How Justice Condemns: Antagonist Intention in “A Good Man is Hard to Find” and “Barn Burning” Anonymous College

When does redemption cross the lines between righteousness and damnation? When does the end truly justify the means? Sometimes, it can be hard to discern when it is acceptable to right a wrong with another wrong. However, in the cases of the Misfit and Abner, the answer is easy to see.

The Misfit in Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man is Hard to Find” and Abner Snopes in William Faulkner’s “Barn Burning” share curious parallels, primarily in their motivations and the challenges they experience. Both the Misfit and Abner are at odds against a world that has oppressed them. They have been dragged through the dregs of society for crimes they did not commit, both figuratively (the crime of poverty) and literally (the alleged murder of another). Abner and the Misfit face an everlasting battle for justice in a world that values prestige over the underprivileged. However, the methods in which they rectify societal wrongs result in tragic hypocrisy that only serves to hurt others.

Abner, a man who spilled blood in the American Civil War and suffered through destitution and discrimination with nothing to show for. As a former veteran, he feels society should be indebted to him for risking his life fighting for the country, and rightfully so...