family cannot trust the men who stop, and those men are certainly not good.

In the car, as they are driving, the grandmother asks to stop at a house she once knew, and she entices the children with a mention of secret hiding holes and legendary treasures. Her ploy works and her son agrees, despite the fact that he really, really does not want to stop. He says, “All right [...], but get this: this is the only time we’re going to stop for anything like this. This is the one and only time.” His insistence that there will be no more stopping seems to foreshadow the fact that there will be some other, unplanned stop to come. And, of course, we know there is.

Flannery O'Connor's "A Good Man is Hard to Find" contains foreshadowing, or hints of impending danger. Two examples of such foreshadowing related to the horror of the story's ending are the following:

1. In early passages of the narrative, the reader is informed that the Misfit is heading toward Florida, the same state toward which the family is going.

The grandmother does not want to go to Florida. To deter her son Bailey from taking his family to Florida on their vacation, she shows Bailey an article in the local newspaper. She tells her son,

"Here this fellow that calls himself The Misfit is aloose from the Federal Pen and headed toward Florida, and you read here what it says he did to these people...."

Further, because she wants to go to Tennesse, the grandmother reminds Bailey that the children have already been to Florida, suggesting that he and his wife should take a trip somewhere else. Her grandchildren taunt her. The boy, John Wesley, says that she should just stay home. The grandmother counters, "Yes, and what would you do if this fellow, The Misfit, caught you?"

(The family does head toward Florida and the grandmother's question to John Wesley foreshadows their encounter with the Misfit.) 

2. Later, after the family has left the highway and turned onto a dirt road, the grandmother startles her hidden cat, and Pitty Sing springs upon Bailey's shoulders as he drives the car. He loses control of the automobile, and the car turns over. Everyone survives, but the accident shakes them. The mother says hopefully, "Maybe a car will come along." As a car does appear on the road, the grandmother waves both arms to attract it. Three men get out of the car.

"Look here," Bailey began suddenly, "we're in a terrible predicament! We're in...."

The grandmother shrieked...."You're The Misfit!" she said. "I recognized you at once."

"Yes'm," the man said, smiling slightly as if he were pleased in spite of himself to be known, "but it would have been better for all of you, lady, if you hadn't of reckernized me."

(This verbal exchange foreshadows the tragic events that soon transpire.)

A chief way O'Connor uses foreshadowing is through introducing the idea of the Misfit early on. In the first paragraph, as the grandmother is reading the newspaper, she tells her adult son Bailey that the Misfit has escaped from prison:

Here this fellow that calls himself The Misfit is aloose from the Federal Pen and headed toward Florida and you read here what it says he did to these people.

A short time later, the grandmother asks her grandson what he would do if the Misfit caught him.

These early mentions of the Misfit serve a practical purpose. It makes it seem less fantastical when the family meets up with his band of murderous criminals later in the story. It is unusual for people heading on vacation to have this happen, but the introduction of the idea early on makes it more plausible when it does occur.

It further shows that the grandmother makes some correct assessments. Bailey and the family blow her off as simply wanting to manipulate them into going somewhere other than Florida, but in this case she is right when she says they shouldn't head in the Misfit's direction. She is trying to "deliver them from evil," but they don't listen.

O'Connor foreshadows the Misfit's intersection with the family a second time when the Grandmother mentions him to Red Sammy and his wife as part of a conversation about the world going downhill.

All of this primes readers to accept what is going on when the story takes a turn towards the horrific at the end. It also introduces a theological concept that is important to O'Connor and that she reminds readers of throughout the story: that evil exists in the world and that anyone can encounter it.

I like the way in which this question points towards the way in which skilled writers leave no words unused. What can seem like incidental details are actually woven into the plot and theme of such fiction, and part of our appreciation of such texts is increased by the way that we have been tricked into believing that part of the text is not really significant, whilst in reality it is highly significant.

One example of foreshadowing that comes at the beginning of the story refers to the use of the Misfit by the grandmother to try and persuade her son to get him to take her and his family on holiday to Tennessee:

"Here this fellow that calls himself The Misfit is aloose from the 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 a criminal like that aloose in it. I couldn't answer to my conscience if I did."

