The Misfit

Outer characterization

The Misfit is an important character in Flannery O’Connor’s short story “A Good Man Is Hard to Find”. Just as with the grandmother, we do not know his true name, only the name he gives himself. His physical description is quite detailed: “His hair was just beginning to gray and he wore silver-rimmed spectacles that gave him a scholarly look. He had a long creased face” (ll. 286-288). We also learn that without his glasses the Misfit’s eyes are “defenseless looking” (l. 493). When he meets the grandmother and her family, he “didn’t have on any shirt or undershirt. He had on blue jeans that were too tight for him and was holding a black hat and a gun” (ll. 288-289). After Bailey is killed, he puts on Bailey’s shirt, “a yellow sport shirt with bright blue parrots” (ll. 265-266).

The Misfit is a convict, escaped from “the Federal Pen” (l. 8). It is unclear why he was in prison. The Misfit hints that it could have been for the death of his father (l. 416), but quickly states that it is not true, since his father died of the flu (l. 417). According to the Misfit, he comes from a good family (ll. 327-328), although he also hints that his father also committed crimes, even though he was never caught (ll. 378-379). The Misfit also claims he has had various jobs and has been married twice:

‘I was a gospel singer for a while,’ T...