EN-210 Flannery O'Connor

1.) Where is the family going for their vacation? 
The family is going on vacation to Florida, despite the Grandmother’s objections. She prefers to go to East Tennessee instead. 

2.) Why does the Grandmother want to go to East Tennessee instead? (Two reasons) 
The Grandmother wants to go to East Tennessee because: 

-She has nostalgic memories of the place and would rather visit there. 

-She warns the family about The Misfit, an escaped criminal in Florida, hoping to scare them into changing their plans. 

3.) The mother has a face as “broad and innocent as a ___Cabbage___________.” 
The mother has a face as “broad and innocent as a cabbage”,meaning she is passive and quiet. 

4.) What are the names of the three family members who are named in the story? 
The three named family members are Bailey (the father), John Wesley (the eldest son), and June Star (the daughter). 

5.) What does the grandmother bring along that she does not tell Bailey about? 
The Grandmother secretly brings along her cat, Pitty Sing, hiding it in a basket because she knows Bailey wouldn’t allow it in the car. 

6.) Why does the Grandmother get so dressed up for the drive? 
She dresses up in elegant clothing, including a hat and gloves, because she wants to be recognized as a lady if she were to die in an accident. 

7.) Why does the oldest son want to get through Georgia fast? 
John Wesley, the oldest son, wants to get through Georgia quickly because he finds it a boring and unpleasant state. 

8.) What is in the middle of the large cotton field they pass along the way? 
In the middle of the large cotton field, there is a graveyard with five or six graves, symbolizing the fate of the family. 

9.) What is the restaurant they stop at for lunch? Who is the owner? What pet does he have? What has happened one week earlier? 
The family stops for lunch at The Tower, a restaurant owned by Red Sammy Butts. He has a monkey chained to a tree outside. A week earlier, he was robbed after trusting strangers with credit. 

10.) After leaving the restaurant, what town do they drive through? 
After leaving the restaurant, they drive through Toombsboro, a name that foreshadows death. 

11.) What does the Grandmother recall when she wakes up from her cat nap? What does she say about the house that is not true to get the children interested? 
The Grandmother recalls an old plantation house she once visited and tells the children that it has a hidden panel with treasure, which excites them. However, she later realizes the house is actually in Tennessee, not Georgia. 

12.) What is the “horrible thought” the Grandmother has just before the accident? 
Just before the accident, the Grandmother has a horrible thought she realizes that the house she insisted on visiting is not in Georgia, meaning she led them there by mistake. 

13.) What actually causes the accident? 
The accident happens when her cat jumps onto Bailey’s shoulders, startling him and making him lose control of the car, which crashes into a ditch. 

14.) Why is the daughter disappointed about the accident? 
June Star is disappointed by the accident because it wasn’t as dramatic as she expected. She hoped for something more exciting. 

15.) What does the mother hope for after the accident? 
After the accident, the mother hopes someone will come help them, unaware of the danger they are about to face. 

16.) Describe Bailey’s shirt and face after the accident. 
After the accident, Bailey’s shirt is blue with parrots on it, and his face is red with anger because he is furious with the Grandmother for bringing the cat. 

17.) What are the names of the three criminals? 
The three criminals are The Misfit, Bobby Lee, and Hiram. They arrive after the accident and ultimately kill the family. 

18.) What does the Grandmother keep telling the Misfit? 
The Grandmother keeps telling The Misfit that he is a good man, hoping to appeal to his conscience and save herself. 

19.) What did the Misfit’s Daddy warn everyone about? 
The Misfit’s father warned that you can do anything you want if you don’t get caught, suggesting a cynical view of morality and justice. 

20.) What did the prison psychologist tell the Misfit? 
A prison psychologist told The Misfit that he was insane, which made him question himself and his actions. 

21.) Why does the Misfit wish he was present when Jesus raised the dead? 
The Misfit wishes he had been present when Jesus raised the dead because then he would know for sure whether Jesus had divine power. His uncertainty about faith leads him to believe that if Jesus wasn’t real, then there is no real meaning to right and wrong.