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A Good Man Is Hard to Find" and "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been

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A Good Man Is Hard to Find" and "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been
"A Good Man Is Hard To Find" and "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been"

While reading, "A Good Man Is Hard To Find" and "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been" the readers find themselves lost in worlds of suspense, horror and comic relief through tone and symbolism. Although, the stories contain very different plots, they both have a sense of "good vs. evil." In "A Good Man Is Hard To Find", Grandmother is a deep religious character that gives the story a depth of interest. The reader gets the religious aspect of Grandmother through her actions such as her continually use of the word "Jesus", the conversation with the Misfit, and in the name of her grandson, John Wesley. Although, Grandmother is devoted to her faith, she fears death. During the accident, the children seem to be delighted, but O'Conner seems to want to let the reader know that nothing happens by accident. Grandmother claims the Misfit as her own child. This seems to imply that Grandmother see the Misfit as Bailey, her son, since the Misfit has informed the reader that he has come from a good family and at the end of the story he is wearing Bailey's shirt. O'Conner never mentions the name of the Bailey's wife, only refers to her as "the children's' mother." The reader gets the feeling that the mother is not a relevant character in the story. She is even described as "broad and innocent" face like a "cabbage." However, Mother played the role of a comforter to June during the execution. Mother took June's hand and led her, with help from the Misfit companions, into the woods. At the end of the story after shooting Grandmother, the Misfit says, "She would have been a good woman, if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life." This statement leaves the reader with the feeling that Grandmother was never silent about any of her opinions or comments no matter if the person she was talking to wanted to hear her comments or not. In "Where Have You Been, Where Are You

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