Flannery O'Connor's short story "A Good Man is Hard to Find", is an example of Southern Gothic literature. According to Dictionary.com, this style is defined as "a literary genre depicting life in the American South and featuring grotesque themes and images", or according to Professor Lupold Moody of the University of Montana, "In order to To be Southern Gothic, the story must be set in the American South and have Gothic characteristics (supernatural, ironic, or unusual events often drive the plot) that generally attempt to explore social and cultural character of the South". In this story, what begins as the tale of a family planning a trip to Florida and the description of that trip once they leave their home in Georgia, ends with the grisly death of all this family The inherent qualities of Southern Gothic literature are fully realized in this work Rather than a short story written simply as a quick read with a shocking ending, this story, upon closer analysis, highlights the flaws of the human race and. people’s capacity for change. Foreshadowing and characterization are two literary devices used effectively by O'Conner in his short story "A Good Man is Hard to Find", not only to create suspense, but also to reveal the weaknesses of the human race while giving a little hope that people are capable of change. Foreshadowing can be an effective way to help a reader reach a conclusion or prepare them for an inevitable outcome, and in this story the author also uses this technique to introduce the reader to certain unfavorable characters. The foreshadowing is evident even after a single reading of his story. Early in the story, the technique is used to allude that this family might encounter problems as they discuss going on vacation...... middle of paper ...... grace or change for the grandmother and The Misfit stands. even more at the end. The foreshadowing helped the reader understand that bad things could happen, but it was a surprise to discover that the grandmother, who extols her Southern ideals and religious morals to others throughout the journey, ultimately surrenders realizes that his way is not the only one. O'Connor's story has been analyzed in many ways. For example, religious themes, imagery, and irony are all part of this story; however, without O'Connor's use of foreshadowing and skillful handling of characters, it would be a completely different narrative. This is a complex story with complex themes, and O'Connor's specific use of two literary elements in particular helps to highlight the characters' weaknesses as well as their capacity for change, no matter how slight...