A Good Man Is Hard to Find is about a Southern family that is about to embark on a road trip through the South. The Grandmother fears traveling because the Misfit, a criminal who has just escaped from prison is on the loose. When the family sets out, the grandmother convinces the family to veer off the main road to see an old plantation. When they do, the family has a minor accident and finds that they are stranded. While they are stranded, the Misfit appears with his gang and murders the entire family.

One of O'Connor's main social concerns was that of perceived societal barriers and disconnections. Throughout this short story, there are constant comparisons between those who "fit in" to society, as opposed to the "misfits" of the world. The Grandmother, as the primary character, is always pointing out the ways in which she...