Definition of a “Good Man”

I have an aunt who has very close relationships with my family, because when my mother was young she once managed to save my mother’ life.  My aunt has a lot of men around her, but there are few of those she can define as “good men”. It should be mentioned that no one wants to be called “a good man” by her. The reason for that is that is the definition of the “good man” in my aunt’s vocabulary which implies that this person should do something good for her or listen to her. A Good Man Is Hard to Find is the story written by Flannery O’Connor. It tells about how a grandma persuaded her family to go to Tennessee instead of Florida, and then the whole family was killed by a dangerous criminal named “The Misfit”. During her family trip, the grandma met two different types of people; however, she defined both of them as “good men”. Both my aunt and the grandma from the story use the definition of “a good man” in order to get what they want. Moreover, for them a person can be called “a good man” if he can do something good for them.

In O’Connor’s story, grandma’s family stopped at the Tower to eat sandwiches. They met a fat man named Red Sammy, who was the owner. He came up to them and told grandma a story about how he had given free gasoline to two fellows with an old beat-up car the previous week; he told that he did not know why he had done that. The grandma said the reason was he was “a good man” (O’Connor 378). The grandma met Red Sammy for the first time; and she thought he was a “good man” just because he had told her a story. She decided that a person was good on the basis of an interesting story she had listened. That is why she resembles for me my aunt who is a similar type of person. When my father and my mother got married my aunt was really happy. She knew that my father was very rich, so she told everyone, “I could tell he is a “good man” when I first met him, and I am sure he will be a good husband and a good father.” My aunt has never dated with my father, and she was not the one who married him. I think she decided that my father is a “good man” only because she knew that my father was very rich. My aunt wants to get money, so seeing that my father had money she defined him as “a good man”.

Best Essay Writing Services

Need Custom Written Paper? We'll Write an essay from scratch according to your instructions

Plagiarism Free

Prices From Only $11.99/Page

Call now Order now Start chat

In the story, a grandma wants her family to follow her idea. She tells a lie to her family and she wants to persuade everyone to go to the plantation. After the Tower, they get outside of Toombsboro.  The grandma starts recalling an old plantation, and she tells her family how beautiful it was when she was a young lady and could visit that place. “She knew that Bailey would not be willing to lose any time looking at an old house, but the more she talked about it, the more she wanted to see it” (O’Connor 379); in addition, she lies that there was a secret panel and that makes her grandchildren really excited. Being the only person who wants to go to the plantation, the grandma does not tell the truth in order to persuade everyone to accompany her, thinking that it is good for her to go to the plantation. My aunt always does the same thing as the grandma from the story. It was a similar situation when I was eight years old and my parents were going to buy a new house in the countryside. My parents believed that living in the countryside was beneficial as I could get a better environment; besides, the price for the houses was lower there than that in the city, so my parents could buy a bigger house at the same price as they could get downtown for a little one. In addition, my parents could have a pet in the countryside house.

One night, my aunt came to see us and have dinner with us. My mother told her about the family house plan because she respected my aunt and wanted to share her joy with her. When my aunt got to know the news, she started giving her own opinion and advice.

“Listen to me, Bai (that is my mother’s nickname which my aunt uses at home). You have said you are planning to buy a new house in the countryside, but it is completely crazy.” My aunt looked around and suddenly she said loudly, “I have been living in the countryside for more than forty years, and I know everything about it.” She kept quiet for a second and then she said: “Living in the countryside is a very bad decision, because there are no supermarkets around and transportation is terrible. Besides, if you buy a house downtown, I can come to you and go to the supermarket every day.” My aunt told a lot about how bad it is to live in the countryside, but I know that she was just tired of living in the countryside, so she tried to persuade my parents to buy an apartment downtown. She knew that their house downtown will be good for her, not for them.

It the end, my parents bought a house in a busy downtown.

The behavior and attitude of my aunt and the grandma from the story affect two families. Because of my aunt, my parents bought a house downtown. The grandma from the story was so selfish that she caused the death of the whole family. At the beginning of the story, her family wanted to go to Tennessee instead of Florida and they changed their minds because of her. Besides, she recognized “The Misfit” and that got her whole family into trouble.

When my aunt got to know that my parents had bought a house downtown, she very happy. Then, my aunt told all the members of my family and her friends that Bai (my mother) had a good husband, he was “a good man”. My aunt called my father “a good man” because he had bought a house downtown as she wanted.

The grandma in the story and my aunt use a definition of “a good man” in different situations. My aunt defined my farther as “a good man” because my father was very rich and he had bought a house where she had wanted him to. On the other hand, the grandma in the story defines a person as “a good man” if that person tells an interesting story to her. The definitions of “a good man” of my aunt and the grandma in the story are different; however, they have something in common; “a good man” should give them what they want. A good man is hard to find because no one wants to be somebody’s puppet.