First, read Flannery O’Connor, “A Good Man is Hard to Find”. For this essay, you will write about Flannery O’Conner’s “A Good Man is Hard to Find”.
Basic Directions for Essay 2: First, read Flannery O’Connor, “A Good Man is Hard to Find”. For this essay, you will write about Flannery O’Conner’s “A Good Man is Hard to Find”.The uploaded documents will provide the full explanation on what exactly you will need to do for the critical essay and the story to read with the research article. The link for the story: http://xroads.virginia.edu/~DRBR/goodman.html
Requirements: 3 pages
Paper 2 (Critical Article Essay)Suggested Outline
Hello students–
Basic Directions for Essay 2: First, read Flannery O’Connor, “A Good Man is Hard to Find” and Hemingways “A Clean, Well Lighted Place”. You will only write your essay on one of the two texts. Then, using the uploaded files write your essay.
In your essay:
*1) Summarize, but also engage with, the argument in question from your Critical Article of choice. Present his or her argumentative stance fairly while also evaluating the merit of the argument being offered. Emphasize at least a section or two of the article. Does the author make a credible case? Why or why not?
*2) How does the critic approach the author and text in question? In other words, does the critic offer a particular type of approach (biographical, historical, psychological) towards O’Connor or Hemingway? Try to address this question of orientation/methodology in your essay.
*3) Discuss whether your initial impressions of the reading in question were complicated or changed by the critical article in question. Be specific, and reference specific sections from both readings. This section should be your next to-last paragraph.
*4) Consider where your reading and the critical article may fit in with course goals and themes. For example, how might your assigned reading and the article fit in with our readings in short fiction and late-19th-century American literature? On the other hand, how might the story and article venture off from course subject matter and readings in American literature? This section should comprise your concluding paragraph.
Unite these questions into a coherent, “flowing” essay with transitions, topic sentences, textual evidence, a thesis, and other such devices of expository writing, all while using quotes and proper MLA format. Use direct textual evidence, which is subsequently paraphrased, in each body paragraph to substantiate your points.
The majority of your discussion should be based upon the critical article that you’ve found, not mere summary of the story. Feel free to use the first person in your essay (Note: This essay and your final essay must be uploaded to turnitin.com for full credit; turnitin.com is now accessed, without a password, on the course eLearn site.)
Length: 3-4 pages. Double-spaced. “Works Cited” provided. Cite any and all sources that you use. Format: MLA citation (both in-text and end-of-text citations). Additional help: Take advantage of free Smart Thinking feedback on your essay. See under “Current Students” on the UC web site. Also access the MLA resources folder on eLearn..
HOW I WOULD DO IT:
This is just a suggested outline, if it helps, that I wanted to present to you.
Here are my notes on your Critical Article Essay:
Try to get a draft of the essay done as soon as possible and then get some space from it–you will catch more things to revise once you get a bit more space and objectivity with some temporal distance–have you ever written an email, sent it, and then looked at it later and noticed mistakes you could not see at the moment (I know I have…)–most writing is like this, and that definitely includes essays.
Below, I have presented a rough outline for Essay 2—you do not HAVE to do it this way, but this is how I would set it up if it were my paper. I do not like telling students “exactly” how to do their essays—there needs to be creative expression and invention in this process for you to grow as writers; however, if this helps, feel free to use it as a template! That being said, there are, of course, many ways to set up this assignment.
Here’s what I am hoping will be a helpful guide to this paper:
First, after reading Hemingway and O’Connor, pick one of these stories. Then, after reading the critical articles about the story of your choice, pick one of the articles that interests you. You are now ready, after reading these texts, to begin your paper.
Introduction Paragraph:
–general statements introducing your author and story title (1-2 sentences)
–general statement summarizing what the story is thematically about (1-2 sentences)
-introduce the critic and the title of his or her article (1-2 sentences)
–compose a thesis statement which states the purpose of your essay in terms of exploring the critical article regarding your story–something like: “Scott, in his analysis of Bob Hikoc’s poetry, asserts that the poet uses dark humor and nihilistic imagery in order to endure what he perceives as a society consumed with materialism and a fast-food mentality.”
And, later in the paper, when you quote Milford, your quotes and citations may appear as such:
In his analysis of Hicok, this critic finds the poet to be a bit depressing: “Hicok’s use of dirt, oil, trash, crumbling buildings, and refuse has a claustrophobic and burdensome effect on the reader which accumulates over time” (Scott 24).
