Flannery O'Connor's short story, "A Good Man is Hard to Find," is an example of Southern Gothic literature. This style according to Dictionary.com is defined as "a literary genre that describes life in the Southern United States and features grotesque themes and images", or according to Professor Lupold Moody of the University of Montana, "To be Southern Gothic, the La story must be set in the American South and have gothic features (supernatural, ironic, or unusual events often drive the plot) that usually attempt to explore the social and cultural character of the South." In this story, what begins as an account of a family planning a trip to Florida and the description of this trip once they leave their home in Georgia, ends with the terrible death of the entire family. The qualities inherent in Southern Gothic literature are fulfilled in this work. Rather than a story written simply as a quick read with a shock at the end, upon further analysis this story highlights the flaws of the human race and people's capacity for change. Foreshadowing and characterization are two literary devices used effectively by O'Conner in his short story "A Good Man is Hard to Find", not only to create suspense, but to reveal the weaknesses of the human race while giving a small sliver of hope that people are capable of change. Predicting can be an effective way to help lead the reader to a conclusion or prepare them for an inevitable outcome, and in this story the author also uses the technique to introduce the reader to some unfavorable characters. The foreshadowing is evident even after just one reading of his story. At the beginning of the story the technique is used to suggest the fact that this family may face some problems as they discuss going on holiday... middle of paper... grace or change for the grandmother and The Misfit is standing outside still more in the end. The foreshadowing helped the reader understand that bad things could happen, but it was a surprise to find that Grandma, who extols her Southern ideals and religious morals over others throughout the entire journey, ultimately realizes that the His path is not the only one. Flannery O'Connor's story has been analyzed in many ways. For example, religious themes, imagery, and irony are all part of this story; however, without O'Connor's use of foreshadowing and skillful handling of characters, this narrative would be completely different. This is a complex story with complex themes, and O'Connor's specific use of two literary elements in particular helps to highlight the characters' weaknesses and their ability to change, no matter how slight that change may be..