa mesma razão acabam encontrando o criminoso, e a sua enorme violência.
Esta estrutura de eventos só ganha sentido para os leitores se contextualizada por uma visão cristã da realidade. A força do confronto ilustrado, pelas palavras e gestos da avó e a reação do criminoso, depende de acreditarmos numa condição humana balizada pela Redenção. Pelo que sem essa, nos quedamos a olhar para uma cena mecânica, expectável e totalmente desprovida de significado.
Podíamos tentar interpretar o conteúdo como uma visão crítica, mas não podemos porque a autora foi uma devota cristã, pelo que aqui temos faz parte da crença nessa realidade. Isto levanta outra questão muito debatida sobre a autora, que é o constante surgimento de quadros racistas nas suas histórias, que acreditando poderem servir a caracterização dos personagens, do Sul dos EUA, chocam pela sua constante presença.
Concedo que, como diz Flannery O'Connor numa análise feita ao seu próprio conto, a história funciona melhor numa segunda leitura, porque o suspense desaparece, e podemos concentrar-nos em todos os pequenos detalhes, tornando-nos muito mais conscientes da técnica e focados no que se vai efetivamente dizendo. Contudo, o núcleo das ideias continua a não falar comigo.
O conto foca-se numa família com a qual vive a avó, mãe do pai de família. Estes decidem fazer uma viagem, mas descobrem que um criminoso fugiu da cadeia, pelo que a avó tenta mudar o rumo da viagem sem sucesso. Contudo, a meio do percurso, acaba conseguindo essa mudança, e por essa mesma razão acabam encontrando o criminoso, e a sua enorme violência.
Esta estrutura de eventos só ganha sentido para os leitores se contextualizada por uma visão cristã da realidade. A força do confronto ilustrado, pelas palavras e gestos da avó e a reação do criminoso, depende de acreditarmos numa condição humana balizada pela Redenção. Pelo que sem essa, nos quedamos a olhar para uma cena mecânica, expectável e totalmente desprovida de significado.
Podíamos tentar interpretar o conteúdo como uma visão crítica, mas não podemos porque a autora foi uma devota cristã, pelo que aqui temos faz parte da crença nessa realidade. Isto levanta outra questão muito debatida sobre a autora, que é o constante surgimento de quadros racistas nas suas histórias, que acreditando poderem servir a caracterização dos personagens, do Sul dos EUA, chocam pela sua constante presença.
November 18, 2021
Read for uni
May 25, 2019
It's abt 1950's racist America, it has some symbolism and religious undertones. Flannery's writing is sharp and deft. A nice intro to this writer's world, for me.
September 1, 2024
Queria não ter lido a introdução que vinha na antologia, porque a imagem que eu criaria na minha cabeça sobre a autoria desses três contos (Parker's Back, Good Country People, e este) quebraria completamente. Uma imagem falsa, cheia de preconceitos e pressupostos. Eu, além do mais, e falo sério, achava que ela era um homem: O'Connor me soa, sei lá, nome masculino, e Flannery meio lá meio cá; do mesmo jeito como também já tive certeza de que Mia Couto era uma jovem poetisa se não brasileira, portuguesa; e Ortega Y Gasset dois irmãos (ou coautores) inseparáveis.
Se você pensa no que se convencionou chamar de conto moderno, tem de pensar na Flannery. Só essa breve seleção deixa isso bem claro. É o exemplo perfeito de como esse nome (O Conto Moderno) é só uma convenção para um objeto de muitas formas, cores, vozes e estilos, quase que um artefato alienígena de Roadside Picnic. Curiosamente, minhas duas últimas leituras foram justamente ela e a Anna Kavan, duas mulheres que desmontam completamente um montão de teses sobre o conto, cada qual à sua maneira. As duas, porém, convergem em uma: quebram a tese de que o enredo é a sustentação ou o mais importante no conto. As duas vencem, e não por nocaute.
