In the story "A Good Man Is Hard To Find," O"Connor develops a storyline.
of a family of five, Baily and his wife, two bratty children, and Baily's mother, who.
have little respect for each other. The character that is given the least amount of.
respect is the grandmother who is never reluctant about freely sharing her thoughts.
and forcing her opinions on matters. She makes sure to watch over her son and.
keep a tight grip on what the family does. "The ruthlessly manipulative and.
moralistic grandmother . . . . has long maintained the flattering illusion of a radical.
ethical distinction between herself and others. Self-righteously superior, she.
therefore can justify all of her own behavior whether it involves bribing her.
granddaughter or inciting her grandchildren to riotous defiance of their father. . . .".
(Bonney 347, 348). The grandmother, a Southern Aristocrat, proves to be an.
opinionated, shallow, manipulative person who seems to be only concerned with her.
status as a fine lady. .
The grandmother proves to be manipulative by involving herself in the family.
planning of the their Florida vacation. From the onset, the grandmother tried to.
manipulate the family trip to Tennessee by saying "the misfit is aloose from the.
Federal Pen and headed toward Florida and you read here what he did to those.
people." (O"Connor 320). Since the family ignored her efforts to deter their.
destination, the grandmother reluctantly began the trip with the family. As the trip.
progressed, she began plotting a scheme to find an old plantation that she had.
visited as a young lady. Since no one was interested in seeing her old plantation,.
she lied to the children that there was a secret panel in the house that had family.
silver hidden in it. The children became excited, being the bratty children they.
were, started to whine, scream, and kick the seats in order to get their parents to.
pursue the plantation. ".the grandmother for her own selfish ends uses the children .
