Socratic Questions "A Good Man is Hard to Find"

Socratic Questions

Close-ended question

• Would the grandmother like to have gone to Florida?
• The Grandmother wouldn't have gone to Florida after she had read the article over The Misfit leaving prison and heading towards Florida.
  "Now look here,
  Bailey," she said, "see here, read this," and she stood with one hand on her thin hip and
  the other rattling the newspaper at his bald head. "Here this fellow that calls himself The
  Misfit is aloose from the Federal Pen and headed toward Florida and you read here what
  it says he did to these people. Just you read it. I wouldn't take my children in any
  direction with a criminal like that aloose in it. I couldn't answer to my conscience if I
  did."

Open-ended Question

• Why does the Grandmother keep talking to The Misfit even though his men are killing off the family members?
• She wanted The Misfit to change, she was trying to save her own life, she saw the good potential The Misfit had, she tried to convince The Misfit that he wasn't a bad person, she wanted The Misfit to get help from God.
  "Listen," the grandmother almost screamed, "I know you're a good man. You don't look a
  bit like you have common blood. I know you must come from nice people!"
  
  
  "You could be honest too if you'd only try," said the grandmother. "Think how wonderful
  it would be to settle down and live a comfortable life and not have to think about
  somebody chasing you all the time."
  
  "Well then, why don't you pray?" she asked trembling with delight suddenly.

 

World Connection

• In terms of today's world, do people still try to tell others about how life was before all the technology?
• Some people do tell others about how life was back before all the technology, some don't
  ("In my time," said the grandmother, folding her thin veined fingers, "children were more
  respectful of their native states and their parents and everything else. People did right
  then...). 

Universal Theme

• How has the idea of travelling to places changed over time? Are the younger people still motivated to go visit or are they less enthusiastic about it?
• To some people, travelling means getting to explore places they've never seen while to others, travelling is a waste of time. Younger people are excited to go to places they've never been to but for some it takes a lot of effort to get them hyped to go.

Literary Analysis 

• How has the author use descriptive words in his story? How has he used a little bit of foreshadowing in the story? 
• The author of the story uses descriptive words to tell us how the characters act. He also uses descriptive words to give the readers an image of what the characters are seeing as they drive through the interstate,
  (She pointed out interesting details of the
  scenery: Stone Mountain; the blue granite that in some places came up to both sides of
  the highway; the brilliant red clay banks slightly streaked with purple; and the various
  crops that made rows of green lace-work on the ground. The trees were full of silverwhite
  sunlight and the meanest of them sparkled.)He uses foreshadowing in the beginning when the grandmother talks about The Misfit being released from jail and heading towards Florida (the Grandmother didn't want to go to Florida anyway
  
  The grandmother didn't want to go to Florida. She wanted to visit some of her
  connections in east Tennessee and she was seizing at every chance to change Bailey's
  mind.)and when the family had that "accident" the Grandmother instantly recognized who the person helping them was
  (The grandmother shrieked. She scrambled to her feet and stood staring. "You're The
  Misfit!" she said. "I recognized you at once!").