Mais impressionante ainda na ficção dela é o contraste. Ainda que religiosa, nos contos há uma visão irônica, bem-humorada, chocante e violenta sobre todos os aspectos da vida humana, incluindo a religião; ela diz que o escritor deve ser capaz, antes de tudo, de tornar tudo aquilo que há de ruim no mundo crível, e só depois tornar a graça expressiva. Aqui a gente tem: A Good Man is Hard to Find, um conto violentíssimo, impactante e hipnotizante sobre um serial killer que acaba por se deparar com uma família acidentada no meio duma road-trip; Parker's Back, a descrição maravilhosa, bonita e contraditória da relação entre um ex-marinheiro, tatuado dos pés à cabeça, que se casa (sem saber bem por que) com uma dona de casa extremamente religiosa lá do sul profundo dos Estados Unidos; e Good Country People, a vida estranha de uma mulher com uma doença degenerativa, uma perna de mentira, um bacharel em filosofia, vivendo numa fazenda ajudando a mãe e, o principal, o seu encontro dela com um magnetizante e suspeito vendedor de bíblias.
Eu só conhecia o tal gótico sulista pelo cinema e televisão: um exemplo bom é a famosa primeira temporada de True Detective; um exemplo marromenos é a adaptação de "The Devil All the Time". Eu gostava desse último até ler, aqui, a Flannery e entender como os personagens de lá são só cartolinas estereotipadas quando em comparação. A graça da O'Connor é justamente o trato com as personagens, mesmo as mais vis, preconceituosas, chatas, esquisitas (e além), mesmo quando está ironizando há muita afeição e cuidado pelas personagens. É um tipo diferente de conto justamente por causa disso, muito mais pautado neles do que no enredo. Parece até contrassenso, se tratando da forma breve; mas funciona muito que bem. Ela sabe do que está falando, conhece aquele sul, a cultura e o modo de ser dessas personagens. Não escolheu tratar do lugar por puro exotismo. Como Mo Walsh, no the Guardian, diz do Southern Gothic: “... embora sejam personagens deformados ou intolerantes ou violentos, nas mãos de um escritor sulista são descritos com empatia e verdade. (...) Isto não é ser grotesco. É uma vida dura e um trabalho duro, e esses personagens apenas mostram cicatrizes visíveis daquilo que muitos de nós carregamos em nosso íntimo.”
A autora é da Georgia, um dos sete Estados confederados do sul, marcados pela derrota na guerra civil, pelo preconceito e pela desigualdade. O cenário dessas histórias se dão predominantemente em ambientes rurais: pensa-se naquelas longas plantações de milho ou algodão até onde se pode enxergar, fazendas e residências rurais decadentes, no meio do nada, junto de pequenas igrejas com chão de tábua de madeira e uma pequena comunidade. O gótico do nome vem disso, mais os personagens perturbadores ou excêntricos, cenários decadentes, situações grotescas e outros eventos sinistros relacionados à pobreza, ao crime e, no caso da Flannery, principalmente a violência.
Ainda que a questão da raça seja incidental nos contos, trata de maneira muito astuta e desmitificada o homem branco e a mulher branca, e mantém um afastamento (diria inteligente) do interior da consciência das personagens negras. Aqui, por exemplo, a gente tem uma vovozinha explicitamente racista, que é tagarela, chata, mas você ainda sente alguma coisa por ela — de novo, o trato dado à personagem pela Flannery.
Todos os três contos selecionados na antologia são exemplos de que a graça é, acima de tudo, o fruir do texto. O prazer em lê-los, em ter vislumbres de personagens cheios de vida, de outra época e outro jeito de ser. Se pôr frente desses contos como um cirurgião de frente a um sapo, amarrado e com os pequeninos órgãos à mostra na mesa de cirurgia, antes de uma dissecação, não me parece bom. Ela mesma diz algo nessa linha, quando seus contos estavam sendo lidos na universidade:"Há um problema sério no jeito de se ensinar ou encarar literatura quando, para a maioria dos estudantes, uma narrativa ou um conto se torna simplesmente algo a ser resolvido, algo que você consome em troca de uma explicação [ou significado]."
