The short story The Big Black Good Man, written by Richard Wright, is a story about a man named Olaf and his conflict with Jim, a very large intimidating black man. The story A Good Man Is Hard To Find, written by Flannery O" Connor, is a story about a family who falls into the hands of the Misfit, a killer who is confused about his life. The two characters Jim and the Misfit have several qualities in common, good and bad.
The character Jim was a very big black man whose appearance threatened and intimidated people. "Too big, too black, too loud, too direct, and probably too violent" (Wright 283) this is how Olaf perceived Jim and was very frightened of him. Even though Olaf did not personally know Jim he was threatened by his appearance.
The Misfit, the character in A Good Man Is Hard To Find is a middle aged white man whose appearance is not necessarily threatening as much as his way of dealing with the situation with the family he comes across. "He was an older man, his hair was just beginning to gray and he wore silver-rimmed spectacles that gave him a scholarly look" (O" Connor 359) this description of the Misfit made him seem almost normal. The family soon realized the trouble they were in once the grandmother realized who he was. The Misfit, like Jim never wanted to hurt anyone, but he had no choice.
The Characters Jim and The Misfit both deal with a conflict in the stories. Both men have several similarities such as being intimidating, not wanting to hurt anyone, and both had a mysterious past. There differences definitely outweigh the similarities. The Misfit was a killer, who had no love, and he had just escaped from jail. Jim was on a sailing trip, did not harm anyone, and he found love with a prostitute.
Jim and The Misfit were completely different people, but both gave off an intimidating vibe. Olaf was scared of Jim because of his appearance; the family was scared of The Misfit because of his past.
