dotted outline of a black cat sitting within a basket in front of an older woman wearing a sundress

A Good Man Is Hard to Find

by Flannery O’Connor

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Discussion Topic

The contribution of the conversation with Red Sammy to the plot in "A Good Man is Hard to Find."

Summary:

The conversation with Red Sammy contributes to the plot of "A Good Man is Hard to Find" by highlighting the theme of moral decay and the difficulty of finding good people. It also foreshadows the family's encounter with The Misfit, underscoring the story's exploration of goodness and evil.

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In "A Good Man Is Hard to Find," how does the conversation with Red Sammy contribute to the plot?

The conversation with Red Sammy adds a few things to the plot.  First of all, he is the first to introduce the title of the story "A Good Man is Hard to Find" when he and the grandmother are discussing the state of the world.  This scene also shows the grandmother's initial idea of what a 'good man' is - she declares that Red Sammy is a 'good man' because he let someone charge gas even though the description of Red clearly proves he is not a 'good man'.  It shows that the grandmother's ideas are empty, ignorant, and vain.  Also, this conversation again brings up the Misfit, who everyone pegs as the 'bad' guy, but the grandmother declares he is 'good' before the end.  The author demonstrates throughout the story that all humans are equally in need of grace because we are all very flawed.  And finally, the conversation...

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again reveals the prejudices that the grandmother has.  Pointing out prejudice is one of the author's themes in this work.

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How does the conversation with Red Sammy contribute to "A Good Man is Hard to Find"'s plot?

Red Sammy shows just how fictitious the notion of a grand and storied past where everyone was well-behaved, morally superior, and better off than they are today truly is. Red Sammy is not a very good man or "nice," to use the grandmother's word. He may have given some young men some gas on credit, but he's pretty foul physically and as a husband. He has a stomach that hangs over his pants "like a sack of meal swaying under his shirt." He is sweaty and lower-class, keeping a monkey chained to a tree near his restaurant. He dismisses his wife as though he does not want or allow her to have a say, despite her attempts to be friendly and have a part of the conversation. He makes her wait on the family by herself while he does nothing but sit and chat with the grandmother.

His wife actually makes a point of saying that there "'isn't a soul in this green world of God's that you can trust [...]. And I don't count nobody out of that, not nobody." Thus, it is implied that Sammy's wife doesn't trust her husband either. He is, evidently, not a good man, even though he shares some of the grandmother's values. But the grandmother isn't a good woman either: she's a racist, she lies to her family, she deceives her son, and she wheedles everyone to get her own way. Thus, the opinions about goodness that come from Red Sam and the grandmother cannot really be taken at face value. For this reason, I'd say it's part of the complication.

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    During the family's drive to Florida in the Flannery O'Connor short story, "A Good Man is Hard to Find," they stop at Red Sammy's Famous Barbecue restaurant. Red Sammy is an amiable good ol' boy with a monkey for a pet, an overhanging belly and a propensity for small talk. He orders his wife around, but she doesn't seem to notice (nor does the family).
    The conversation with Red Sammy seems as out-of-place as many of the other events that happen in the story. Sammy's appearance seems to be partly out of necessity--the family didn't pack a lunch, so they must stop somewhere for lunch--and partly as a symbol to further illustrate the title. Red Sammy may be friendly and talkative, and he may even make a mean BBQ (the grandmother fails to comment on this), but he is not a particularly good man. When his wife shows worry about The Misfit making an appearance at their eatery, Red Sammy shushes her away.

    "That'll do. Go bring these people their Co' Colas," and the woman went off...

Of course, it is Sammy who makes the comment

    "A good man is hard to find," Red Sammy said. "Everything is getting terrible. I remember the day you could go off and leave your screen door unlatched. Not no more."

Bailey and his family finished their meal and drove on. Red Sammy and his wife would lock their door that night and remain safe from The Misfit and his gang.

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