A Good Man Is Hard To Find

Critical analysis

Flannery O'Connor uses literary device of foreshadowing throughout short story, "A Good Man is Hard to Find." Connor uses this device with the very subtle approach, which allows her to signal outcome of story, yet at same time, does not give ending of story away completely. "A Good Man is Hard to Find" is inundated with many instances of foreshadowing which point toward conclusion. The use of foreshadowing hints to reader that family will meet up with Misfit and their fate on their journey to Florida. (Kirk 429)

From very start of story, Flannery O'Connor, begins to use foreshadowing. In first line she writes, "The grandmother didn't want to go to Florida. She wanted to visit some of her connections in east Tennessee and she was seizing at every chance to change Bailey's mind." This statement casts the doubt to reader about trip that is soon to come. Even though it says that grandmother wants to visit connections in Tennessee, it makes reader wonder why grandmother really doesn't want to go to Florida. Is there more to story? What is to come on this trip to Florida? Is there something worrying her about going to Florida?

The most obvious use of foreshadowing also occurs in very first paragraph. The grandmother says,

"Here this fellow that calls himself The Misfit is aloose from Federal Pen and headed toward Florida and you read here what it says he did to these people. Just you read it. I wouldn't take my children in any direction with the criminal like that aloose in it." (Hendri 30)

The position that this quote is placed in story is critical to foreshadowing. It is written immediately at start of story to put concept of running into Misfit in readers mind. The direct pointing out of ...