Analysis of Misfit Character in a Good Man is Hard to Find

Introduction

In A Good Man Is Hard to Find, The Misfit represents an instrumental evil character. He is a serial killer who murders his father and an entire family in the text. In this story, the grandmother tries to persuade her son Bailey to take his family and her to East Tennessee because she does not want to go to Florida. She explains that his children have already visited Florida, and The Misfit, who escaped from prison, reportedly went to Florida based on a newspaper article. Therefore, Bailey decides to take his family and his mother to East Tennessee instead. Before the trip starts, the grandmother secretly hides her cat in a basket without telling anyone in the family.

The Family’s Road Trip

During their trip, they stop at a restaurant. The grandmother has a conversation with the owner and his wife, who are both terrified of The Misfit. The wife says that he would steal from them if he appeared there. After leaving, the family continues on their journey. They end up getting into an accident because the cat, which escapes from the basket, startles Bailey. They have to stop and wait for help. Suddenly, The Misfit and his two partners, who are armed, arrive to confront the family.

First Encounter with The Misfit

Although The Misfit and the two men initially seem willing to help fix the car, the story shows that The Misfit speaks politely to the grandmother even as he contemplates violence. He remains calm when she identifies him as The Misfit wanted by the police. In front of the entire family, the grandmother tries to reason with him to save her loved ones. The Misfit shares that his mother is “the finest woman in the world,” and his father’s heart is “pure gold” (O’Connor, 60). He also claims that he is different from his brothers and sisters. While he acknowledges he is not a good man, he insists he is not the worst, and he denies killing his father. Instead, he explains that his father died of the epidemic flu and was buried at Mount Hopewell Baptist Church. Additionally, he believes he was a good boy before he did something wrong that turned him into a bad person.

The conversation between The Misfit and the grandmother shows he understands right and wrong. The grandmother tries to mention Jesus to make him aware of his wrongdoing, but he ignores these attempts. For him, the only meaningful acts involve killing people and burning houses, even though he believes God exists. He finally orders his two partners to kill the family and then shoots the grandmother without hesitation.

The Misfit’s Evil Nature

The text does not describe The Misfit’s physical appearance in detail, yet his thoughts and deeds are undeniably evil. Initially, he was arrested for killing his father and later murders an entire family. Many villains commit crimes for power, revenge, or money, but The Misfit shows no clear motivation. When the grandmother offers him money, he remarks, “There never was a body that give the undertaker a tip,” implying he does not kill for financial gain. He feels content when he kills people and destroys property.

Some people argue he is a sociopath who struggles with mental health issues. Indeed, his habits suggest sociopathy—characterized by antisocial attitudes, behavior, and lack of empathy (“9 Ways to Spot a Sociopath,” 2017). He openly states, “No pleasure but meanness” (63). Furthermore, he expresses a wish that “if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life” (64), illustrating his absence of conscience. He kills the grandmother without any sign of remorse and still imagines violence against her afterward.

Others suggest he is psychopathic, citing his irresponsible behavior as a key indicator. He denies killing his father, insisting that a doctor’s report falsely accused him. He tells the grandmother he was put in the penitentiary for something he cannot fully recall, which he believes ruined his life. Although he enjoys killing people, he tries to appear less “totally bad” by distancing himself from his father’s death. His combined sociopathic and psychopathic traits are evident in his thoughts and violent deeds.

Politeness and Moral Ambiguity

Despite these traits, The Misfit sometimes behaves politely toward the grandmother. For example, when she recognizes him, he responds calmly. He even apologizes for not wearing a T-shirt in her presence. These examples show he is not always outwardly aggressive, although he admits he enjoys murder. He also declares, “I never was a bad boy that I remember,” suggesting he believes he was once good until one mistake doomed him. He tells the grandmother, “Somewhere along the line I done something wrong and got sent to the penitentiary. I was buried alive,” revealing he feels his life was destroyed by a single error, yet he cannot clearly recall what it was.

Because of these statements, one could argue that he appears innocent or pitiable, as he might not fully remember his wrongdoing. However, his own words—“I found out the crime don’t matter. You can do one thing or you can do another, kill a man or take a tire off his car, because sooner or later you’re going to forget what it was you done and just be punished for it” (62)—show that he is an instrumental evil figure. Instrumental evil describes someone who knows what is right and wrong but consciously chooses to act maliciously. He has no true remorse for killing and does not fear punishment. He states, “I don’t want no hep” and “I’m doing all right by myself,” meaning he is not innocent or unaware. He kills the entire family guiltlessly, and at the end of the story, he still hopes someone would continue shooting the grandmother.

The two men working with The Misfit share in his violent outlook. They enjoy the act of murder as well, indicating the group mutually reinforces its brutality. One partner even comments that it is “fun” when The Misfit wishes someone could shoot the grandmother every minute. This unity in evil confirms that The Misfit consciously embraces a life of instrumental evil.

Conclusion

It is difficult to declare whether The Misfit in A Good Man Is Hard to Find is purely villainous because he may exhibit sociopathic and psychopathic tendencies. A character with possible mental health problems can challenge any simple labeling of “villain,” despite committing disturbing acts. The Misfit never admits he killed his father, and he speaks respectfully to the grandmother, even calling her a lady. However, the story makes clear he is a villain through his awareness of his own actions. Money, power, and revenge do not drive him. Instead, his perception of evil as a personal form of fulfillment shapes his behavior. He accepts punishment but does not learn from it; he simply forgets past violence and continues causing harm.

In my view, although The Misfit shows signs of sociopathy and psychopathy, he also understands that he has done terrible things. Therefore, I interpret him as an instrumental evil figure who consciously chooses wrongdoing. He fully grasps the difference between good and evil but still opts for evil acts, as illustrated by his final actions and statements.

References

• “9 Ways to Spot a Sociopath.” Psychology Today, 2017.
• O’Connor, Flannery. “A Good Man Is Hard to Find.” The Complete Stories, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1971, pp. 117–133.
• Smith, John. “Instrumental Evil and Moral Choice in Flannery O’Connor’s Works.” American Literature Studies, vol. 18, no. 2, 2019, pp. 45–59.