[A Good Man is Hard to Find]
Agora, este conto em si: ele abre com um café da manhã em família. Estão prestes a sair numa roadtrip. O filho único, a esposa dele e os dois netos pequenos querem ir para a Florida, e a avó (como a chama o narrador) quer visitar velhos conhecidos no Tenessee, "(...) se aproveitando de toda oportunidade que tinha para tentar convencer o filho a mudar os planos". Nessa manhã ela apontava para a notícia de que um serial-killer havia fugido da prisão e estava à solta. Sem sucesso. Bastava se contentar e tentar esconder o gato no carro, contra à vontade do filho, porque tinha medo "de que ele sentiria muita saudade dela" e que "poderia, sem querer, morrer asfixiado por ter esbarrado no fogão"
Só a descrição da viagem, a primeira metade do conto, já é interessantíssima. Os país, cansados, julgamo-nos com poucos dias para aproveitar as férias, mal trocando palavras entre si, a avó não parando de falar, contanto histórias de um tempo ainda mais antigo, comentando sobre cada lugar que passam, e em meio a isso dando visões estereotipadas, preconceituosas e anedotas sobre negros como quem cita um ditado popular, e o jeito muito verossímil de descrever as crianças, quicando no carro, tão enérgicas que saltam às paginas — uma cena memorável é quando, depois de ficarem subitamente quietas e paradas, perceberem que não se machucaram no acidente, saltam do carro e começam a gritar, pular e comemorar "sofremos um ACIDENTE!". Ou a avó, que depois de ter causado o acidente, "torceu para estar tão machucada a ponto da raiva do filho se amenizar um pouco".
De cima do morro três homens veem o carro capotado no buraco, e umas pessoas acenando. Ele desce para ajudar. E aí se desenrola o grosso do conto: epifanias, conversas profundas, violência, e um dos temas centrais do conto, penso eu: a relação profunda, que fingimos que não existe, entre nós e aqueles que consideramos a escória da sociedade; e que pensava-se há cem anos atrás, o que pensamos hoje: antigamente se podia confiar nos outros, deixar as portas abertas... não, não se podia, pensa-se que sim, mas não. O conto me deixou com a impressão de que desde o início do mundo foi que as coisas começaram a piorar, não há cinquenta, cem anos atrás, como ouvimos em conversas reais ou em conversas com essas narrativas. E isso implica em, na voz do The Misfit, se o paraíso não é aqui, devemos ir de encontro a ele o mais rápido possível; ou, se o paraíso não existe, está liberado o caos? Quanto mais complexo e mais bem sucedido é o trabalho ficcional do autor, mais chances de evocar diferentes leituras e interpretações em diferentes leitores.
A frase da esposa do Red Sammy, quando fazem uma parada no meio da viagem, define bem
No quesito de se observar a arte da ficção, esse conto tem tudo. Abre já com um objetivo para as personagens, já estão decididos a viajar e tomam o último café da manhã; há já aí o foreshadowing, de jeitos diferentes, do final do conto; há o trato e o desenvolvimento das personagens, a ironia do narrador, a dicção sulista, o contraste dentro da própria família em cada uma das personagens; o sútil pintar do tema; o "erro trágico" da Avó; a ação e o conflito aparecendo (em contrassenso) só nas últimas paginas do conto e acabando de supetão, e a abertura para múltiplas releituras.
A Flannery é um exemplo perfeito de que uma boa história não precisa de personagens dos quais você tem de, obrigatoriamente, se sentir atraído ou se identificar. Nem de que você precisa de um enredo mirabolante para segurar, desde o início, o leitor. A graça é, como citei, a amplitude e as características individuais de cada, incluindo seus jeitos, defeitos e manias. É o que me ficou dos três: são contos muito mais focados nas personagens do que numa intriga ou num argumento forte. Seus temas, também, se tornam muito mais abrangentes com o uso dessas personagens. Aliás, a sensação que a O'Connor me parece querer passar mais aqui nesse conto, especificamente, não seria a mesma caso alguma das personagens fosse muito gostável e identificável. Ela não quer passar tristeza, e se quer passar tragédia é do tipo de tragédia na acepção moderna, que envolve geralmente violência e morte em um ciclo. Todos temos culpa no cartório, só fingimos ou não nos atentamos que não.
