Episode 277: “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor

On today’s episode of The Literary Life podcast, Angelina and Thomas continue their series on Flannery O’Connor with a discussion of her short story “A Good Man is Hard to Find.” After sharing their commonplace quotes, Angelina explains why she chose this particular story to go over on the podcast. She and Thomas then go over the characters in the family and the dynamics at play. Some of the ideas they talk about in this story are the appearance of respectability, the sentimental view of the “Old South,” the medieval and Sophoclean elements in the story, superficial Christianity versus nihilism, and so much more. They wrap up this episode with more thoughts on O’Connor’s use of violence as a means of grace and how her stories can open people’s eyes to their own depravity.

If you are interested in learning more about Flannery O’Connor, you can purchase Angelina’s previously recorded class, The Redemptive Vision of Flannery O’Connor.

Now is the time to sign up for the upcoming summer classes and webinars at The House of Humane Letters. Some of the classes highlighted in this episode are Angelina’s next installment in her series of classes on Harry Potter and Thomas’ class on five famous figures of the Victorian era.

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Commonplace Quotes:

He that courts his mistress with Roman imagery deserves to lose her, for she may, with good reason, suspect his sincerity.

Samuel Johnson, from Lives of the Poets

There’s a lot of violence, but no-one gets hurt.

Flannery O’Connor

The Road Not Taken

by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Books Mentioned:

Amazon Affiliate links follow

“On Her Own Work” by Flannery O’Connor

A Good Man Is Hard to Find by Flannery O’Connor

The Letters of Flannery O’Connor and Caroline Gordon ed. by Christine Flanagan

Everything that Rises Must Converge by Flannery O’Connor

Wise Blood by Flannery O’Connor

Mystery and Manners by Flannery O’Connor

“Revelation” by Flannery O’Connor

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