Language

Style of language

The style of writing in Flannery O’Connor’s short story “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” is mostly informal. We notice the use of contractions, both in the narration - for example: “The grandmother didn’t want to go to Florida” (l. 1) - as well as in the dialogue - for example: “ ‘I’d smack his face.’ ” (l. 27). The dialogue is filled with expressions specific to Southern US dialect, such as “aloose” (l. 7), “dontcha” (l. 21), and “I see you all had you a little spill” (l. 297). Also, the Misfit uses many mispronounced words such as “rekernized” (l. 314), “prechate” (l. 341), or “ast” (l. 347). These serve to add authenticity and local color to the story.

The writing relies heavily on descriptions, and the scenery is sometimes presented in great detail: “The road was about ten feet above and they could see only the tops of the trees on the other side of it. Behind the ditch they were sitting in there were more woods, tall and dark and deep.” (ll. 269-271). We notice the use of positive...