Question

How does the reader know that the grandmother is of the mindset of the Old South? Select all that apply.

by the language she uses to describe the African American boy

She is very concerned with how she appears to others.

She is open to new ways of thinking.

She has traveled far and learned about new cultures.

Answer 1

Based on the story "A good man is hard to find", I'd say:

By the language she uses to describe the African American boy AND because she is very concerned with how she appears to others.

Answer 2

The answer is (B.) and (A.)

An example of this is the character of the grandmother and the concepts of good and evil. A seemingly obvious interpretation would be that The Misfit, who is a murderer, is evil, and the grandmother, who dresses well and goes to church to pray, is good.

O'Connor suggests that the grandmother, though selfish and self-serving, is having a genuine moment of connection with The Misfit and thinks he can be a good person. Maybe for a moment she cares more about someone else aside from herself.

This question of good and evil is the root of the story and is very characteristic of the Southern gothic tradition. It is important to think about whether or not the obvious evil in the story is what O'Connor wants the reader to focus on. Perhaps through the grandmother's words and actions, we see that the evil lies in the ways that bigotry and prejudice can still manifest itself in the world today.