A Good Man is Hard to Find
By Flannery O’Connor
One of the reasons we like to read it that reading takes us to a different place and a different time. And that is what this collection of short stories by southern noir writer Flannery O’Connor does. Mary Flannery O’Connor (March 25, 1925 – August 3, 1964) writes in a style that captures the voice of an era that is long gone and of a place that is no more. The truth of her stories touched me and brought back memories of my mother’s family in West Virginia. I felt like I knew the people Ms. O’Connor writes about. I have seen them.
One reviewer of these short stories said they had a hard time stomaching some of the stories and would toss the book in a drawer for a few days before returning to it. I think the point of noir stories is that they should be disturbing. After all, they are dark tales. These are stories of deceit, betrayal, mistakes, murder, bad luck, rejection, greed, and bigotry with a frequent undercurrent of religion. In other words, stories about life.
A word of caution before you read her work, her stories were written in the forties and early fifties and take place in the Deep South. Language is used to refer to African-Americans that is considered unacceptable today. In my reading, it did not appear that the characters used the word in a derogatory manner but more like an adjective. As if the word were a substitute for black. It’s the reader’s call as to what is offensive and what is not. If you are able to overcome it you will be rewarded with some entertaining stories and a look into the past.
This collection starts with a little story, the title of which is used for the collection, about a grandmother resisting a trip to Florida with her son, daughter-in-law and her two hateful grandchildren. I think many of us are able to relate to the conflicting motivations of a three-generation family. On their road trip we learn that a cat in a car can lead to disastrous consequences, that having a GPS (or road map at the least) is a good thing to have, and that a Good Man is Hard to Find.
In the tory The River we read about a little boy that is subject to the currents of his hard drinking, party loving parents, and his church going, bible thumpin’, babysitter. In the Old South redemption can be found with the Reverend Bevel Summers and it’s fun to learn the name of the little boy.
The Life You Save May Be Your Own could be a reminder that sometimes it is best to remain independent and on your own without the help of strangers. A mother and her thirty year-old mentally challenged daughter get along quite well on their isolated farm until a stranger arrives and starts fixing up their rundown surroundings.
Not all of the stories take place in the country, A Stroke of Good Fortune address the perils of living in an apartment on the fourth floor of a building with no elevator and heeding the vague advice of a fortuneteller.
A Temple of the Holy Ghost is an interesting story of God’s creation. It should serve to remind closed mined people that we are all creatures of God and made in His image.
Try not to be put off by the title of The Artificial Nigger. This is actually a story of redemption and is easily compared with Peter’s denial of Christ.
A boy returns to the farm to relieve fond childhood memories and, along with friends from the city, generally runs amok in A Circle in the Fire.
A Late Encounter with the Enemy can be viewed as a cautionary tale about living too long.
Another handicapped 30 year-old daughter living with her mother is an element in Good Country People, but this women is very smart, a PhD, kind of smart. The fun begins when this atheist tries to match wits with a 19 year-old bible salesman.
A tale of a hard working immigrant, A Displaced Person, could be re-written and updated today. The Polish immigrant farm hand could be replaced with a Latino gardener in the updated version. This little story neatly packs in issues of greed, complacency, jealously, bigotry, and fear.
You can visit Andalusia, the home of Ms. O’Connor, located in Milledgeville, GA, located 35 miles from Macon. It is restored and maintained by the Andalusia Foundation, Inc. A visit to Andalusia will give you vision to her stories.
