A Good Man is Hard to Find

I am a big fan of Flannery O’Connor’s writing and of the Southern Gothic style of writing. O’Conner’s choice of words are specific to her story and the underlining meaning she has running through out her stories.

In “A Good Man is Hard to find”, O’Connor’s choice of how she names her characters is very interesting and reveals more to us a reader subtly than spelling everything out in regards to a characters personality. It is a very sophisticated way to write. An example is that of the Grandmother, she is not given a name this trivializes her and almost shows the lack of respect the other family members have for her. Giving the son a name, does not however on the other hand give him more authority it however shows the Grandmothers relationship with her Son. By naming him “Bailey” and not Mr. Smith, emphasizes the theme that he is the Grandmothers child and her “only boy”. This choice of words “only boy” shows that Bailey is most important to this woman. We start out with the Grandmothers selfish manipulative intentions from the begging. O’Conner writes, “The Grandmother didn’t want to go to Florida. She wanted to visits some of her connection” (O’Connor). The choice of “She wanted” is significant showing the Grandmothers selfishness, when she tries to manipulate her son’s family to go to Tennessee instead of Florida my trying to scar them with the felon. The Grandmother continues, “I wouldn’t take my children in any direction with a criminal…I couldn’t answer to my conscience if I did”(O’Conner). The use of the word conscience is to show the irony between the truth behind the Grandmothers true motives and her fake concern for her family. Also the irony in the Titles itself, the Grandmother does not once see her self as a dishonest person she focuses on Men, when throughout the story it is she with selfish motives.

Beginning

Julie Borrego

English 48a

Journal for Native American Contact and Conflicts

“I am your Maker of mankind; and because I love you, you must do my will. The land on which you live I have made for you, and not for others.”

Summary: This quote is from the “Speech at Detroit”, where Pontiac is speaking of his vision, of how they must fight to remove the whites off their lands.

My Ideas: I find Pontiac using their “God” to justify the war against the whites similar to the whites claiming that their “God” had given them the New Worlds land. However I do not blame the Ottawa Indian for wanting to join forces with other tribes to defend their land. They had no other choice. As I read the other accounts, the Natives did at first some, accepted the White people and tried to live with them peacefully, but I always ends up with the Whites demanding more land and more of the Natives, to the point that they are forcing the Natives off their own land.

I also find it sad that some of the speeches and stories may not be exactly true and may have been interpretation by the person who is writing the stories down wrong. It is sad that a whole culture had no real written documentation.

Another thing I find interesting is how the Natives who assimilated into the white culture took on white names. So there could be traceability, eventually to their tribe by their distant relatives.

As I read this I think of my Great Grandmother who was Choctaw, and the only reason why we know this is because of a distant uncle. We do not have any documentation; as for sure she wanted to keep it under wraps. But as you look at pictures she was Native American. We just do not have any connection to the tribe, because she had to keep it a secret and that make me sad.

Julie Borrego
English 48a
Journal for Iroquois Creation Story


“…he formed two images of the dust of the ground in his own likeness, male and female, and by his breathing into their nostrils he gave them the living souls, and named them…)

Summary: This is the how the “good mind” created humans.

My Ideas: I find this similarity to the Christian creation story very interesting, where there were two people, a man and women who were made in the image of their creator. Iroquois creation story has more detail about the land and animals as well as humans. Also the fact that the Iroquois believed in spirit world is another interesting fact to me.

I cannot help but think of how when they would tell this story to their children, how their people “created” looked as they do. And how disturbing to find people of different colors invading your homes. This would no less make you question your belief system.

Julie Borrego

English 48a

Journal for De Vaca

“They have a strange custom when acquaintances meet or occasionally visit, of weeping for half an hour before they speak.”

Summary: De Vaca is describing a custom of the Natives crying when they meet after sometime.

My Ideas: The above quote make me wonder if this custom is not what De Vaca, truly interpreted as considering he did not know their language. And that is how I feel regarding his whole interpretation, it is just that an interpretation of what he had experienced. It is hard for me to take his accounts for fact.

It is very confusing for me that in the end he would lead the Spanish to the Natives after he had lived with them for some long. They had befriended him it is very sad. But he may have been a situation where he had no choice. However some where along the way the Natives were not the only one’s betrayed…maybe the Spanish promised that they would not take, De Vaca’s group, as long as they provided food because they were starving. He could have been so naïve because he had been a way from Whites for so long.

Julie Borrego
English 48a
Journal for Christopher Columbus

"... by proclamation made and with royal standard unfurled, and no opposition was offered me."

"..found an infinity of small hamlets and people with out number, but nothing of importance."

Summary: Here Columbus is stating that he received no opposition to him and his armada taking position of the land.


My Ideas:

While I read Columbus’s account of taking over the natives and their land I was infuriated, with the audacity of Columbus thinking that he could take another human and own them.

Then I think that I have no Idea what they were thinking and really I have not right to judge. He may have thought he had to do something in order to keep his head. Not that it justifies his actions, but it might explain his need to show the crown that this land was of importance and that his voyage was not in vein.

I find it interesting that his own Gov. turned against him, when he was a celebrity of sorts. Its that old saying, that we love to see them fall.

I wonder, with the raping of the Native women and the abuse they endured, were all the European men some sort of sociopaths, were they all sick in the head? Why didn't they find their actions wrong at anytime. I know a few did stand up against the mistreatment of the Natives. When these were Men of God, how could they rape the women and abuse the Natives let alone, taking them as if they were animals and selling them.

I just can not wrap my head around it.

Julie Borrego
English 48a
Journal for William Bradford

"Thus it please God to Vanquish their enemies, and give them deliverance..."


"All this while the Indians came skulking about them"



Summary: In this quote Bradford state that they are superior therefore God protected them.


While reading Bradford, what I noticed is that they never once gave thanks to the fact that the Natives saved their lives. They were not grateful once. They only give thanks to God, and this further reinforces their belief that they are superior than others and they are the chosen people.

I always knew that Thanks Giving was a hoax, but I never really had a chance to sit down and read how mistreated the Native Americans were.
The arrogance of the Whites to come to a country, that did belong to other people and claim it as their own is so very depressing and they too it over at times, very militantly

They were not humble in their invasion but believed that it was the Will of God. This is the good example of using religion to feel superior.

If God was a truly a loving God and loved all his children as it states in the Bible, why when two Football teams are praying for a win would he grant one team to win over the other.

Julie Borrego
English 48a
Journal for Anne Bradstreet


"I have had great experience of God's hearing my prayers and returning comfortable answers to me, either in granting the thing I prayed for, or else in satisfying my mind without."

"This was written in much sickness and weakness, and is very weakley and imperfectly done, but if you pick any benefit out of it, it is the mark which I aimed at."







Summary: I thought this line was so well written, that God does hot alway answer your prayers but he will help you realize that you didn't need them answered.

I found it interesting that in her letter to her children she did not, tell them how much she loved them just spoke of her religion and how to be a good christian. Her poetry was so much more filled with emotion than the letter she wrote her children on her death bed.


When I think of puritans I think of unhappy people not capable of smiling. They were afraid of all feelings and did not acknowledge them, but that is really all I knew of them or thought I knew.

Bradstreet opened my eyes to the puritans as people. Her poetry is beautiful and so very honest.

After I read Bradstreet, I was so surprised to read how much she loved her Husband and how honest she was regarding her fears of childbirth. I didn’t know that puritans even expressed their love.

Her poetry put a more of human perspective on puritan women for me. They had fears and hopes. Loved their children and husband.

But that is really all I can say, she wrote beautiful poetry. I have to say that it was not moving or filled me with emotion.