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The Misfit
The patriarch of the story’s central family, Bailey is the Grandmother’s son and June Star and John Wesley’s father. Despite the constant distractions from his mother and children, he simply wants to go on a trip to Florida as planned. He is reluctant to take a detour to visit the house that the Grandmother remembers, and only gives in to stop being harassed by his children. Bailey seems to be a weary and irritable figure, worn down by the constant conflict in his family—particularly his mother’s self-righteous nagging and his children’s insolence.
Bailey Quotes in A Good Man is Hard to Find
The A Good Man is Hard to Find quotes below are all either spoken by Bailey or refer to Bailey. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
A Good Man is Hard to Find
Quotes
“I wouldn’t take my children in any direction with a criminal like that aloose in it. I couldn’t answer to my conscience if I did.”
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“You all ought to take them somewhere else for a change so they would see different parts of the world and be broad. They never have been to East Tennessee.”
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The grandmother was curled up under the dashboard, hoping she was injured so that Bailey’s wrath would not come down on her all at once.
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“Listen,” Bailey began, “we’re in a terrible predicament! Nobody realizes what this is,” and his voice cracked. His eyes were as blue and intense as the parrots in his shirt and he remained perfectly still.
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There were two more pistol reports and the grandmother raised her head like a parched old turkey hen crying for water and called, “Bailey Boy, Bailey Boy!” as if her heart would break.
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Get the entire Good Man LitChart as a printable PDF.
Bailey Quotes in A Good Man is Hard to Find
The A Good Man is Hard to Find quotes below are all either spoken by Bailey or refer to Bailey. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
A Good Man is Hard to Find
Quotes
“I wouldn’t take my children in any direction with a criminal like that aloose in it. I couldn’t answer to my conscience if I did.”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
“You all ought to take them somewhere else for a change so they would see different parts of the world and be broad. They never have been to East Tennessee.”
Related Characters:
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Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
The grandmother was curled up under the dashboard, hoping she was injured so that Bailey’s wrath would not come down on her all at once.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
“Listen,” Bailey began, “we’re in a terrible predicament! Nobody realizes what this is,” and his voice cracked. His eyes were as blue and intense as the parrots in his shirt and he remained perfectly still.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
There were two more pistol reports and the grandmother raised her head like a parched old turkey hen crying for water and called, “Bailey Boy, Bailey Boy!” as if her heart would break.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
