This paper discusses that Flannery O’Connor’s short story, “A Good Man is Hard to Find”, and the movie, “Fight Club”, directed by David Fincher, contain similar elements concerning self-realization through the premise of violence and circumstance.
This paper explains that there are significant parallels between the characters in the film and the story, including how they conduct themselves and the transitions they go through that lead to the eventual discovery of their own suppressed character aspects. The author points out that the major differences is the rationale for actions committed by the counter-characters and the character personalities that prevail. The author relates that these two works are prime examples of what people will go through to conceal what they have inhibitions about being.
“The most significant characters in these two works are the Grandmother and The Misfit of “A Good Man is Hard to Find” and the Narrator (Jack) and Tyler Durden of “Fight Club”. The Grandmother and Jack are alike in the ways that they attempt to maintain their respectable lives. The Grandmother tries to be sweet and good-natured as she feels a lady ought to be. She lightly attempts to convince her son Bailey to go to Tennessee instead of Florida by coming up with a list of reasons to change his mind, instead of exercising her authority over him as his mother. She makes no attempt to discipline her grandchildren and ignores their rude disrespectful remarks toward her. The Grandmother wishes to take her cat along, but instead of expressing her wishes to her son, she furtively conceals the cat so as not to cause a disagreement.”