The Misfit, a Character beyond Redemption”() In Flannery O’ Connor’s short story “ A Good Man is Hard to Find,” the Misfit is a character who is interpreted as the epitome of evil. He had just escaped the federal penitentiary, and, according to the Misfit, he was incarcerated for allegedly killing his own father. He encounters afamilywho has been involved in an accident. The play culminates with the Misfit shooting and brutally murdering the grandmother after she reaches out to him.
Despite the conversation they both had about Christianity and the kindness and sympathy the grandmother showed the Misfit, he chooses to kill her; consequently, a character beyond redemption by choosing his will to do evil after all. Throughout the play, the Misfit portrays himself as a victim since he was sent to prison and punished for something he doesn’t comprehend. He explains that thedoctorin prison told him what he had done was murdered his own father but he doesn’t believe it.
By the way he speaks about his parents, calling them ” finest people in the world,” and saying that God never made a finer woman than his mother and that his father had a heart pure of gold (O’Connor 399), it makes the reader doubtful to believe if he committed the crime or not, even though there is evidence of his actions; “ However, some psychopaths would do anything to convince themselves that they did not commit a crime” (Aaron 1), but towards the end of the play one can find it harder to believe that the Misfit is actually innocent, regardless of whether he killed his own 2. ather. The most evident example for The Misfit’s guilt is how easily he ordered his accomplices to murder the family that it makes it look as if committing crimes is nothing unusual for him (Aaron 1). Furthermore, the Misfit is a character who symbolizes evil. During the play, one can deduce that he is a liberal character who is not conscious of his actions and doesn’t see anything wrong in them.
His way of not feeling any guilt of his actions, is to forget, this way any crime he commits won’t make him feel remorseful about it; for that same reason, when punished, he sees it unreasonable because he doesn’t believe that any crime deserves punishment, it is unjust and unfair and it just simply makes him feel miserable (Shmoop 1). The Misfit might know he did something wrong, but he doesn’t remember what it was, or better yet, he just doesn’t want to remember.
This leads us to believe that he simply is a psychopath who enjoys killing because it is the only thing in his life that gives him any pleasure (Shmoop 1). He certainly doesn’t seem to accept what he was accused off and feel as if his actions didn’t deserved the punishment he received, ” I never was a bad boy that I remember of, but somewhere along the line I done something wrong and got sent to the penitentiary.
I was buried alive” (O’Connor 401). O’Connor uses the Misfit as a character beyond redemption. We all know he was not a good person; it is seen by how he rationalizes his actions, even the murder of innocent children. As human beings we are the only ones responsible for our choices and actions and have free will to do anything we desire. We are capable of doing good, but we are just as capable of doing evil.