Se você pensa no que se convencionou chamar de conto moderno, tem de pensar na Flannery. Só essa breve seleção deixa isso bem claro. É o exemplo perfeito de como esse nome (O Conto Moderno) é só uma convenção para um objeto de muitas formas, cores, vozes e estilos, quase que um artefato alienígena de Roadside Picnic. Curiosamente, minhas duas últimas leituras foram justamente ela e a Anna Kavan, duas mulheres que desmontam completamente um montão de teses sobre o conto, cada qual à sua maneira. As duas, porém, convergem em uma: quebram a tese de que o enredo é a sustentação ou o mais importante no conto. As duas vencem, e não por nocaute.
Mais impressionante ainda na ficção dela é o contraste. Ainda que religiosa, nos contos há uma visão irônica, bem-humorada, chocante e violenta sobre todos os aspectos da vida humana, incluindo a religião; ela diz que o escritor deve ser capaz, antes de tudo, de tornar tudo aquilo que há de ruim no mundo crível, e só depois tornar a graça expressiva. Aqui a gente tem: A Good Man is Hard to Find, um conto violentíssimo, impactante e hipnotizante sobre um serial killer que acaba por se deparar com uma família acidentada no meio duma road-trip; Parker's Back, a descrição maravilhosa, bonita e contraditória da relação entre um ex-marinheiro, tatuado dos pés à cabeça, que se casa (sem saber bem por que) com uma dona de casa extremamente religiosa lá do sul profundo dos Estados Unidos; e Good Country People, a vida estranha de uma mulher com uma doença degenerativa, uma perna de mentira, um bacharel em filosofia, vivendo numa fazenda ajudando a mãe e, o principal, o seu encontro dela com um magnetizante e suspeito vendedor de bíblias.
Eu só conhecia o tal gótico sulista pelo cinema e televisão: um exemplo bom é a famosa primeira temporada de True Detective; um exemplo marromenos é a adaptação de "The Devil All the Time". Eu gostava desse último até ler, aqui, a Flannery e entender como os personagens de lá são só cartolinas estereotipadas quando em comparação. A graça da O'Connor é justamente o trato com as personagens, mesmo as mais vis, preconceituosas, chatas, esquisitas (e além), mesmo quando está ironizando há muita afeição e cuidado pelas personagens. É um tipo diferente de conto justamente por causa disso, muito mais pautado neles do que no enredo. Parece até contrassenso, se tratando da forma breve; mas funciona muito que bem. Ela sabe do que está falando, conhece aquele sul, a cultura e o modo de ser dessas personagens. Não escolheu tratar do lugar por puro exotismo. Como Mo Walsh, no the Guardian, diz do Southern Gothic: “... embora sejam personagens deformados ou intolerantes ou violentos, nas mãos de um escritor sulista são descritos com empatia e verdade. (...) Isto não é ser grotesco. É uma vida dura e um trabalho duro, e esses personagens apenas mostram cicatrizes visíveis daquilo que muitos de nós carregamos em nosso íntimo.”
A autora é da Georgia, um dos sete Estados confederados do sul, marcados pela derrota na guerra civil, pelo preconceito e pela desigualdade. O cenário dessas histórias se dão predominantemente em ambientes rurais: pensa-se naquelas longas plantações de milho ou algodão até onde se pode enxergar, fazendas e residências rurais decadentes, no meio do nada, junto de pequenas igrejas com chão de tábua de madeira e uma pequena comunidade. O gótico do nome vem disso, mais os personagens perturbadores ou excêntricos, cenários decadentes, situações grotescas e outros eventos sinistros relacionados à pobreza, ao crime e, no caso da Flannery, principalmente a violência.
