In A Good Man is Hard to Find, Flannery O'Connor was inspired by the Southern Gothic genre and her own personal experiences with the people and places of the American South. She wanted to write a story that would capture the dark, tragic, and often absurd elements of Southern life. The title comes from a popular song of the time, which reflects O'Connor's belief that good men are hard to find in both the South and in America as a whole. The story centers on a family's road trip to Florida, during which they have a fateful encounter with a dangerous man known as The Misfit. Throughout the course of the story, O'Connor explores themes of grace, morality, and redemption.