Body Paragraph 1
–general summary of what the article’s approach to the story is (biographical, historical, gender based, race-based, class-based, psychological, etc. (2-5 sentences)
–include quotes from the article which set up the basic premise that the critic is presenting regarding your story…(1-? Sentences)
–provide commentary for any quote you provide here (1-3 sentences)
–repeat the above model (quote/interpretation) for even more depth of discussion and length of paper (hint, hint…)
–transition sentence to the discussion of the validity of the article paragraph…
Body Paragraph 2
–in this paragraph, you will be discussing, back and forth, between your story and your critic’s article…
–first, talk about the merit (or lack thereof) of the critic’s ideas–you may not agree with your critic, and that is totally fine! (3-4 sentences)
–provide a quote from your critic (? sentences)
–provide 2-4 sentences explaining the significance of your quote in context to your story of choice…(at this point, you already potentially have 9 sentences–so, following this formula will develop the paper significantly…)
You might have a passage like this:
Milford’s ideas about Flannery O’Connor’s religious context, in regards to The Misfit, tend to glorify his behavior; “The Misfit is like Paul on the road to Damascus–he has the potential for grace, but he could sense the grandmother’s own inner evils” (Milford 45). However, in my opinion, the Misfit is a repeat violent offender, by his own admittance, and he does not have any sense of redemption coming his way anytime soon. Considering his background and his class struggles, he will most likely continue his criminal behavior; think about the Misfit’s chilling statement here in terms of his characterization: “She would of been a good woman,” The Misfit said, “if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life” (O’ Connor 140).
–repeat the above general model/template by including a second quote, if you like (potential 2-5 more sentences)…
–Talk about whether or not your critic’s article was a viable one. Do you agree or disagree with his or her points? Why or why not? Provide a few sentences here to summarize and synthesize your thoughts. (3-? Sentences…)
–transition sentence to next paragraph regarding how the critic’s article affected your personal views overall…
Body Paragraph 3
–Next, discuss whether or not the critical article changed or affected your initial opinion of the story…
–First, express your own opinion or ideas about the story (2-5 sentences)
–provide a quote from your story to support your points here (or more than one quote–1-? sentences…)
–remember to reference both texts during this part of the discussion…
–even if the article did NOT change your opinion, talk about how and why you agreed with your critic—if you did not agree with the critic, tell me why, as well, with specific examples! (3-5 sentences, some quotes, etc.)
You may have a passage like this:
I, personally, do not agree with Milford’s opinion, although a very educated one, that O’Connor intended to present the Misfit as a martyr. In his essay, “The Misfit’s Halo”, this critic asserts that: “The Misfit was a product of his environment, and O’Connor presents him as a sacrificial lamb for our own impetus towards salvation” (Scott 14). The people who were really the martyrs in this story were Baily and his family who, in my opinion, got killed because of the grandmother’s big mouth, when she says to the Misfit: “You’re the Misfit; I recognize you” (O’Connor 13).
–transition sentence to our conclusion…
Body Paragraph 4
–the purpose of this paragraph is thus—taken from the directions:
Consider where your reading and the critical article may fit in with course goals and themes. For example, how might your assigned reading and the article fit in with our readings in short fiction and late-19th-century American literature? On the other hand, how might the story and article venture off from course subject matter and readings in American literature? This section should comprise your concluding paragraph.
–does the story and/or article reflect upon any current events or contemporary themes?
–consider the stories we have already tackled and their themes (race, class, gender, economic struggle, Nature, Realism, subverted endings, psychological states, etc.)—how does what you have experienced and learned from reading the story and the article influence your own ideas of American culture and American literature in general? What do you make of these critics and their assessments of literature…
–how does the story possibly surprise you? How did the critic surprise you?
–synthesize your ideas and give your audience some closure…
SAMPLE ESSAY
Below is a sample former student Essay 2 paper.
Student Name
Date
An Interpretation of Good and Evil in Southern Literature
The short story, “A Good Man is Hard to Find”, written by Flannery O’Connor, explores perceptions of good and evil and humanity’s struggle to reconcile these concepts. The story offers these themes in a dramatically violent way, as it follows a family of six on a road trip that concludes with the execution-style murders of the family, including a grandmother and a baby. In John Desmond’s critical article, “Flannery O’Connor’s Misfit and the Mystery of Evil”, the author dissects the symbology contained in O’Connor’s characters, their actions, and their words. Desmond’s analysis of the story adequately puts the central theme of good and evil into a religious context to extrapolate O’Connor’s narrative’s primary meaning. However, in doing so, Desmond arrives where he started, where good and evil, and the mysteriousness of their origins and relationship, cannot be sufficiently understood.
Throughout Desmond’s interpretation of O’Connor’s characters and their actions, he relies on the notion that good and evil are metaphysical concepts. Desmond’s analysis acknowledges that O’Connor examines the potential existence of some original template that all humanity can use to reconcile good and evil definitively. The act of murder can be labeled evil and an act of charity, good. However, the more profound questions are why these acts are good or bad, who says so, and where is the proof? Desmond begins in this direction with the straightforward task of identifying the central character, an escaped convict known as the Misfit, as evil. In his critical article, Desmond writes: “But as in all of O’Connor’s stories, the violent surface action only begins to suggest the depths and complexities embedded in the story” (129). Desmond continues: “This is especially true when considering the mystery of evil and it’s relation to the action of grace” (129).
