Introduction In life we are two people, that which we show to the public eye which is prim, proper, and well behaved and the other that embodies that type of person we are when the doors are closed, the blinds are drawn and there is no one around to see or hear us. Examining the story ” A Good Man is Hard to Find” is similar to looking into a mirror and trying to determine whether what we portray in public is truly who we are on the inside. The basic setting used is a simple one where a family of six is preparing to go on a trip to Florida for a vacation. Unusually though, the grandmother who is the main character in the story rather than being cast as a protagonist can be considered as being set into the role of the antagonist. It is actually through her selfish actions that the story takes a turn for the worse despite her implying numerous times in the story that she is a lady, comes from a more civilized and polite time, and is a devout Christian who believes in Jesus Christ. Based on the actions of the grandmother it can be said that the short story “A Good Man is Hard to Find” contains subtle religious overtones portraying how aesthetics and what it means to truly be a Christian clash when presented with the reality of life. The story has a simple plot where a family is expecting to go on a vacation in Florida with the grandmother in the story adamantly wishing to go to Tennessee instead. Due to the grandmother’s actions and deceptions, the family gets into an accident and unfortunately is thrust into a dangerous situation when they encounter a group of escaped criminals that were mentioned earlier on. The characters in the story, except for the grandmother, the misfit, and the other two escaped criminals, all portray average people that you would meet on the street or would know. The father Baily acts like your usual husband along with the unnamed wife and two children. The truly unique character in the story is the grandmother and as a result, that is where the primary basis of examination will start. When examining the grandmother it becomes obvious that she places a lot of importance on appearances and being “ladylike” and asserts her belief in Jesus. Despite this assertion of ladylike behavior and belief in Jesus, throughout the trip, the grandmother shows instances of racial discrimination when describing an African American boy calling him a “nigger” or “pickanniny”, shows concern for her physical appearance to look ladylike, lies to her child and grandchild about the house with secret compartments to get what she wants and as a result of her hiding a cat under her bag causes an accident for the family which winds up killing all of them as they are found by a group of escaped prisoners. The supposed ladylike behavior that the grandmother has said she embodies which is her form of aestheticism falls short when compared to her actions, her thoughts, and the result of her behavior. The first major conflict in the story involved the grandmother and her attempt to dissuade the family from going to Florida by using guilt; this is evidenced by the line ” it is just as you had read it, I would not take my own children in any direction with a criminal that is like that on the loose. I would not be able to answer to my conscience if I did so.”(O’Conner 1). It is this particular conflict that sets the tone f