Ainda que a questão da raça seja incidental nos contos, trata de maneira muito astuta e desmitificada o homem branco e a mulher branca, e mantém um afastamento (diria inteligente) do interior da consciência das personagens negras. Aqui, por exemplo, a gente tem uma vovozinha explicitamente racista, que é tagarela, chata, mas você ainda sente alguma coisa por ela — de novo, o trato dado à personagem pela Flannery.
Todos os três contos selecionados na antologia são exemplos de que a graça é, acima de tudo, o fruir do texto. O prazer em lê-los, em ter vislumbres de personagens cheios de vida, de outra época e outro jeito de ser. Se pôr frente desses contos como um cirurgião de frente a um sapo, amarrado e com os pequeninos órgãos à mostra na mesa de cirurgia, antes de uma dissecação, não me parece bom. Ela mesma diz algo nessa linha, quando seus contos estavam sendo lidos na universidade:"Há um problema sério no jeito de se ensinar ou encarar literatura quando, para a maioria dos estudantes, uma narrativa ou um conto se torna simplesmente algo a ser resolvido, algo que você consome em troca de uma explicação [ou significado]."
[A Good Man is Hard to Find]
Agora, este conto em si: ele abre com um café da manhã em família. Estão prestes a sair numa roadtrip. O filho único, a esposa dele e os dois netos pequenos querem ir para a Florida, e a avó (como a chama o narrador) quer visitar velhos conhecidos no Tenessee, "(...) se aproveitando de toda oportunidade que tinha para tentar convencer o filho a mudar os planos". Nessa manhã ela apontava para a notícia de que um serial-killer havia fugido da prisão e estava à solta. Sem sucesso. Bastava se contentar e tentar esconder o gato no carro, contra à vontade do filho, porque tinha medo "de que ele sentiria muita saudade dela" e que "poderia, sem querer, morrer asfixiado por ter esbarrado no fogão"
Só a descrição da viagem, a primeira metade do conto, já é interessantíssima. Os país, cansados, julgamo-nos com poucos dias para aproveitar as férias, mal trocando palavras entre si, a avó não parando de falar, contanto histórias de um tempo ainda mais antigo, comentando sobre cada lugar que passam, e em meio a isso dando visões estereotipadas, preconceituosas e anedotas sobre negros como quem cita um ditado popular, e o jeito muito verossímil de descrever as crianças, quicando no carro, tão enérgicas que saltam às paginas — uma cena memorável é quando, depois de ficarem subitamente quietas e paradas, perceberem que não se machucaram no acidente, saltam do carro e começam a gritar, pular e comemorar "sofremos um ACIDENTE!". Ou a avó, que depois de ter causado o acidente, "torceu para estar tão machucada a ponto da raiva do filho se amenizar um pouco".
De cima do morro três homens veem o carro capotado no buraco, e umas pessoas acenando. Ele desce para ajudar. E aí se desenrola o grosso do conto: epifanias, conversas profundas, violência, e um dos temas centrais do conto, penso eu: a relação profunda, que fingimos que não existe, entre nós e aqueles que consideramos a escória da sociedade; e que pensava-se há cem anos atrás, o que pensamos hoje: antigamente se podia confiar nos outros, deixar as portas abertas... não, não se podia, pensa-se que sim, mas não. O conto me deixou com a impressão de que desde o início do mundo foi que as coisas começaram a piorar, não há cinquenta, cem anos atrás, como ouvimos em conversas reais ou em conversas com essas narrativas. E isso implica em, na voz do The Misfit, se o paraíso não é aqui, devemos ir de encontro a ele o mais rápido possível; ou, se o paraíso não existe, está liberado o caos? Quanto mais complexo e mais bem sucedido é o trabalho ficcional do autor, mais chances de evocar diferentes leituras e interpretações em diferentes leitores.
A frase da esposa do Red Sammy, quando fazem uma parada no meio da viagem, define bem
"Não há ninguém nesse mundo de meu deus em que você possa confiar," ela disse. "E eu não faço exceção alguma, pra ninguém".
