EVIL The Grandmother in Flannery O'Connor's "A Goodman is Hard to Find", fears death. She hopes to c
onvince the Misfit to spare her by begging and telling him that he is a good man and should find Jes
us. While the Misfit, who is a convicted murderer, seems to regret murdering the grandmother. In Edg
ar Allan Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado", Fortunato the fool also fears his impending death at the h
and of the evil Montresor who had borne "The thousand injuries of Fortunato" (Poe 206). But Fortuna
to had finally gone too far by insulting him. Montresor is unwavering in his pursuit to get revenge
on Fortunato. His evil is powered by his pride and his time honoured family motto. The grandmother
fears her impending death and is not prepared for it. She believes that she can delay her death by
pleading to the Misfit, but her counter-arguments to his complaints are trivial and sound like all
purpose memorized responses. She tells The Misfit that "You could be honest too if you'd only try...
Think how wonderful it would be to settle down and live a comfortable life and not have to think abo
ut somebody chasing you all the time." (O'Connor 202). When she hears that he went to prison, she sa
ys "That's when you should have started to pray" (O'Connor 203). She goes on encouraging him to beli
eve in God and to pray, but it becomes clear that she is doing so only in hopes of saving her own li
fe. The grandmother humbled herself and lost the pretenses of her shallow beliefs when confronted w
ith death. If she had been confronted with death every day of her life she would have been a better
person. The Misfit is mentally disturbed and justifies his lifestyle by saying that "crime doesn't
matter... sooner or later you're going to forget what it was you done and just be punished for it" (
O' Connor 203)." He may not have wanted to kill the family at first but the grandmother recognized h
im. "But it would have been better for all of you, lady, if you hadn't of reckernized me" (O'Connor
201). The grandmother made the biggest mistake of her life by recognizing the Misfit aloud. She s
ays "You wouldn't shoot a lady, would you?" His reply to this is "I would hate to have to" (O'Conno
r 201). In the end the Misfit's had this to say about the grandmother, "She would have been a good
woman if someone had been there to shoot her every minute of her life" (O'Connor 205). This shows th
at he grasps what he has done and therefore shows that there must be a reason other then reflex surp
rise for her shooting. The Misfit might have regretted killing the Grandmother. Before he kills the
Grandmother, he states that there is "No pleasure but meanness" But after he kills her he says "It'
s no real pleasure in life" (O'Connor 205). This change is attitude suggests that he is unhappy with
having killed her. Yet in between these remarks lie his statement "She would have been a good woman
..." (O'Connor 205). Which suggests that he thought what he did was a good thing. Montresor is Poe's
evil narrator who vows revenge on Fortunato not for the many injuries that Fortunato has caused him
but for an insult. His motivation for murder is powered by his pride, which stems from his time-ho
nored family motto: "Nemo me impune lacessit" or "No one harms me unpunished" (Poe 208). He pretend
s to be Fortunato's friend from the beginning to the end of the story. Baiting him with a pipe of a
montillado that he says he bought and fears that he was cheated. Fortunato considers himself a conn
oisseur of wine and insists that he be the one to test it and not Luchresi. Montresor says in the b
eginning that he "must not only punish but punish with impunity" (Poe 206). During the trip in the
catacombs Montresor gives Fortunato more then one opportunity to return to the surface. He cites hi
s cough, and says that he will be missed. Montresor continually jokes with Fortunato, hinting at hi
s impending doom, but Fortunato doesn't see it coming. After Fortunato is chained to the wall Montr
esor decides to have some fun with him. He asks him again if he would like to return to the surface,
but the most disturbing part of all this is when Fortunato tries to fight his way out of the chains
. "I heard the vibrations of the chain...during which, that I might hearken to it with the more sat
isfaction, I ceased my labors and sat down upon the bones" (Poe 209). When Fortunato yells from his
crypt Montresor hesitates but replies by yelling back to mock him. Like the carnival Montresor is
truly in a moment of "supreme madness" (Poe 206). In the end Montresor mentions that his "heart gre
w sick" (Poe 210). He attributes this to the dampness of the catacombs and not remorse. It seems fit
ting that Fortunato is wearing a Jesters costume, because in the end he does play the fool. Montres
or baits Fortunato by using his weakness, the love of wine. Another weakness he displays is his ego
and Montresor knows this. It doesn't take much for him to be baited into sampling his supposed new
ly acquired pipe of amontillado. During the trip in the catacombs Montresor compels him many times t
o return to the surface because of his cold, but Fortunato being drunk and a fool wants to be the on
e to sample the amontillado. He fails to understand the foreshadowing that Montresor provides him wi
th the mason's trowel, even when he asks about the Montresor coat of arms. "A huge human foot d'or,
in a field azure; the foot crushes a serpent rampant whose fangs are imbedded in the heel" (Poe 208
). He must not have realized how serious Montresor takes his pride. When he finally has him chained
to the wall he is very shocked. His disbelief that his friend lured him to his death leaves him pra
ctically speechless. He quickly sobers up and begins to moan and cry, then to pull at the chains tr
ying to escape then in a last ditch effort he begins to scream. Either in hopes that someone would
hear him and come to his rescue or upon the realization that he is about to die. He knows that this
is no joke, but he gives Montresor a chance at redemption by pretending that it is. Unfortunately
whatever insult Fortunato had given, it leads to his demise. In the end all he can do is beg for hi
s life. "For the love of God, Montresor" (Poe 210). The grandmother and Fortunato can only beg for
their lives when confronted with the evil people that will end their lives. The grandmother shows h
er shallow religious values and Fortunato doesn't really understand why Montresor is doing this but
knows that he is serious. Montresor is driven by insult and family pride. He must exact revenge on
Fortunato with impunity. The Misfit seems to just be disturbed, killing the grandmother in the end
while feeling remorse and maybe pleasure that he had to kill her but she would have been a better p
erson if confronted with death every moment of her life.
