Good Man is Hard To Find

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Name_________________________________ Date_______

“A Good Man is Hard to Find”

Question Directions: For each, answer in complete sentences, giving support from the story and explain your answer where necessary.

1. How does the grandmother’s early apprehensions about the trip to Florida foreshadow the major crisis in the story?

2. What does the grandmother’s relationship to her family tell us about her personality?

3. If the old woman had kept her mouth shut, not revealing that she recognized The Misfit, would the family be alive at the end of the story? Or did The Misfit intend to kill all the family

members when he pulled up alongside their car?

4. What does the grandmother say to the Misfit to try to convince him not to kill her? Does the conversation alter his viewpoints in any way?

5. What has The Misfit’s life been like? Why was he put in jail? He says he kills for pleasure. Is there another reason?

6. Explain the problem the Misfit has with Jesus. How is his religious conviction different from the grandmother’s?

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Name: Date:

“A Good Man is Hard to Find” Quiz

1) Who is the main character in the story?

2) Who is The Misfit?

3) Describe the events that lead to the car accident.

4) What happens to Bailey and John Wesley?

5) What is the grandmother’s argument to the Misfit to try to convince him to spare her life? Does it work?

Name: Date:

“A Good Man is Hard to Find” Quiz

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“A Good Man is Hard to Find”

Discussion Questions

KEY

1) How does the grandmother’s early apprehensions about the trip to Florida foreshadow the major crisis in the story?

She claims she doesn’t want to go to Florida because the Misfit, an escaped convict, is “aloose” in that direction. This foreshadows the fact the family will meet and be killed by the Misfit.

2) What does the grandmother’s relationship to her family tell us about her personality?

Her family doesn’t seem to like her very much. The kids make fun of her and her son doesn’t listen to her.

3) If the old woman had kept her mouth shut, not revealing that she

recognized The Misfit, would the family be alive at the end of the story? Or did The Misfit intend to kill all the family members when he pulled up alongside their car?

Answers may vary. One clue is that they got out of the car carrying guns. It’s likely that they intended to kill the family as soon as they saw them.

4) What does the grandmother say to the Misfit to try to convince him not to kill her? Does the conversation alter his viewpoints in any way?

She hopes that he won’t “shoot a lady,” and tells him that he is a “good man” and comes from “good people.” She tells him to pray to Jesus. It doesn’t work, because he kills her anyway.

5) What has The Misfit’s life been like? Why was he put in jail? He says he kills for pleasure. Is there another reason?

He was put in jail for a crime that he denies committing. He says it’s because they had “papers” on him, which he probably couldn’t read. However, he had probably committed other crimes than the one he was arrested for. He seems to enjoy killing because he doesn’t see anything wrong with it. Although he knows it’s against the law, it doesn’t go against his own morals.

6) Explain the problem the Misfit has with Jesus. How is his religious conviction different from the grandmother’s?

The Misfit isn’t sure if Jesus raised the dead or performed any miracles. He feels that if Jesus did that, then He was right about heaven, and The Misfit should follow Him and live a Christian life. However, The Misfit doubts Jesus and follows his own set of morals. The grandmother claims to be very religious and tells The Misfit to pray, but she has a moment of doubt before she is killed.

7) How do The Misfit’s final words illustrate his attitude toward the events of the afternoon?

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moment of grace with the grandmother and changes his mind to say, “It’s no real pleasure in life.” He has been changed by the grandmother and no longer enjoys killing.

8) What is the role of chance or fate in the story?

Many of the events seems to be the result of either chance or fate. The fact that the family ended up stranded on the very same road where they would meet the escaped convict they had read about seems as if they were fated to meet him and their deaths. Since The Misfit was changed by the interaction, perhaps it was his fate to meet the grandmother. Or maybe it’s just a big coincidence.

“A Good Man is Hard to Find” Quiz

KEY

The grandmother

An escaped convict/murderer.

The grandmother convinced the children to see an old plantation house that was nearby, but then realized that it was in a different state. She accidently kicked the box containing her cat, which jumped only Baily’s neck and caused the crash.

4) What happens to Bailey and John Wesley?

They are shot by The Misfit’s partners.