No quesito de se observar a arte da ficção, esse conto tem tudo. Abre já com um objetivo para as personagens, já estão decididos a viajar e tomam o último café da manhã; há já aí o foreshadowing, de jeitos diferentes, do final do conto; há o trato e o desenvolvimento das personagens, a ironia do narrador, a dicção sulista, o contraste dentro da própria família em cada uma das personagens; o sútil pintar do tema; o "erro trágico" da Avó; a ação e o conflito aparecendo (em contrassenso) só nas últimas paginas do conto e acabando de supetão, e a abertura para múltiplas releituras.
A Flannery é um exemplo perfeito de que uma boa história não precisa de personagens dos quais você tem de, obrigatoriamente, se sentir atraído ou se identificar. Nem de que você precisa de um enredo mirabolante para segurar, desde o início, o leitor. A graça é, como citei, a amplitude e as características individuais de cada, incluindo seus jeitos, defeitos e manias. É o que me ficou dos três: são contos muito mais focados nas personagens do que numa intriga ou num argumento forte. Seus temas, também, se tornam muito mais abrangentes com o uso dessas personagens. Aliás, a sensação que a O'Connor me parece querer passar mais aqui nesse conto, especificamente, não seria a mesma caso alguma das personagens fosse muito gostável e identificável. Ela não quer passar tristeza, e se quer passar tragédia é do tipo de tragédia na acepção moderna, que envolve geralmente violência e morte em um ciclo. Todos temos culpa no cartório, só fingimos ou não nos atentamos que não.
Parker's Back, A Good Man is Hard to Find, Good Country People
40~50pp — ✲ 4.5/5.0
Lido em Inglês.
Trad. Livre dos Trechos.
Outros Comentários: Parker's Back (logo mais) Good Country People (logo mais)
Trechos da própria O'Connor tirei de "Mistery and Manners"
October 27, 2021
what the fuck was that
January 18, 2025
Told from grandmother’s perspective the story is quite entertaining right from the get go.
A road trip with her son, daughter-in-law and three grandchildren, she comments on everything she sees and explains it through her life experiences to the grandchildren who don’t care. Often germane to the time period but nonetheless not quite appropriate her banter comes off as somewhat “uppity”.
Then, a truly chance encounter with an escaped prisoner (that grandma warned about before the trip embarked) has caught the family by surprise. What was at once somewhat humorous turns to horror.
Like many short stories after making the point that gives the story its title there is a quick turnaround and a twisted ending. Sometimes it’s predictable and sometimes not. Sometimes you expect one ending and get another.
This one seems to have undertones of religious teachings espoused by grandmother in an attempt to persuade their captor to turn his life around.
I’m sure this has been an interesting study in many literature classes! Perhaps I should ponder this a little longer….
A road trip with her son, daughter-in-law and three grandchildren, she comments on everything she sees and explains it through her life experiences to the grandchildren who don’t care. Often germane to the time period but nonetheless not quite appropriate her banter comes off as somewhat “uppity”.
Then, a truly chance encounter with an escaped prisoner (that grandma warned about before the trip embarked) has caught the family by surprise. What was at once somewhat humorous turns to horror.
Like many short stories after making the point that gives the story its title there is a quick turnaround and a twisted ending. Sometimes it’s predictable and sometimes not. Sometimes you expect one ending and get another.
This one seems to have undertones of religious teachings espoused by grandmother in an attempt to persuade their captor to turn his life around.
I’m sure this has been an interesting study in many literature classes! Perhaps I should ponder this a little longer….
June 21, 2015
I read this short story in one of my classes for Uni and it has stuck with me for so long. Having people to analyze the brilliance that is this story and its writing really made it for me. Each word is so perfectly chosen and placed, it's insane. If you really look into the meaning behind how everything it written, this work is actually absolutely hilarious on top of the violent nature of the actual story. I recently picked up a short story compilation by O'Connor, and I can't wait to read them.
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