Existentialism proposed the idea that one is a “free agent” in determining their own creation through works of one’s personal free is going to and self-judgement. In Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man is Hard to Find, ” existentialist principles are embodied by the Misfit who have lives by simply his very own value program and model of morality that influences his decisions, actions, and perspectives in life. That being said, the term ‘moral’ will not necessarily mean ‘good’ since ‘goodness’ is subjective to an individual’s own moral compass and their view of morality”it is usually wholly an issue of perspective and how one particular weighs the two ‘good’ and ‘evil. ‘ Misfits very own perception of ‘morality’ is merely through his view of what is ‘right, ‘ however, not what is socially accepted while right: his actions are determined depending on what ‘feels’ right. This individual conceptualizes values through the look at that his punishment can be disproportionate to his criminal offense and that doing crime is not important because it is a societal construct, as is punishment too. Misfit’s worldview is the most suitable understood and interpreted like a fundamentally existentialist one: he defines himself by his free will and does what he really wants to do in the world of his own meaning compass, he is interested in a persons condition and why societal constructs would be the way they can be, and is intrigued in creating his individual essence through his edition of proper rights.
How Misfit interprets free can is based on what he wishes and he feels is definitely ‘right’ at the moment through which this individual defines his own meaning compass. His existentialist look at of his life experiences can be encapsulated in the way this individual “don’t see no sunshine but may see no cloud either” (239). This quote is a metaphor that illustrates his view showing how he interprets both ‘crime’ and ‘punishment’ and ‘good’ and ‘evil’ on the spectrum of neutrality rather than a variety of binaries, he stressed neither one particular nor the either and views both in neutral conditions. Since Misfit identifies with ‘good’ and ‘evil’ based upon his individual flawed notion of what is moral, he has no control on when he decides to commit a crime or an act of ‘goodness, ‘ but only if he wants to or ‘feels’ compelled for this. For instance, in the midst of the story, the Misfit requests his henchmen to kill Cromwell because the Misfit is ‘angry’ with Bailey’s use of profanity towards the old lady: “The old woman began to cry and The Misfit reddened. ‘Lady, ‘ he said, ‘don’t you get upset. At times a man says things he don’t indicate. I no longer reckon he meant to speak to you thataway'” (238). In this scene, that shows that his moral compass is skewed because he shows some compassion for this lady, but on the other hand, he promotes Bailey’s expedient execution. The Misfit’s inherent contradictions happen to be further stressed when his tone is usually juxtaposed against that of Bailey’s. The Misfit says in a polite, informal way in the event that Bailey “wouldmind stepping back them woods there with [the henchmen]inch while Cromwell reacts in a frightened, dumbfounded way, “we’re in a awful predicament! No person realizes what this is” (239). This juxtaposition provides to underline the Misfit’s even-handed watch of existence and loss of life as he is about to have Bailey executed, contrary to Bailey who also feels what is at stake inside the relationship between life and death when he faces his own fatality. Evidently, the Misfit is usually fundamentally an existentialist, as he governs him self by the rules of his own free will.
As someone who behaves within an existential approach, the Misfit wants to be familiar with constructs of society in order to comprehend his own living. Throughout the narrative, he delves into the effects of ‘crime’ and abuse, ‘ ‘good’ and ‘evil, ‘ and ‘life’ and ‘death’ without holding him self accountable towards the social best practice rules of these constructs. After Cromwell is carried out, the Misfit describes towards the old lady how his own dad had once perceived him: “‘My Dad said I had been a different breed of dog from my personal brothers and sisters. ‘You know, ‘ Daddy stated, ‘it’s some that can live their expereince of living out devoid of asking regarding it and it’s other folks has to know for what reason it is, fantastic boy is one of the latter. He will be in to everything! ‘” (239). This quote encapsulates the Misfit’s inherent interest in ‘everything’ related to the primary components of the human condition. Also, the father’s prophecy that the Misfit would ‘be into everything’ rings true in the narrative as the Misfit describes how he “was a gospel musician for a while¦been in the hands service, both equally land and sea, at your home and in foreign countries, been twict married, been an undertaker, been together with the railroads, plowed Mother Earth, experienced a tormenta, seen a person burnt with your life onct¦even viewed a woman flogged'” (240). The Misfit has had many various life activities, between which usually he does not prefer any kind of over the different and this individual does not characteristic any value over the various other, whether they will be beautiful or perhaps horrible, the significance is in the encounter itself and nothing more. The fact that Misfit perceives his existence experiences is usually existentialist insofar as ‘life’ and ‘death, ‘ ‘crime’ and ‘punishment, ‘ and ‘good’ and ‘evil’ had been played out in front of his eyes and yet, he gains absolutely nothing from this besides experience. Coming from all of his experiences, the Misfit’s viewpoint is centered around the simple lesson: “‘I found out that crime may matter. You can apply one thing or else you can carry out another, kill a man or perhaps take a car tire off his car, quicker or later you’re going to forget what it was you completed and just become punished intended for it'” (241). The Misfit’s belief that ‘crime no longer matter’ and that no matter how severe or petty the crime is, the punishment remains the same since fundamentally, he does not have confidence in the develop of crime so therefore this individual does not understand the logic of punishment as well as the reason behind treatment having to ‘fit the crime. ‘ Even though the Misfit appears that he provides tried to figure out societal constructs, he cannot because, in existentialist trend, he would not have the ability or maybe the desire to understand life in binaries, although only in gray.
