Society's temptation and flaws causes everyday living to be a struggle in balancing the good and evil. O'Connor's use of characterization, symbolism and the theme, "a good man is hard to find" reveals the breakdown of respect and discipline in American society. Grandma represents the past with her southern hospitality heritage. The Misfit's character is the result of the breakdown of humanity, family values and values that have been lost in today's culture. O'Connor believed that in order to be a good person, people must find their own moment of grace.
The grandmother is the central character in the story, she is a manipulative, deceitful, and self-serving woman who can't help but reminisce in her past. She doesn't value her present life as it is, but glorifies what it was like long ago. This woman will do whatever it takes to get what she wants and she doesn't let anyone else's feelings stand in her way. She tries to justify her demands by convincing herself and her family that her way is not only the best way, but the only way. The grandmother is determined to change her family's vacation destination as she tries to manipulate her son into going to Tennessee instead of Florida. "The children have been to Florida before, -you all ought to take them somewhere else for a change so they would see different parts of the world and be broad. They never have been to east Tennessee" says the Grandmother (O'Connor 1, 423). The children tell her "If you don't want to go to Florida, why dontcha stay at home?" (O'Connor 1, 423). The grandmother then decides that she will have to go along after all, but she is already working her own agenda. .
The grandmother is very sneaky, and she manages to sneak her cat in the car with her. She decides that she would like to visit an old plantation and begins her plotting of convincing her son Bailey to agree to it. She describes the old house for the children adding mysterious details to raise their curiosity.