Collinson Library: A-Z SHORT STORIES: Good Man Hard to Find

2017: Jo-Anne Urquhart
2016: Lise Legg

A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O'Connor (1925–1964)

An extended family is headed to Florida for a vacation. The grandmother wants to go to Tennessee instead, so she talks about an escaped murderer—The Misfit—who is suspected to be on his way to Florida.

Commentary

Flannery O’Connor is a master at coming up with stories in which almost every main character has some kind of flaw. In this story, it is hard to like any of the dysfunctional family of six (except maybe the baby!) as they cruise down Highway 441. When their car overturns into a ditch beside a deserted road, they attract the attention of a crazed killer who calls himself “The Misfit”. As the rest of the family are being murdered, the grandmother tries to convince the Misfit that deep inside he is one of those hard to find men.

It’s no accident that this is one of the most frequently anthologized short stories. It has deft characterization, will make you think about what “good” really means, and has an unforgettable ending.