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4. ANALYSIS OF CONFLICTS IN THREE SELECTED SHORT STORIES OF FLANNERY O’ CONNOR
Conflicts in three selected short stories of Flannery O’Connor can be divided into two kinds; they are the external conflict of the main character with
other characters and the internal conflict of the main character, because it is the external conflict that results the internal conflict of the main character. Each of
these conflicts is also divided based on their natures that cause the conflict.
4.1. Conflicts In A Good Man Is Hard To Find
In Flannery O’Connor’s A Good Man Is Hard To Find, the main character is the grand motherthe old lady Bailey’s mother. The main character has the
internal conflict and external conflict. The internal conflict of the main character is caused by the nature of telling lies to other characters in order to have her
wishes or to save her life. While the external conflict is caused by the nature of the different wishes or different opinion about something of the main characters with
the other characters, they are: Bailey, Bailey’s wife, John Wesley, June Star, and the Misfit.
The external conflict can be divided in two parts, the external conflict with the Bailey’s family and the external conflict with the Misfit. The external conflict
with the Bailey’s family is dominated by the nature of the different wishes, the less of respect, and telling lies. While in the external conflict with the Misfit, the
nature is mostly about the different opinion about something, and telling lies.
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4.1.1. Main character’s external conflict
Main character’s external conflict in A Good Man Is Hard To Find is mostly happened with the other characters. Basically, the external conflict with other
characters can be divided into two parts, they are; with the Bailey’s family and with the Misfit. The external conflict with the Bailey’s family is begun by the
nature of different wishes between the grand mother and the Bailey’s family. The Bailey’s family would like to go to Florida, but the grand mother would like to go
to Tennessee in order to visit some of her relatives.
“The grandmother didn’t want to go to Florida. She wanted to visit some of her connections in east Tennessee and she
was seizing every chance to change Bailey’s mind.” Roberts, 1985:510
This nature of different wishes between the grand mother and the Bailey’s family cause the conflict among the member of the Bailey’s family is informed by
the quotation above. Besides it also shows that the grand mother keeps attempt to make the Bailey’s family to cancel their travel to Florida but going to Tennessee.
a. The external conflict with Bailey
The external conflict of the grand mother with Bailey is caused by the different wishes between them. Bailey feels that his mother just a burden and
always bothers him in order to cancel the travel to Florida. The conflict between them is seen by the unrespected attitude of Bailey toward his mother the grand
mother that cause by the nature of different wishes between them.
““Now look here, Bailey,” she said, “see here, read this,” … “Here this fellow that call 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. …. I wouldn’t take
my children in any direction with criminal like that aloose in it. I couldn’t answer to my conscience if I did.” … Bailey
didn’t look up from his reading.” Roberts, 1985:510 Generated by Foxit PDF Creator © Foxit Software
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not to go to Florida. Bailey who has known the real purpose of his mother just ignores her. He ignores his mother because he has known they are in conflict
about different wishes on traveling out. Even though the grand mother is his mother, but they also have conflict by
the nature of complaining the personal habit. The quotation below point that Bailey complain about the grand mother’s habit on looking after a cat, especially
bring it in a travel.
“The next morning the grandmother was the first one in the car, ready to go. She had her big black valise that looked like
the head of a hippotamus in one corner, and underneath it she was hiding a basket with Pitty Sing, the cat, in it. She
didn’t intend for the cat be left alone in the house for three days …. while her son, Bailey didn’t like to arrive at a
motel with a cat.” Roberts, 1985:511
It shows that they have a strange relationship, as if they regard each other as a stranger; just as shown in the quotation below:
“She asked Bailey if he would like to dance but he only glared at her. He didn’t have naturally sunny disposition like
she did and trips made him nervous.” Roberts, 1985:512
The tension of their conflict getting higher at the time the grand mother attempts to persuade Bailey’s children to see the secret panel in an old house in
Georgia.
“She knew that Bailey would not be willing to lose any time looking at an old house, but the more she talked about it, the
more she wanted to see it once again and find out if the little twin arbors were still standing. “There was a secret panel in
this house, ”she said craftily, not telling the truth but wishing that she were, and the story went that all the family silver
was hidden in it when Sherman came through but it was never found ….”
“It’s not far from here, I know,” the grandmother said. “It wouldn’t take over twenty minutes.”
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Bailey was looking straight ahead. His jaw was as rigid as a horse shoe. ”No,” he said. …. The children began to yell and
scream that they wanted to see the house with the secret panel. …
“All right” he shouted and drew the car to a stop at the side of the road. “Will you all shut up? Will you all just shut up
for one second? If you don’t shut up we won’t go anywhere.”
“It would be very educational for them,” the grandmother murmured.“ Roberts, 1985:514
At the time they get accident, the conflict between them has been a climax where he becomes so mad about the accident that is caused by the grand mother.
“Bailey was removed the cat from his neck with both hands and flung it out the window against the side of a pine tree.
…. “I believe I have injured an organ, but no one answered her. Bailey’s teeth were clattering. He had on a yellow sport
shirt with bright blue parrots designed in it and his face was as yellow as the shirt.” Roberts, 1985:515
b. The external conflict with Bailey’s wife
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