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Nobody Listened to Grandmother

 

             Sometimes we tend to ingnore other people, when they are trying to give us advice. this was the case with Bailey the son in Flannery O'Conner's short story, "A Good Man is Hard to Find." The Grandmother tried to convince Bailey to go to Tennessee, rather than Florida on their family vacation. Whether she had a premonition or she was just being controlling, is to be determined. However, if Bailey had listened to her, the family's life might have been spared.
             The grandmother could be very self-centered, controlling, talkative and burdensome. these may be reasons her son, Bailey chose not to take her advice.
             In the beginning of the story, we find the grandmother really wanted to go to East Tennessee. The narrator states that "she wanted to visit some of her connections in east Tennessee and she wasseizing at every chance to change Bailey's mind"(495). .
             The grandmother's self-centerdness once again shines throught when she insists they go off track to see an old house she wanted to see. "She knew Bailey would not be willing to lose any time looking at an old house" (500), so she showed her craftieness by enticing the grandchildren into wanting to see it. She mentioned a secret panel in the old house, knowing this would capture the attention of the children and they would also want to go see the house. She knew the children would aggrivate their father until he gave in and went where they wanted to go. after all, she had lived with them and knew how they would react.
             The grandmother could be very talkative. this probably saved her from being killed first, but also was the main reason why the family was killed. When thje accident happened and the misfit drove up, she blurted out "You're the misfit" (503). The misfit then replied "'Yes'm, but it would have been better for all of you, lady, it you hadn't of reernized me."' (503).
             She also became very talkative during the ordeal when the misfit was killing her family.


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