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Flannery O'Connor: A Good Man Is Hard To Find

SeoulMan

SeoulMan

Member
I'm starting my own Short Story of the Week threads, per this thread:

http://www.bookandreader.com/forums/website-feedback-help-suggestions/16684-short-story-week.html

You can join me or not. (I suspect I may be the only one in this thread next week. LOL!)

The first short story is "A Good Man is Hard to Find" by Flannery O'Connor. It will begin next Monday, 7/7/08.

Note: I am not trying to compete with the BOTM. I respect the BOTM. That's why I'm starting the second week of the month, instead of the more active first week where the traffic seems to flow toward the BOTM. I'm just trying to regenerate interest in the short story genre. It is surprising to me that most people are not drawn to short stories. I mean, they are short, which should attract interest from the short attention span crowd. Also, because of their brevity, they can be read in one sitting. Furthermore, the best short stories are quite well-written and have a depth that novelists can only dream about. It's a form that deserves more attention. Besides, with today's short attention span citizens, I'm surprised short stories haven't taken off as much as the longer novel.
 
Seoulman, if I can get my hands on it, I will participate. So, one short story every month? and the discussions will start the second week?
 
I was thinking one short story every two weeks or two per month because I usually read a lot more than that. I also don't want to compete with the novel readers and the BOTM club, because I would lose.
 
Needless to say, others can/should start their own Short Story threads on whatever short stories tickle their fancy.
 
I believe I've already read it, the beginning is very familiar, going to reread at the proper time. :)
 
SeoulMan said:
I respect the BOTM.
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Don't bother it's inanimate, it shouldn't be offended.

If I read A Hard Man is Good to Find I might not have anything interesting to say and if that is the case I'll just refrain from comment. However if A Good Find is to Hard, Man turns out to be interesting I may have lots of really neat ideas and reflections. More than likely I won't be interested in A Man Find is Good Hard to because my short story reading tends to be limited to science fiction. Regardless of how well received the short story To Man Hard is a Good Find is I very much stand behind your attempt to establish a short story discussion group. Good luck in your endeavor.
 
joderu95 said:
Don't bother it's inanimate, it shouldn't be offended..
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OK...we can undull it,would you like some burlesque dancers added?:lol:


joderu95 said:
If I read A Hard Man is Good to Find I might not have anything interesting to say and if that is the case I'll just refrain from comment. However if A Good Find is to Hard, Man turns out to be interesting I may have lots of really neat ideas and reflections. More than likely I won't be interested in A Man Find is Good Hard to because my short story reading tends to be limited to science fiction. Regardless of how well received the short story To Man Hard is a Good Find is I very much stand behind your attempt to establish a short story discussion group. Good luck in your endeavor.
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Hitting the moonshine again eh?
 
I am just going to start the discussion on the short story by saying ,that in just a few pages ,it was an emotional rollercoaster.
 
Several years ago, a woman from my writing group talked about how this short story seemed like a typical domestic story but ended up so horrifically, where the worst possible thing happened to every one of the family members. This is one of the reasons why I wanted to read this. Who knew they were writing about serial killers way back in the mid-1950s?

There are parts of this story that confused me. The most important part was the epiphany that the old grandma had right before the moment of her death when she said, "Why you're one of my babies. You're one of my own children!"

Did she shout this because The Misfit was wearing Bailey's shirt and he looked like her son? Did she lose her marbles? Or was this more spiritual?

I didn't get it.
 
I will start from the begining when the grandmother was telling the family they should not travel there because of Misfit. It reminded me of smalltown (my aunts) older woman being paranoid, and what were really the chances of coming face to face with Misfit.

(Those grandchildren needed some , some ...! spoiled ,disrespectful kids.)

I think her comment in the end was more of a mother seeing a younger person and can't fathom that he could be so cruel.
 
SeoulMan said:
Several years ago, a woman from my writing group talked about how this short story seemed like a typical domestic story but ended up so horrifically...
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This is what is so great about Southern Gothic. The stories always start out so innocently and have some sort of crazy twist that just blows you away.

SeoulMan said:
There are parts of this story that confused me. The most important part was the epiphany that the old grandma had right before the moment of her death when she said, "Why you're one of my babies. You're one of my own children!"

Did she shout this because The Misfit was wearing Bailey's shirt and he looked like her son? Did she lose her marbles? Or was this more spiritual?

I didn't get it.
Click to expand...

I think at this part, she is trying to make one final plea to the Misfit. By calling him her son and reaching to him like that it seems (to me at least) that she is attempting to play to his soft side and get him to reconsider hurting/killing her.

But what do I know? :whistling:

edit: The more I think about it, I bet it has something to do with him wearing Bailey's shirt as well. I'm interested to hear what others have to say!
 
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