Works Cited Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Cask o
f Amontillado." ENE 101: Literature and Composition I Course Reader. Kingston: Royal Military Colle
ge of Canada, Division of Continuing Studies, 2001. 206-210. O'Connor, Flannery. "A Goodman is Hard
to Find." ENE 101: Literature and Composition I Course Reader. Kingston: Royal Military College of
Canada, Division of Continuing Studies, 2001. 194-205. evil grandmother flannery connor goodman har
d find fears death hopes convince misfit spare begging telling that good should find jesus while mis
fit convicted murderer seems regret murdering grandmother edgar allan cask amontillado fortunato foo
l also fears impending death hand evil montresor borne thousand injuries fortunato fortunato finally
gone insulting montresor unwavering pursuit revenge evil powered pride time honoured family motto g
randmother fears impending death prepared believes that delay pleading misfit counter arguments comp
laints trivial sound like purpose memorized responses tells that could honest only think wonderful w
ould settle down live comfortable life have think about somebody chasing time connor when hears went
prison says when should have started pray connor goes encouraging believe pray becomes clear doing
only hopes saving life humbled herself lost pretenses shallow beliefs when confronted with been conf
ronted with every life would have been better person mentally disturbed justifies lifestyle saying c
rime doesn matter sooner later going forget what done just punished wanted kill family first recogni
zed would been better lady hadn reckernized made biggest mistake recognizing aloud says wouldn shoot
lady reply this hate this about good woman someone there shoot every minute this shows grasps what
done therefore shows there must reason other then reflex surprise shooting might regretted killing b
efore kills states there pleasure meanness after kills says real pleasure change attitude suggests u
nhappy with having killed between these remarks statement good woman which suggests thought what thi
ng montresor narrator vows revenge many injuries caused insult motivation murder powered pride which
stems from time honored family motto nemo impune lacessit harms unpunished pretends friend from beg
inning story baiting pipe amontillado bought cheated considers himself connoisseur wine insists test
luchresi beginning must only punish punish impunity during trip catacombs gives more then opportuni
ty return surface cites cough will missed continually jokes hinting impending doom doesn coming afte
r chained wall decides some asks again like return surface most disturbing part tries fight chains h
eard vibrations chain during which might hearken more satisfaction ceased labors down upon bones yel
ls from crypt hesitates replies yelling back mock like carnival truly moment supreme madness mention
s heart grew sick attributes dampness catacombs remorse seems fitting wearing jesters costume becaus
e does play fool baits using weakness love wine another weakness displays knows doesn take much bait
ed into sampling supposed newly acquired pipe amontillado during trip catacombs compels many times r
eturn surface because cold being drunk fool wants sample fails understand foreshadowing provides mas
on trowel even asks about coat arms huge human foot field azure foot crushes serpent rampant whose f
angs imbedded heel must realized serious takes pride finally chained wall very shocked disbelief fri
end lured leaves practically speechless quickly sobers begins moan then pull chains trying escape la
st ditch effort begins scream either hopes someone hear come rescue upon realization knows joke give
s chance redemption pretending unfortunately whatever insult given leads demise love their lives con
fronted people will their lives shows shallow religious values really understand doing knows serious
driven insult exact revenge impunity seems just disturbed killing while feeling remorse maybe pleas
ure kill better person every moment works cited edgar allan cask literature composition course reade
r kingston royal military college canada division continuing studies flannery goodman hard find lite
rature composition course reader kingston royal military college canada division continuing studiesE
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