Old Road Past The Cotton Field example essay topic

In Flannery O'Connor's "A Good Man Is Hard to Find", a family of six set out on a vacation to Florida while an extremely dangerous criminal is on the loose. The family takes the grandmother, who is outraged that the family is traveling while The Misfit is scanning the countryside. Throughout the short story, O'Connor drops many hints to the reader, ultimately leading to the terrifying climax. Foreshadowing is more commonly noticed the second time a story is read as opposed to the first. Readers will pick up on the hints that foreshadow the events to come.

Foreshadowing is used when grandmother mentions The Misfit in the opening paragraph, when grandmother dresses formally in case of an accident, and when the graves are noticed in the cotton field. Foreshadowing is first used when grandmother tells the family about The Misfit when discussing the vacation destination". 'Here this fellow that calls himself The Misfit is a loose from the Federal Pen and headed toward Florida and you read here what it says he did to these people. Just you read it. I wouldn't take my children in any direction with a criminal like that a loose. ' " (393).

O'Connor throws the idea of The Misfit up in the air for the reader to grasp. "a loose from the Federal Pen and headed towards Florida", suggests that the family may in fact have a run-in with The Misfit while in Florida. O'Connor leaves the audience with the feeling that the criminal is dangerous and commits unspeakable crimes". 'you read here what it says he did to these people... ' " Another instance where foreshadowing is noticed takes place when grandmother dresses in one of her nicest outfits while the family is traveling. "Her collars and cuffs were white organdy trimmed with lace and at her neckline she had pinned a purple spray of cloth violets containing a sachet. In case of an accident, anyone seeing her dead on the highway would know at once that she was a lady". (394).

Grandmother's actions suggest that an accident will happen later in the story. "In case of an accident, anyone seeing her dead on the highway" suggests that the results of this accident could be fatal for grandmother or even worse, the entire family. The last point in which foreshadowing occurs is when the family takes the overgrown country road past the cotton field to get to the plantation. "They passed a large cotton field with five or six graves fenced in the middle of it, like a small island". Look at the graveyard!" grandmother said, pointing it out.

"That was the old family burying ground. That belonged to the plantation. ' " (395). O'Connor suggests that five or six bodies are to be buried very soon.

Reading the story a second time could help the reader notice that the number of empty graves matches the numbers of family members in the vehicle". 'Look at the graveyard!" grandmother said, pointing it out" suggests that the author wants the reader to pay close attention to the graves. Grandmother mentions that the graves are located on a family burial ground which suggests that the family will be buried together here". That belonged to the population.

' " Foreshadowing is a technique used by many authors to lead the reader to the future events in the story. If not used properly and put in the right place, foreshadowing could ruin any surprises at the end. In "A Good Man is Hard to Find", foreshadowing is used brilliantly and shows the reader many things that come about later on. The foreshadowing O'Connor uses is not easily picked up on the first time the story is read, but in a second reading, the audience may find themselves telling the family not to take the old road past the cotton field.