Question

How do the grandmothers attempts to reason with the misfit evolve throughout their exchange and how does this connect to the theme of the text 39 points in the story "a good man is hard to find"

Answer 1

Throughout the story, the grandmother's attitude towards the Misfit changes drastically. At first she wants to stay far away from him, and doesn't want the children to go near him, but by the end, she tells him, "one of [her] own children."

Answer 2

Negotiation through divine grace

Step-by-step explanation:

In ‘A good man is hard to find’ the grandmother’s attempts evolve from logic to despair throughout her exchange with the Misfit. First, we find her trying to convince him that he is a good man ‘not a bit common’ and ‘good at heart’. During this conversation, the Misfit obliges and then reveals against the grandmother’s attempts: ‘nome, I ain’t a good man’. From then on, the grandmother’s speech and attitudes become desperate to the point of losing her voice. She brings up religion and faith as another attempt to save herself: she tries to convince him to pray because Jesus will make him a good man. Unfortunately, calling up on grace and Christian principles makes no difference in the Misfit’s behavior. She even doubts Jesus at one point: 'maybe he didn't raise the dead'. In fact, not even negotiation works for salvation: ‘I’ll give you all the money I got’.

This story portraits divine grace and salvation as two of its main themes so, the exchange between the misfit and the grandmother shows them as two sinful human beings calling up on grace to justify their behavior.