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Step 1
Find the elements of foreshadowing throughout the story that foretells the family’s death
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Step 2
Note how many times the word “meaning” is used and in what context when it appears in the story.
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Step 3
Compare the grandmother’s behavior with her family and her behavior with that of the Misfit.
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Step 4
Look at how O’Connor uses humor to set the tone in a story that’s very grim and ask why she would use humor.
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Step 1
Look at the way the grandmother uses religion and spirituality throughout the story and see if her beliefs seem genuine or not. Figure out her motives for using religion.
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Step 2
See if O’Connor is portraying the Misfit as a villain. Find examples in the story that prove that he is or isn’t.
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Step 3
Look for clues that might explain the Misfit’s criminal behavior and how his life experiences might have shaped how he sees himself.
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Step 4
Look at what the Misfit says about religion and spirituality and if he knows more about it than the grandmother.
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Step 5
Do a close reading of the way the Misfit compares and contrasts himself with Jesus and his reasons for feeling that Jesus has “thrown everything off balance.”
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Step 6
Determine if the grandmother’s character has changed by the end of the story. Find examples from the story to prove that she has or hasn’t.
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Step 7
Interpret the Misfit’s behavior with the grandmother and with that of his men once he kills the grandmother. See if there is evidence that he actually respected the grandmother and believed what she told him. Determine what this could mean if he did.
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Step 8
Interpret the story’s ending by closely reading the exchange between the grandmother and the Misfit. At the beginning of the story, she seems to be in control. By the end, she’s doing anything she can to save her life. Some say she extends grace to the Misfit at the very end by telling him he’s her son, thinking about something other than herself. How you view her actions right before her death will influence how you interpret the ending.
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Step 1
Think about what the title could mean, including the spin at the end when the Misfit says that the grandmother could have been a good woman.
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Step 2
See what O’Connor is saying about selflessness and selfishness through the grandmother’s desires and actions.
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Step 3
Consider that O’Connor says of the Misfit and the grandmother: “With one brutal stroke God's Grace is shown to cut both ways, causing each of the protagonists to come face to face with the Mercy of God.” Find the instances in the story where the characters “come face to face with the Mercy of God” look for proof that they’ve been touched by mercy and figure out how they’ve been changed.
