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Christianity is the main theme in the short story, “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery. From the story, it is impossible to understand and interpret the short story without keeping O’Connor’s Christian background in your focus. Her primary subjects, in regard to Frederick J. Hoffman, was the struggle to get redemption, searching for Jesus and get meaning of "prophesy”. From the three subjects, the search for Jesus and struggle for redemption are the major aspects of a spiritual life. O’Connor’s stories explain of people who are in need of salvation, and the kinds of violence makes them have this need. All these interpretations describe the kind of journey the grandmother is going through in “A Good Man Is Hard to Find.” It is very critical to read and understand this story in accordance with O'Connor's Christianity focus and to get the faith the faith message portrayed by the characters and their experiences from the story, the grandmother symbolizes Christian’s journey in quest for salvation. In this paper, I will discuss the theme and setting of the story. And hope this theme and setting fits within the overall discussion of the story. From the story, we have noted that that the grandmother is nameless. The story starts by telling us that grandmother didn’t want to go to Florida (405). She is among the three main characters in the story whose names is not given. In the first four opening paragraphs, the grandmother is referred to severally by her title instead of her name. Since the grandmother’s name is not but only a title, this a generic example of an average person. She has presented all her struggle with pride. Another character of the grandmother is that she is self-centered and pride. From the opening of the story, she is opposing the family’s plans to go for a vacation in Florida (405). This self-pride in the grandmother has to be dealt with in order for her to find salvation. She thought that her manipulations could be able to save her from any situation. That’s why after the accident that was due to her fault, she tries to show herself to be pitied rather than to be blamed. She is fast to say that she got an injury (411), hoping to get sympathy from the family. Violence is one of a powerful push to someone's beliefs. The coming destruction was able to remove the grandmother from her self-absorption and gave her an opportunity to seek real grace and redemption. For instance is when the family caught the site of Misfit’s car. Being nameless, the Misfit represents the personification of evil in the world. The title Misfit has been used to portray bad relationship to God. The car that is being used by the Misfit represents mortality. The destructions created by the evil gives the car battered appearance. Devil brings death in the world just the way Misfit brings about death in grandmother presence. Just like many people, the grandmother couldn’t stop her hypocritical self-absorption till she faced her mortality. Sometimes one has to remove all their external support before they are fully prepared to receive and accept God in their life. The murder of grandmother’s family removes her from the external support. She tries to deal to adjust her outward appearance in order to deal with this crisis. On knowing that God doesn’t save a person, it takes one personal relationship with Him. God has to be inside your life in order to life to be saved. Now with everything stripped from her, grandmother finds redemption and accepts Jesus. The grandmother’s death is symbolic. The three bullets fired by Misfit represents Holy Trinity. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were now inside her just like the three shots were truly inside her. The grandmother was shot through her chest. This symbolizes God penetrated to her heart the way the bullets penetrate into her chest (416). Although according to the story A Good Man is Hard to Find. But finally the grandmother discovers that Jesus is the only good man. She abandoned all of evil attributes and focused on receiving Jesus. She finally managed to find him and now is with Him in Paradise.

References
O'Connor, F., & Asals, F. (1993). A good man is hard to find. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press.