A Comparison of Protagonists in Flannery OConners A...

A comparison of protagonists in Flannery OConners A Good Man Is Hard To Find and Greenleaf In both his works of fiction, â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard To Find† and â€Å"Greenleaf†, Flannery OConner paints a rather grim picture. The protagonists in both the short stories share several common traits. In the story, â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard To Find†, the Grandmother, who remains unnamed throughout, is a vile woman, who is also selfish and a complete hypocrite. Yet, she continues to judge other people for what she perceives to be their shortcomings. She is a woman who has seen hardships, and just the fact that she got through them, makes her feel morally superior to others. She feels she is a lady which makes her better than the rest. She lacks the†¦show more content†¦As her last dying words, she admits to the Misfit that he was like one of her own children, finally showing the ability to feel compassion. Her last moment alive is also her moment of truth, one where she realizes who she is and understands others. This crucial moment of her life is imme diately followed by her tragic death. In Greenleaf, the author directs a similar protagonist. The protagonist, an elderly lady in this one too, is Mrs. May – the proprietor of a farm. She is a conceited woman who believes that her farm is profitable and sustaining only because of her efforts, discarding the efforts put in by the rest of the family and the farm help. Her rise from penury to the success of her farm makes her oblivious to the fact that she had help. Instead, she sees this as an opportunity to put on airs and tell the world of her prowess in business. She brags about herself being penniless and inexperienced when she first came about the rundown farm, and takes great pride in the fact that the farm is now successful. She not only forgets the contribution of the farm help, but blames them of being against her. She even goes on to the extent of blaming the elements of being against her. So engrossed is she in her own success that she forgets that it is only the el ements of nature that allow the farm to be successful. She also forget the help of Mr. Greenleaf,