Episode 277: “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor

The Literary Life Podcast

Angelina Stanford

Education, Selfeducation, Classicaleducation, Reading, Literature, Homeschool, Arts, Books, Charlottemason, Homeeducation, Homeschooling

4.6 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 20 May 2025

⏱️ 95 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

On today’s episode of The Literary Life podcast, Angelina and Thomas continue their series on Flannery O’Connor with a discussion of her short story “A Good Man is Hard to Find.” After sharing their commonplace quotes, Angelina explains why she chose this particular story to go over on the podcast. She and Thomas then go over the characters in the family and the dynamics at play. Some of the ideas they talk about in this story are the appearance of respectability, the sentimental view of the “Old South,” the medieval and Sophoclean elements in the story, superficial Christianity versus nihilism, and so much more. They wrap up this episode with more thoughts on O’Connor’s use of violence as a means of grace and how her stories can open people’s eyes to their own depravity.

If you are interested in learning more about Flannery O’Connor, you can purchase Angelina’s previously recorded class, The Redemptive Vision of Flannery O’Connor.

Now is the time to sign up for the upcoming summer classes and webinars at The House of Humane Letters. Some of the classes highlighted in this episode are Angelina’s next installment in her series of classes on Harry Potter and Thomas’ class on five famous figures of the Victorian era.

To view the full show notes for this episode, including book links, quotes and this week's poem, please visit https://theliterary.life/277.

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is not just another book chat podcast.
0:21.6	Lifelong reader Cindy Rollins joins teachers Angelina Stanford and Thomas Banks for an ongoing conversation about the skill and art of reading well.
0:32.6	Explore the lost intellectual tradition and discover how to fully enter end to the great works of literature.
0:40.2	Learn what books mean while delighting in the sheer joy of imagination. Each week, we will rescue
0:47.1	story from the ivory tower and bring it to your couch, your kitchen, and your commute. The literary life is for everyone because in the
0:55.9	words of Stratford Caldecott, to be enchanted by story is to be granted a deeper insight into
1:02.2	reality. Join us for an ever-unfolding discussion of how stories will save the world.
1:09.7	This is the Literary Life Podcast.
1:12.6	Welcome back to the Literary Life podcast.
1:31.3	I'm Angelina Stanford, and here with me is a man who is in no way a misfit.
1:36.1	Oh, that's good to know.
1:36.9	The mysterious misguessiness.
1:37.9	Not on the run from the law.
1:39.2	Definitely not.
1:41.4	I think my crimes would have been more boring than hits anyway.
1:45.0	Like a boring serial killer?
1:47.0	Well, more like white collar, sort of just, you know, dull stuff.
1:51.0	The theft of ancient manuscripts.
1:53.0	Yeah, yeah, misappropriation of farms.
1:56.0	Just you run in the mill, white calls.
1:58.0	Well, no, I have actually thought, like, my dream, my dream type of, well, no, not seriously,
2:03.8	but thief, you know, I think my dream job, if I were a thief would be something like
	...

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