The Grandmother
What are three character traits that could be used to describe the grandmother?
Answers may vary. Manipulative, self-centered, ignorant.
What type of figurative language is used in the phrase, "The grandmother raised her head like a parched old turkey hen"?
A simile.
Name three characters in the story other than the Grandmother and the Misfit.
Answers may vary. Bailey, June Star, John Wesley.
"“But somewheres along the line I done something wrong and got sent to the penitentiary. I was buried alive,” and he looked up and held her attention to him by a steady stare." What does penetentiary mean?
A prison or jail where people are sent as punishment for committing crimes.
Who corrects the grandmother when she says, “We turned over twice”?
The Misfit.
When describing the grandmother, the narrator says, "In case of an accident, anyone seeing her dead on the highway would know at once that she was a _____."
Lady.
How is the grandmother's reluctance to go to Florida because of the Misfit ironic?
She ends up being the reason her family encounters him.
What is the setting of "A Good Man Is Hard to Find"?
Georgia during the 1950s, as a family travels by car to Florida.
"“Look here now,” Bailey began suddenly, “we’re in a predicament! We’re in . . .” The grandmother shrieked. She scrambled to her feet and stood staring. “You’re The Misfit!” she said. “I recognized you at once!”" What does predicament mean?
A difficult, tricky, or unpleasant situation.
The story is told in _____ point of view.
Third-person.
What is the grandmother's central conflict?
Her belief that she is morally superior to everyone else and her tendency to judge others.
What is an example of irony in the story?
Answers may vary. The grandmother finally realizes that she is not better than the Misfit, but then he kills her.
"“All right!” he shouted and drew the car to a stop at the side of the road. “Will you all shut up? Will you all just shut up for one second? If you don’t shut up, we won’t go anywhere." What part of the plot does this excerpt represent?
Rising action.
"She didn’t intend for the cat to be left alone in the house for three days because he would miss her too much and she was afraid he might brush against one of the gas burners and accidentally asphyxiate himself." What does asphyxiate mean?
To suffocate or stop breathing.
What are the components of a single-paragraph or short response?
Topic sentence, explanations and details, textual evidence, analysis, and a closing sentence.
In the passage, "The shirt came flying at him and landed on his shoulder and he put it on. The grandmother couldn’t name what the shirt reminded her of," whose shirt is it? Why doesn't the grandmother recognize it?
The shirt is Bailey's. She does not recognize it right away because she is focused on her own survival, highlighting her selfishness.
What is an example of foreshadowing in the story?
Answers may vary. The Misfit approaches the family in a hearse-like automobile, which may foreshadow that the family will be killed later in the story.
What is the climax of the story?
The family gets into a car accident and the grandmother recognizes the Misfit.
"She asked Bailey if he would like to dance but he only glared at her. He didn’t have a naturally sunny disposition like she did and trips made him nervous." What does disposition mean?
A person's typical attitude or behavior.
What is one central idea of "A Good Man Is Hard to Find"?
Answers may vary. Believing oneself to be better than others can lead to poor decisions and tragic consequences.
Why does the grandmother seem to like Red Sammy?
Because he agrees with her views about society and joins her in complaining that people are not as good or trustworthy as they used to be.
"Behind them the line of woods gaped like a dark open mouth. “Come here,” said their mother." What do the woods symbolize is the story?
Danger and the family's impending death.
What is the resolution of the story?
The grandmother realizes that she is not truly a “good” person and that she is no better than anyone else.
"She had her big black valise that looked like the head of a hippopotamus in one corner, and underneath it she was hiding a basket with Pitty Sing, the cat, in it." What is a valise?
A small suitcase used for carrying clothes and personal belongings while traveling.
Who says, "Why you’re one of my babies. You’re one of my own children"? Why?
The grandmother says this because she finally realizes that she is not better than the Misfit and sees him as a fellow human being.