Of course, ironically, this text foreshadows the fate of the grandmother and her family as they run straight into the Misfit, who treats them just like he treated the other people that she urges her son to read about. Note the way too that the grandmother is described as they set out on their holiday. Her elaborate attire is chosen with the sole purpose of identifying her as a lady in case of her death:

In case of an accident, anyone seeing her dead on the highway would know at once that she was a lady.

Of course, this text foreshadows her own death, and the way that she will end up lying on a road dressed in her full glory. These are but two examples of foreshadowing in the text. Hopefully based on these examples, you will be able to re-read the story and find some more. Good luck!

There are a number of good ways you can start an essay. However, it is always a good idea in your introduction to reword the essay title that has been given in order to make it clear to the marker that the essay is on task and on focus. This is such an important thing to remember when answering any essay. Although it is not clear from this question what precisely the essay title is, the introduction could begin in the following way:

In Flannery O'Connor's "A Good Man is Hard to Find," foreshadowing is used to both highlight the humour of the story but also point towards its tragic end.

This would need to be developed, of course, depending on the precise title, but this is an opening sentence that clearly rewords the title of the essay question making it clear to the marker that this is an essay on target and focused on what the question was about. It will be important to pick out a number of examples that prove the thesis statement, such as the grandmother's choice of clothes when she gets in the car:

Her collar and cuffs were white organdy trimmed with lace and at her neckline she had pinned a purple spray of cloth violets containing a sachet. In case of an accident, anyone seeing her dead on the highway would know at once that she was a lady.

When this comes towards the beginning of the story, it is clear that this is ridiculous and humorous, revealing the pretensions of the grandmother and the way that she is more worried about appearances than reality. Note the detail that is supplied that emphasises the amount of care and thought that the grandmother had put in to her choice of attire. Of course, it is only on re-reading that this is identified as an example of foreshadowing that points towards the tragic violence at the end of the story.

Since the foreshadowing of Flannery O'Connor's "A Good Man is Hard to Find" includes the mention of the Misfit and the fact that the grandmother "wouldn't stay at home to be queen for a day," [a reference to an old television program that awarded women gifts and travel], it would challenge the credibility of a conclusion not to have the grandmother and the Misfit in it. However, it does some plausible that the agent of grace can remain the Misfit, but the recipient can be other than the grandmother. 

Still, verisimilitude with O'Connor usually calls for grace to be received within violent circumstances. Perhaps, then, the setting of this violence could be changed to Red Sammy's restaurant where the grandmother utters the same banal phrase to Red Sam as she does the Misfit latter in the narrative: "...you're a good man." 

When Red Sam replies, "Yes'm I suppose so"...as if he were struck with this answer" there would seem to be a credible indication that Sam is going to be confronted with the opportunity to exhibit an act of faith.  So, an ending can be formed after the grandmother and her family depart. Then, as they drive along the "hearse-like car" passes them, heading toward Red Sammy's Famous Barbecue. As this car nears the restaurant, flames shoot out from the kitchen. 

"Now, that ain't s'pose to happen," the Misfit says. "Let's see what we can git."

Pulling the car to a stop in the lot, the three men jump out and find Red Sam and his wife running from the flames. Suddenly, Sam and his wife are halted by guns pointed at them. Red Sam's wife screams and begs them to help control the fire or get help. But, the Misfit asks Sam where his "happy laugh" is now.

"How's 'bout you rescuin' some'sat barbecue and feedin' us?" he demands at gunpoint.
Sam replies, "Look, Ah just been told that  Ah'm a good man, but I don't know as I kin do this."

With a dark, sinister look, the Misfit shouts, "Now, look! We's hungry and it is nothin' to us if you is scared. You go git us some meat, y'hear?"

It is at this point, then, that a similar ending can be constructed in which Red Sam is the victim of the Misfit's violence and he, like the grandmother who has not exhibited real faith until the gun is pointed in her face, can have the same conversion to true faith. Thus, he can receive the grace to die as a martyr, saving his wife from this fate because the Misfit orders the others into the car, saying, "No pleasure, but meanness--let's go! The police may have heard this shot!"

The first paragraph of an essay, also known as the introduction or introductory paragraph, is arguably one of the most difficult parts of the writing process. The introduction should achieve two main objectives. The initial paragraph should literally initiate or orient the reader to the focus of the paper, thereby setting the expectations for the subsequent content.  Additionally, the first paragraph should  specify a thesis statement. Fortunately, the first paragraph of an essay  does not necessarily have a specified length as long as it does not read as excessively short or excessively long relative to the length of the paper. As a guide, if one is stuck, an introduction can be somewhat padded, so to speak,  with essential information that is fairly common to essays about literature. As such, experimenting with a simple formula or format for the introduction helps with the challenge of the beginning of the paper.

