A Brief Introduction to Violence and Symbolism in A Good Man Is Hard to Find

Abstract

A Good Man is Hard to Find is one of the most important representative works of Flannery O'Connor, a famous American female Southern writer. As the prophet of the south world, with her crafty plot imagination talents, Flannery O’Connor composed lot of attractive stories and tried to induce the degenerated individuals in the south to know the truth of their faith and persuade the perplexed sheep to seek salvation from the almighty love of God. In this story, the characteristics reflected in the novel, the decline of belief and morality, and the loss of faith can be found everywhere, and that has attracted more and more attention of literary critics. What is more, O'Connor 's rich and profound symbolism, not only predicts the end of the story and the fate of the characters step by step but also conveys the author's general understanding and experience of religion, reality and humanity. This thesis will analyze the text of A Good Man is Hard to Find, exploring the underlying causes of malformation and violence, the symbolism usage, the crisis of the loss of religion in the south, and the way to achieve salvation through Jesus. In conclusion, there are some suggestions on how to eliminate crimes and enhance the social harmony.