[A Good Man Is Hard to Find] By Flannery O’Connor

This story is a sad representation of violent ageism in our society. From the beginning of the story we see patterns of disrespect toward, “the grandmother”. The very fact that she is not given a name is very telling. I think the true horror of the beginning of the story is not that she is ignored by her son and his wife but that she is so severely mistreated by an eight year old boy and a little girl. The little boy repeats disrespectful phrases such as, “Tennessee is just a hillbilly dumping ground..” (2776) and it becomes clear that this bad behavior is something that they have learned from some authority figure. This turns the reader’s attention to where this cruelty came from.

As we analyze the grandmother it is easy to see that she is a compassionate woman that possess humanity and empathy. This is made particularly clear when the children critique a young black boy wearing no pants and she describes to her grandchildren that Negro children don’t get the same opportunities as them and that doesn’t mean that they aren’t beautiful. The grandmother is constantly ignored and underappreciated for her wisdom, it is almost as if the other characters think she’s invisible. Almost. If it weren’t for the disturbing pleasure they get out of tearing down an old woman. The family seems to be poisoned by their privilege and they have no appreciation for the real struggles people around them face. They live in this comfortable middle class bubble and demonize the woman who seeks to show them perspective and wisdom about the real world.

The main theme of this story really comes out in the conversation between Red Sam and the grandmother. As they chat Red Sam says, “A good man is hard to find…everything is getting terrible. I remember the day you could go off and leave your screen door unlatched. Not no more.” (2779) From the beginning the story is deficient of any element of humanity (besides the grandmother). This seemingly normal family lacks all compassion and humanity for the woman that quite literally made their family possible. Not only do they show cruelty towards their own family member, but as they get into a car crash June Star(a little girl) is excited that they crashed, but disappointed that no one has died. This line is so startling to read because we realize that this girl is completely out of touch with her empathy toward humans. It’s as if somehow, every character has had the humanity drained straight out of their brains.

The most ironic thing about the story is that this injured family is captured by an infamous criminal and Bailey, the grandmother’s son, is able to shock a murderer with the tone he uses talking to his own mother. His level of aggression toward his own family turns a cold blooded murderer sheepish.
It is haunting to watch as each of the family members is lead to their death in such a calm and collected manner. Its as if these men have done this loads of times and they are only shuffling the cattle off to be slaughtered. The grandmother is the only person who is able to slightly resonate in the mind of this criminal, even though he is seemingly a sociopath that can’t be saved.

The story in itself is haunting, but what’s more haunting is the thoughts the reader is left with. This family was full of cruelty and disrespect and violence. They were animalistic and inhumane the entire time that we experienced their story. It is hard to determine how we are supposed to feel about the fact that this family just got slaughtered.

We are lead to dislike these characters from the start but they are brutally murdered in the woods. Mother, daughter, son, infant, no one escapes. The grandmother comes close but even she does not get out alive. This is quite clearly a commentary about the lack of humanity in the characters, but what does it say about us as readers that we are not particularly shaken by the murder of a cruel family?

[Barn Burning] By William Faulkner

It is ironic that we should follow this first story with an equally troubling tale about the struggles of a young boy, Satoris, being powerless to his father, Abner. The character discuss the hardships, “His father had struck him before last night but never before had he paused afterward to explain why; it was as if the blow following the calm, outrageous voice still rang, repercussed, divulging nothing to him save the terrible handicap of being young…” (2001) Although Abner Snopes uses violence and destruction in their family, Satoris is unable to give up the hope that maybe he will stop being so evil one day after he gets it all out of his system. Abner is portrayed as a dangerous animal that is completely absent of humanity.

The theme of humanity, or the absence of it, presents itself in both stories. In both of these stories there are stereotypes about age, gender, race and there is a haunting lack of emotion and empathy for other human beings. Satoris seems to be the only character in “Barn Burning” that can’t escape this guilt he feels for the evil deeds of his father. Satoris feels loyalty to his father, but this loyalty is in a battle against his basic human instinct not to harm others.

Because of the lack of power Abner faces in the real world surrounding him, due to poverty, he wields his small amount of power over his family to make up for this feeling of inferiority. Abner looks for simply anything to crush and stomp on so that he may feel more important and necessary in the world.

The lack of humanity is present in both stories, but so is the obsession with a material life. Abner is not once able to take a look around at his loyal loving family and feel appreciative, and neither is Bailey in O’Connor’s story.

This brings us back to this concept of what it means to be an American. Looking around it is hard not to ask whether our country has lost it’s humanity and fallen victim to the allure of materialism. Not only is it startling that concerns, such as materialism, date decades back, but it is startling to notice that the problem has only gotten worse.

It is depressing to know that stories like this have been available for years, but day by day the American society becomes less humane and empathetic toward others. Each of these stories displays the dangers of what happens in a society that has an absence of humanity. The warnings are out there and the message is clear. America needs to find it’s humanity again. Once faced with this realization, we must turn it into action and restore the bonds of our people.