As one develops as a writer, one will develop personal formats or templates that help with the writing process, especially for types of writing that will be executed repeatedly in school or at work. As such, the following paragraph shows an example of a format for a first paragraph that should be adapted with the writer's own ideas. The words in brackets can simply be replaced with the elements of the story or essay to complete your introductory paragraph:

• In the [TYPE OF WORK] [NAME OF THE WORK] by [AUTHOR]... [BRIEF SUMMARY]... [BRIEF REFERENCE TO SCHOLARLY RESEARCH]... [THESIS STATEMENT].

The following is an example of a first paragraph using the above template. It should not be used for the actual paper, as it is an original idea intended to answer the question about writing introductory paragraphs and to provide guidance on the process. Further, it is a tool to guide writing ideas rather than to force  structured, formulaic writing.

• In the short story "A Good Man is Hard to Find" by Flannery O'Connor, good is pitted against evil in the characters of the grandmother and The Misfit. O'Connor foreshadows the events of the story in the conversation between the grandmother and John Wesley. The subsequent drama is not predictable, but a calculated, graphic, and unflinching glance at the darkness of human nature. Contrary to dogma, O'Connor challenges the naiveté of faith,  demonstrating that evil triumphs over good at least on occasion, and handily at that. 

The above paragraph is appropriate for a medium sized essay of at least 4-5 pages but not longer than about 8-10 pages. It indicates the events of the story that are most important relative to the paper and offers an analysis or opinion about specific aspects of O'Connor's work that will be discussed in the paper using other scholarly interpretations of the story to support the original idea.

It is important to recognize that the sample paragraph and template represent only one way to start an essay. The template is a starting point that can be adapted for further original work. The eventual goal of borrowing a template should be to develop enough experience and to practice writing essays. With sufficient practice and experience, writing introductions becomes less problematic, thereby decreasing the utility of a template or formula. There are several resources online via Google as well as on eNotes regarding first paragraphs and essay writing. Yet,  a format that can be tweaked is a good starting point to ease the difficult task of writing the first paragraph of an essay. Good luck!

The main foreshadowed event in this story is the family's--and most particularly--the Grandmother's encounter with the Misfit, who is mentioned by the Grandmother in the first paragraph of the story. The family's death is another event foreshadowed by the mention of the Misfit. The Grandmother will mention him a second time--quite a lot for a story of this length--when the family stops for lunch at the diner while traveling toward their vacation destination. By the time the car ends up in a ditch in a deserted area and the Misfit and his men appear, we as an audience are not surprised to see him, unsettling as this may be, and not surprised that his intentions are malevolent. Further, since the Grandmother has been the one most obsessed with him, we are not surprised that they have the most interaction, and at the very end, a brief moment of connection. 

The early mention of the Misfit, a convicted killer who has escaped from the Federal Penitentiary in Florida, provides an example of foreshadowing. The grandmother, of course, is only using the news about the Misfit to try to convince her son and his wife that the family should not go on vacation to Florida, but rather to Tennessee, where she wants to visit some old friends. However, the grandmother's mention of his name, location, and what would happen to her own conscience if she were to take her children to any place where they might run into him is so specific as to send up red flags for a careful reader. After all, it is the very first paragraph of the story. Despite the grandmother's feelings and warnings, the family still sets out for Florida the next morning.

This foreshadowing seems designed to heighten tension and alert us to the very real possibility that the family could run into danger. As we, the readers, await this danger, it creates tension for us and affects the mood of the story. If we just learned that the family was leaving on vacation, the mood might be quite light and carefree. However, as a result of the grandmother's mention of the Misfit, in part, the mood feels much darker and more ominous.

The first example is found in the first paragraph, when the grandmother says:
"Here this fellow that calls himself The Misfit is aloose from the 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 a criminal like that aloose in it. I couldn't answer to my conscience if I did."

They do run into him, and the children are along, and it isn't good.

