The Man Who Knew Belle Starr and A Good Man Is Hard To Find - Essay Example

Task The Man Who Knew Belle Starr Whether the intention was to grow the plot out of his characters or otherwise is debatable. My analysis is that the plot develops rather randomly depending on chance and coincidences. Throughout the narration, at no time did the two main characters intend and achieve their intent. The occurrences are random. McRae is on the run, determined to change his own tidings after he is sentenced for a charge of murder. He is not specifically intending to incur more responsibility. His decision to pick a hitchhiker is marked with reluctance. (Richard) Actually it is by mere lack that he lands the girl. His is an interest of a better future which he has no specifics on how to achieve, just an obsession with the west that he is heading towards. Belle too is not of any resolute plan. Though dangerous and criminal, she does not own the picture of crime in her appearance. She is easy going and accepts the make shift plan to journey together. The author presents Belle as a woman not of any plan but capable of doing anything destructive. The fact that the plot depends on chance is further reflected by the decision by McRae to divert off the way to an eatery for some food. Having Belle as his colleague, they have to go together. They engage in a sweet unintended conversation with the chef before Belle suddenly decides to shoot the latter dead. It is the all of a suddenness and lack of plan that suggests that this is a matter of chance and not intention by the author. (Richard) McRae suddenly finds that he has become captive; he becomes an accomplice to this act. Actually McRae wittingly wants to come clean by offering Belle the car for her to run away. But Belle cannot drive and this situation binds McRae to her. He now becomes her slave doing as instructed. It is during this time that they make their own confessions. McRae grabs the chance to talk about his father and he’s experience in prison. It is the shooting event that avails this bonding chance; out of chance they find common ground. Belle confesses about her sad history and her having been abused, giving insight into her demeanor. McRae unreservedly offers that they form a gang, a thought that comes to him due to the circumstances. He notices this new friend is a criminal and he resigns to his new fate. This is completely unplanned and just a matter of convenience. However he is surprised at a later turn of events in which Belle attempts to murder him. At this moment, McRae adopts a repentant attitude. This chance of near death evokes in him painful memories. He regrets his failures and undoing. (Richard). The plot depends largely on chance. The author gives scenarios which force the characters to act in particular ways despite wishing to do otherwise. A Good Man Is Hard To Find In A Good Man Is Hard to Find, the plot grows out from the characters. It is the insistence of the grandmother that makes the family temporarily alter the main route of the journey. What the others do not appreciate is the woman’s determination to permanently alter the destination. They had intended to travel to Florida which the grandmother so much detests. After the failure of her preference of holidaying at Tennessee, she wittingly convinces the rest to join her to visit an old house. By her incessant talking and commenting, she is able to direct the feelings and desires of the travelers. Despite the existence of the old house in Tennessee, her nostalgia for the old memories makes her suppose it is within Georgia. She finally accepts after her directions fail to reach the desired decision. Of course had she not insisted the incidences that follow would not have occurred. The author uses the old lady to develop the plot. It is by her reluctance that they finally end up using that street. (Flannery) Further the she is the covert consequence of the accident. It dawns on her that her directions were misleading and to remain relevant she attempts a forged reaction. It is this reaction that upsets her cat causing the driver, Bailey to lose control out of the panicking reaction of the cat. Indeed Bailey softness facilitates the plot. He is implored by the children to temporarily alter the route. He is also presented as an unsteady driver. He loses control merely by a cat’s reaction. It is not lost on the audience that the cat has been living with the family and is no stranger. His soft demeanor and unsuspecting nature facilitates easy manipulation. Indeed the author portrays him thus; he is unable to foresee the mischief in his own mother. Ideally an ability to foresee the mischief would definitely craft the plot in another way. This lack of wit enables the grandmother to win their sympathy after the accident for he is unable to distinguish genuine injury from the fake one alleged by his mother. (Flannery) Further the plot is developed by the emergence of a trio of gangsters. They do appear to want to help. The leader engages Bailey in a polite conversation. Their calm demeanor despite being in possession of guns and the shirtless nature of the leader suggests the arrival of help. However this is short lived. An irrational grandmother identifies the leader as Mr. Misfit. This is a spell of doom. Her utterances occasion a change of heart by the trio. Indeed the author places the fate of the family squarely on grandmother. It is her conduct that contributes to their death. The undeclared leader of the gang, Mr. Misfit is used to portray the absence of mercy. He indeed is witty and does not succumb to the charm of grandmother. His merciless demeanor introduces tragedy. He orchestrates the merciless murdering of the victims. It is double tragedy for the victims. Ironically, having had an accident they expect help but it is death that the trio brings along. The author has modeled Mr. Misfit to be of an angry demeanor. It is his anger at the allegations by grandmother than cause the family’s death for he orders their killing by his group. A resolute grandmother attempts to save her own life. This does not pay dividends for a determined Mr. Misfit ensures all of the family is killed. (Flannery) It is arguable that the person of the grandmother develops the plot. Her earlier opposition for a trip to Florida coalesced into a trip to an old dwelling place. It is this that later occasions the accident. Rescuers come and her incessant rhetoric does not alter. She decides to identify a rescuer whom she says is a rogue Mr. Misfit. This leads to their demise. Works Cited Flannery, O'Connor. A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Other Stories. London, 1992. Richard, Bausch. The Man Who Knew Belle. London, 1985. Read More