Like an existentialist, the Misfit seeks to formulate his individual essence through his ought to implement proper rights in the style he seems urged to, regardless of whether or not that conforms to society. Towards the end of the story, the Misfit explains an incongruous thought: “‘you obtain you a signature and sign whatever you do and keep a copy of computer. Then you’ll really know what you performed and you can hold up the criminal offense to the abuse and see perform they meet and in the end you’ll have some thing to demonstrate you ain’t being treated right'” (241). For someone who cannot contemplate reasons to follow societal constructs, it is contradictory that the Misfit ‘sign[s] every thing he does and keep[s] a duplicate of it. ‘ This conundrum highlights the Misfit does understand society’s flawed system which will not always the actual rules it has made. Hence, the Misfit understands that the justice strategy is also problematic because he seems the need to ‘check and balance’ his very own perception of ‘crime’ and ‘punishment’ with society’s view. For the Misfit, ‘crime’ and ‘punishment’ is a couple of perception, which usually he is exploring in his occult meaning to Jesus: “‘Jesus thrown everything away balance. It was the same circumstance with Him as with me personally except He hadn’t determined any criminal offense and they could prove I had dedicated one since they had the papers upon me'” (241). This allusion to Jesus illustrates the Misfit, like Jesus, acquired no ‘proof’ to defend him self against society’s judgement. The Misfit feels the rights system is fundamentally unfair and has always been so , even to Jesus. The Misfit consequently , sees it as his duty to generate his own justice mainly because society cannot”in making his own rights, he is creating his own essence. Just before he gets rid of the old lady, he pronounces his very own essence: “‘I call me personally the Misfit¦because I cannot make for most I carried out wrong for what all We gone through in punishment'” (241). Labelling him self ‘the Misfit, ‘ can be symbolic of him declaring that dr. murphy is the master of his own essence, not anybody different. When he says ‘I cannot make what all My spouse and i done wrong for what most I absent in abuse, ‘ he could be describing how he make crimes to balance the punishment he has already received. He is and so obliged to his personal justice that even when this individual kills this lady, this individual sees her as another ‘check and balance’ in his very own justice program: “‘It’s not any real enjoyment in life'” (242). How a Misfit produces his personal essence is his many existentialist top quality, as he sees himself since his very own bringer of justice with no guidance except his own moral compass.
General, the Misfit’s own perspective of ‘crime’ and ‘punishment, ‘ ‘good’ and ‘evil, ‘ and ‘life’ and ‘death’ is that of an existentialist one: this individual delineates his free can based on what he ‘feels’ is ‘right, ‘ this individual wants to understand and produce his own existence by comprehending the function of societal constructs as they correspond with his individual self-determination, and he produces and meets his individual essence by simply becoming a great executor of justice. Throughout the narrative, the Misfit does not have sense of control when he ‘feels’ just like doing ‘good’ or doing ‘evil. ‘ He does, however , consider the societal system concerning how ‘crime’ and ‘punishment’ is evaluated, but he is not able to comprehend nor will he wish to follow society’s reasoning. He would not see ‘good’ and ‘evil’ as opposites on either end of the range but unprejudiced, as creating ‘experiences’ to fulfill his importance is merely determined by his individual moral compass. Thus, Misfit’s own theory of ‘check and balance’ is a cyclical problem implemented on itself: he creates his own essence simply by creating and enacting ‘experiences’ to form his worldview”he commits crimes he expresses as justice”but he finds no satisfaction, ‘no genuine pleasure’ in these acts, because to him, ‘crime’ and ‘punishment’ and ‘good’ and ‘evil’ aren’t opposed, they may be equivalent”equally a matter of notion.
How do we help?
We have compiled for you lists of the best essay topics, as well as examples of written papers. Our service helps students of High School, University, College
