Short story by Flannery O'Connor "A good man is hard to find" Flannery O'Connor's personal views on the justification of religion and the resulting world or corruption and depravity are apparent in his short story “A Good Man is Hard to Find”. It analyzes the fundamental fate of human existence and its conflict with religious beliefs. The first two-thirds of the narrative set the stage for the grandmother, representing traditional Christian beliefs, to collide with The Misfit, representing modern scientific beliefs. The core of the symbolism and the magnet for interpretation is found at the end, the conversation between the grandmother and The Misfit. The conversation represents the examination of the clash between animal and metaphysical human nature and The Misfit is the literary representation of the result of this clash. The grandmother is based on conventional Southern women. She dresses in her Sunday best so no one will mistake her status as a lady, a problem at the heart of every true Southern woman. She told stories of old houses and the little “pickaninny” by a door. It was not a racist comment, because for it to be racist, there would have to be an intention to insult an African-American, which was not the case. This was written to further convey the idea that she embodies all the true characteristics of Southern women, including their embrace of devout Christianity. The Misfit illustrates the cold and contemporary world. In conversation, The Misfit's statement...