Flannery, Byrd, Gautreaux

A Good Man is Hard to Find is a story that I would not particularly classify as southern gothic though I can see how it could be. If you go a few shades lighter in southern gothics classification binder you will come across religion and morals. As someone who was raised southern you follow the rules, do not make trouble, care for others, worry about yourself, mind your manners. The plot of the story is the grandmother wanted to go someplace else for vacation other than where her family was going. She added a few conniving twists to try to get her way and caused for her and her whole family to get killed.

 It was brought up in class that Flannery is a very religious person but tries to call out flaws in other religions through her stories.

Side line is that the grandmother in the story was oh so holy but was still worried about something she should not have been worried about. Instead of worrying about the killers well-being she should have been worried about the fact that he was about to kill her.

Maybe the author should worry about her own faith instead of worrying about other religions. I doubt her faith tolerates judgment of others.

William Byrd spoke of his religion in the secret of the dividing line. Though he may or may not have been writing every day of his life journey a journal.

Now out of the nine or so authors we read in class Flannery and Byrd were more of the two who were wildly religious in their writing. Now I am sure Gains, Wright, and Poe have added their own religious points of view into their writings, but not so much in the few stories we read.

In a way you could add Gautreaux’s Idols in the mix with Flannery and Byrd. The aspect of religion was not up front in Idols but one could argue there was a certain religious back story. Both men chose selfishness and became unhappy; there was also the tattoo of Jesus as a symbol. Perhaps the story has a religious and moral back splash. Odie and his wife divorced because, of unknown reasons and, because of his tattoos. They were ‘idols’ from his past. Forgive and forget/do not dwell on the past. The narrator (Julien?) and his wife divorced because he refused to change his stubborn ways and refused to get a higher paying job. Odie realized he wanted to be with his wife so he began to change his ways, thus accepting a new beginning with god and his wife. The narrator, on the other hand, chose to be stagnant and thus allowing no room for faith or good praises to go his way.

Flannery

-strongly religious

-views other religions poorly

-Judgmental

-makes money off of writing negatively of others religious flaws

Byrd     

- Strongly religious

                -takes pride in accomplishments

                -accepts flaws, mishaps, tragedies as Gods handy work

Gautreaux

                -possibly judgmental

                -treat others as you want to be treated

                -be grateful for what you have

-put others before you

-accept change; have faith