Violence in A Good Man Is Hard To Find Essay

Violence- A Means to an End

When most people encounter problems, deliberation is done in how to resolve the specific problem. It is generally a well thought out process where the pros and cons of each possible decision are weighed against each other. If executed correctly the process will generally result in the proper decisions being made. However, not everyone chooses to follow these guidelines to problem solving, and the people do not always come up with the best solution to the problem. Among these people is the Misfit from Flannery O' Connor's short story A Good Man Is Hard to Find. Instead of carefully weighing each possible outcome the Misfit uses violence to solve the majority of the problems he faces. Violence is a quick and efficient way of solving problems,but will generally end up making more problems. This too is true in the case of the Misfit because as he solves one problem he manages to create an entirely new problem in the process.

Regardless if the problem is big or small the Misfit uses acts of violence to solve whatever predicament he is in at the moment. His first encounter of a problem is when the Grandmother recognizes his face and exclaims You're the Misfit (O' Connor 1257). While those few words may not seem that important, those three words create a huge problem for the Misfit. The Misfit is being kind and somewhat courteous helping a family in need, but when the Grandmother recognizes his face it puts him in jeopardy of being caught. Since the Misfit can not be sure of whether or not the family will turn him in, he must make a decision on how to solve the problem. His decision is surely made when he tells the Grandmother it would have been better for all of you, lady, if you hadn't of reckernized me (1257). Judging by the short period of time between when the Grandmother recognizes him and when he responds, is adequate information to assure that the Misfit did not even consider any other means of solving the problem. He took the quickest solution instead of what may be most beneficial for him. The Misfit may have been able to prevent the family from turning him by either a bribe or ensuring that as long as the family did not turn him in he would not harm on of them. Both of the solutions are reasonable, but by choosing a more violent path of solving the problems the Misfit creates more problems.

The final solution to the Misfit's problem of being exposed by the family is that he chooses to eliminate the entire family. In groups, members of the family are murdered, gradually eliminating the root problem. While the Misfit is preventing the problem of being exposed he is actually creating an entirely new problem that he will undoubtedly face some time in the near future. By murdering the family the Misfit is giving the police more evidence and more of a reason to catch him. Although the problem he solved had to do with being caught, the Misfit created a new problem that also had to do with him being caught.

Another problem that the Misfit shortly addresses is his problem with his previous punishment in jail. Although the Misfit is unable to remember entirely as to why he went to jail, he feels that the punishment he received far outweighed the crime he committed. It is an unjust to be punished for more than you have committed, and it is a problem that should be approached by someone in the situation. Instead of the Misfit seeking some sort of reparation for the extra time he was punished the Misfit chooses an alternate route to solve the problem. The Misfit tells the Grandmother I call my self the Misfit, because I can't make all I done wrong fit what all I gone through in punishment (1261). This seems to be his provided excuse as to why he continues to commit crimes. He is attempting to make what he has gone through in punishment fit the crimes he commits. Reaching an equilibrium between the two is important to the Misfit, because it is his way of resolving his problem of being punished more than he should. It may not be the correct thing to do, but since the Misfit uses violence to solve the problems he faces he achieves what he desires. From the Misfit's point of view the crimes he commits make up for the time he spent in jail; however, he is more likely to end up back in jail for committing the crimes.

The last and final problem that the Misfit resolves with violence is near the very end, when the Grandmother touches him and calls him her own child (1261). It is unclear if it is the words or actions of the Grandmother bother the Misfit. Either the words or actions violate what is comfortable for the Misfit creating an internal problem. It is either an emotional problem or a dislike of physical contact that offsets the Misfit. His response to this internal problem seems very drastic, because the Misfit immediately responds to it by shooting the Grandmother three times, killing her. The Misfit temporarily fixes his internal problem, but will surely face it again later only to most likely respond with violence only to repress the actual problem.

There are multiple ways to fix every problem, some of which are more effective than others in resolving the actual problem. While most would consider all the possible outcomes of a decision others, like the Misfit, choose to use the simplest and quickest way to resolve problems. This is not entirely effective because the means of problem solving for the Misfit is the use of violence, which seems to create more problems for the Misfit. Although he fixes all of the problems he faces, the Misfit has yet to face the problems he creates using violence. Temporarily fixing the problem might as well not be fixing the problem, since the problem will arise only to be dealt with again.

Works Cited

O' Connor, Flannery. A Good Man Is Hard to Find. Making Literature Matter. 4th. Eds. John Schlib and John Clifford. Boston: Bedford, 2009. 1250-1261. Print