Desmond uses these same criteria for the concept of good when analyzing the final acts of the grandmother, just before the Misfit killing her. The grandmother, attempting to persuade the Misfit not to kill her, tells the Misfit that he “comes from good blood” (O’Connor 151). She then places her hand on his shoulder and claims that he is one of her children (O’Connor 152). Desmond writes: “the Misfit’s evil and the Grandmother’s suffering mysteriously trigger in her a gesture of charity” (134). Desmond acknowledges that O’Connor has openly made the case that the grandmother’s final act indeed represents grace. However, Desmond also acknowledges the difficulty in labeling something as good when he focuses on the final scene and what it “suggests about the mysterious interpenetration of good and evil” (134). Desmond also eludes to other works that contradict the notion that the grandmother’s final act was an act of charity at all. We commonly accept charity as a virtuous act; however, it becomes more complicated to label when considering underlying motives of the doer of the deed and the recipient. Desmond asserts that the family’s predicament is ultimately a result of the grandmother’s self-centeredness and lies (133). Desmond writes: “Her self-image as a “good” woman is stripped from her” (133). When examining Desmond’s analysis of the mysterious concepts of good and evil, and their wide-ranging interpretation as applied to O’Connor’s story, this essayist finds Desmond’s article logical and relatable to a degree.
Desmond’s article draws multiple parallels to Christianity and raises difficult questions regarding evil and its origins. Desmond draws the correlation between the grandmother’s dialogue with the Misfit and the dialogue between Jesus and Peter. About their conversation, Desmond writes, “it also suggests Christ’s rebuke to Peter when Peter tried to call him good, and Jesus responded that no one should be called good (Mark 10:18)” (129). Desmond continues, “it is also true to say that, excepting Satan, no one should be called totally evil” (129). In this way, Desmond overlays a deeply religious connotation onto O’Connor’s story. This essayist has no religious background or experience to draw from to validate this properly, however, the overall sentiment is one that the reader identifies. Desmond writes: “It is more accurate to speak of gradations of human good and evil, and of the drama of choice in the face of competing moral options” (129). Regardless of any potential religious connotation, this essayist wholeheartedly agrees with Desmond’s argument.
When first reading Flannery O’Connor’s story, this essayist responded with a straightforward and misguided interpretation. The story seemed to be about the degradation of traditional values in society and the varying degrees of good inside man. However, Desmond’s article has changed that perception for the reader. It is clear to the reader that O’Connor’s story investigates our interpretation of good and evil, and to that extent, our understanding of our existence. Consider the hyena, which has no concept of good or evil when roaming the land and stealing from or killing other animals. They act on their instincts. However, when seeing a pack of hyenas encircle a lion, cackling with murderous intent, and then attack the lion and steal his kill, and maybe kill the lion’s cubs for good measure, most people would choose evil over good to categorize this behavior, if asked to do so. Christianity, Catholicism, evilness, and goodness are, simply, stories that humans have constructed. For some mysterious reason, it is only man who acknowledges that things appear to intrinsically hold value as good and evil through man’s perception of reality. And from that thought, the perpetually confusing story of religion, sin, punishment, and redemption is constructed by us to eternally suffer from and make sense of. Although now beholden to his twisted sense of faith and responsibility, the Misfit understands that ultimately the questions surrounding the consequences of our existence and the origin of man’s evil nature will not be answered. Desmond perfectly encapsulates this for the reader when he writes, “The Misfit’s desire for a rational system of human justice in which actions and consequences can be meaningfully “balanced out” is good, as I have said, but it is inadequate to explain the mysterious human condition” (131).
Ultimately, Desmond’s analysis of Flannery O’Connor’s story describes evil as an intangible, otherworldly mystery, that can only be seen when it is contrasted with something accepted to be not evil. Furthermore, what is accepted as not evil is open to interpretation. For the reader, this remains the crux of the issue. Even when attempting to solve the mystery of good and evil in a religious context, it only creates a wider chasm. Although O’Connor’s story unfolds in the American South, this is not solely an American problem but also an issue that humanity struggles with on a global level. O’Connor’s story perfectly represents that struggle in a uniquely Southern gothic style story, where there is enough odd or insane behavior to go around. However, the reader can see how this story would fit into the style of realism. With its unveiled delivery and a brutal twist ending that resolves issues only for the murdered characters, “A Good Man is Hard to Find” contains elements of realism that stood out to the reader beyond the religious subtext. This essayist finds affirmation from Flannery O’Connor in his article, “Some Aspects of the Grotesque in Southern Fiction”. O’Connor writes, “I think that every writer, when he speaks of his own approach to fiction, hopes to show that, in some crucial and deep sense, he is a realist” (1960). Finally, bringing the story of the Misfit full circle to the last known point of emptiness and a realization that enlightenment will forever be out of reach, the Misfit coldly states, “It’s no real pleasure in life” (O’Connor 136).
Works Cited
Desmond, John. “Flannery O’Connor’s MISFIT AND THE MYSTERY OF EVIL”.
Renascence, 2004, p. 128, Accessed 9 Aug 2020.
Flannery O’Connor: “A Good Man Is Hard to Find”.
.
O’Connor, Flannery, and Thomas Gossett F. Some Aspects of the Grotesque in
Southern Fiction. 1958.
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