A second example comes a bit later, in this exchange:
Red Sam came in and told his wife to quit lounging on the counter and hurry up with these people's order. His khaki trousers reached just to his hip bones and his stomach hung over them like a sack of meal swaying under his shirt. He came over and sat down at a table nearby and let out a combination sigh and yodel. "You can't win," he said. "You can't win," and he wiped his sweating red face off with a gray handkerchief. "These days you don't know who to trust," he said. "Ain't that the truth?"

"People are certainly not nice like they used to be," said the grandmother.

They aren't, as the Misfit shows.

Foreshadowing is when one event or reference in a narrative hints at what is to come later on in the story. "A Good Man is Hard to Find" has a few examples of this literary technique.

Firstly, the grandmother mentions the Misfit before he makes his first appearance. She reads about the Misfit's prison break in a news article and shares the information with the rest of the family during their road trip. This article provides both exposition regarding the Misfit's background (he is a dangerous criminal who recently escaped from a Florida prison and is currently at large) and foreshadows the family's fatal run-in with him on the road.

Secondly, the deaths of the family members are foreshadowed before they meet the criminals. During an extended description of the grandmother's wardrobe, the narrator ends the section with this ominous statement:

In case of an accident, anyone seeing her dead on the highway would know at once that she was a lady.

This not only highlights the grandmother's superficial nature, it also foreshadows her ultimate fate. She literally will be dead on the side of the road by the conclusion of the story, though by then, she will be utterly transformed due to her encounter with the Misfit.

During a description of the family's travels, they also happen to pass a few graves in the middle of a cotton field. There are specifically "five or six" of them, which is roughly equal to the amount of people in the family. This too foreshadows the violent fate of these characters.

Since your essay has to do with foreshadowing, an effective thing to do would be to cite, first and foremost, one quote from the story which tells you (as the reader) that something bad was about to take place in the story.

The central idea of "A Good Man is Hard to Find" is that fate is inevitable and that we are all subjected to it. This being said, ask yourself what events happened in the story that shows how this is a true statement.

Start with the first line in the story:

The grandmother didn't want to go to Florida

Looking back after reading the story, you know that this is foreshadowing because it almost seems as if she knew that "something else" was going to happen, or was supposed to happen that day.

The fact that she did not want to go to Florida, and instead she wanted to go somewhere else, is effective for the author to include two things:  a) establish that the grandmother was not willing to stay alone in Georgia for fear of this escaped convict called "The Misfit", b) use the presence of the grandmother in the car as the cause of the detour, and the cause of the accident that leads the family to its ultimate fate. Therefore, "not wanting to go to Florida" already causes three separate events all leading to the fatal encounter with The Misfit, and thus also leading to the end.

Aside from these three factors, there is also the second mention of The Misfit at Red Sammy's Barbecue. The description of the man as someone willing to rob a place even if it had only "2 cents" shows that The Misfit can do anything for whatever reason he wishes. The fear that the grandmother expresses so intensely in her discourse regarding this man seems almost as if she were, unconsciously, calling his name in an act of self-sabotage.

Finally, there is the detour that changes everything. Why detouring? Why listening to grandmother? Is it a wise thing to change a set path? There is something eerie and illogical when people make last minute choices. There is always the element of the unknown, of the "what if", and "what comes next". This Gothic factor gives the foreshadowing in "A Good Man is Hard to Find" a uniquely distinctive tone that works well in moving one event to the next.

There is foreshadowing of the ending much earlier in the story. In fact, the first line of the story provides just such an example. It reads, "The grandmother didn't want to go to Florida." Such a statement immediately lets the reader know that the place is likely to be of some importance in the story, that the story's action will have much to do with Florida, and that the grandmother's desire to go elsewhere will impact these events. Similarly, in the very first paragraph, the grandmother mentions "The Misfit," an escaped convict who is reportedly traveling to Florida, and she claims that she would never take her kids someplace a criminal was wandering loose.

The mention of "The Misfit" so early, as well as the detail that he is believed to be in Florida, is so pointed and comes up so early in the text that it, too, appears to foreshadow something important to come. Furthermore, the grandmother wants her son to read the paper to see what the criminal "did to these people," so The Misfit must be incredibly violent and frightening; this creates a real atmosphere of suspense and dread, especially after Bailey insists that the family go to Florida and not Tennessee, as his mother would prefer. The grandmother even asks her bratty and disrespectful grandchildren what they would do if they were caught by The Misfit, raising the idea that such a thing is actually possible.