Sympathy is Hard to Find

In A Good Man is Hard to Find it is hard to find sympathy for the family at the end of the story. It is hard to admit that I had no feelings of compassion for some kids, a grandma, and parents dying at the hands of an escaped convict when I read this story for the first time. The way O’Connor builds these characters to be unlikable makes it hard to feel sympathy for the family. I just couldn't connect with them on a level where I liked or enjoyed their characters choices and well being. Between the grandma, children, and parents I had to try to look past their bad qualities in order to find (or not find) sympathy for the family.

            The grandma is a racist untrustworthy woman who believes that the present times are not as good as her younger days. The grandma shows her very colorful vocabulary by using the “N” word when telling stories. She even gets excited when spotting a young black kid in raggedy clothing and calls him a “pickaninny”. The grandma grew up using this language and also surrounded by plantations that have slaves working on them so this type of racism is normal to her, but is no excuse to continue to be racist. Also when facing the Misfit I feel she is only trying to defend her own life and does not try to bargain or show any compassion for her family members’ life. She proves to be selfish in this situation and is not like your typical loving grandma in other stories.

            The children in this story are horrendous brats. The first example of boy being bratty is when we see John disrespect Georgia and Tennessee. John says, “Tennessee is just a hillbilly dumping ground and Georgia is a lousy state too,” (O’Connor 119). At as a young kid I don’t remember having so much dislike for states or for the people that live in them. It is peculiar to me that John does not like them so passionately. The other child June is by far more of a brat than her brother John. The scene when they are in Red Sammy’s restaurant is a great example of how bad June is. Red Sam’s wife gives her a compliment and asks a rhetorical question and is friendly when doing so. In response June says, “I wouldn't live in a broken down place like this for a million bucks!” (O’Connor 121). June is disrespecting the woman’s home and life choice to live there. It was only meant to be a compliment and not to be answered with such a bratty answer. Both kids are terrible and by O’Connor creating these types of characters it is hard to find compassion for them.

            The parents I feel some bad for, but it is because they have to deal with the grandma and the children. While there is nothing they can do to the grandma for punishment, they can discipline their children. Especially when the kids are annoying them to go to the mysterious house, I believe they should not have caved in so easily. This is where I lose sympathy for the parents because they should control where they go for their trip and not give into the horrible children’s demands.

            Even though I say I do not feel sympathy for the family I actually do feel bad for them because no family deserves that kind of fate especially the baby (who defiantly did not deserve to die). Sure they have some major flaws, but that could have been anybody’s family taking the wrong turn and winding up in a convicted felon’s path.