Compare and Contrast “A Good Man is Hard to Find” By Flannery O’Connor and “ The Life You Save May Be Your Own”

May 3, 2024May 3, 2024 Discipline: English

Chip List for this Assignment

-Themes -Symbolism -Connectivity (Connections)

-Setting -Language -Family interaction

-Characters -Style -Tone (Attitude of the author)

-Plot -Impact on Audience (Mood)

Potential Thesis Statements: 

Despite the similarities in these stories, O’Brien’s story is more powerful than Hemingway’s because he more effectively uses the environment, symbolism, and the theme of disillusionment.


O’Brien’s story is easier to understand, but Hemingway’s story is more literary because of his style and themes.


Unlike O’Brien, Hemingway’s style of the iceberg theory more effectively engages the readers because they are free to develop a sense of character, setting and theme. 


Sample outline.  Your outline topics will change according to your categories of comparison. 

  1. Introduction

“Speaking of Courage”-Tim O’Brien (3-4 sentences)

  1. Brief Summary
  2. Main Ideas

“Soldier’s Home”- Ernest Hemingway (3-4 sentences)

  1. Brief summary
  2. Main Ideas

State why you are making a comparison or start to transition from summary to thesis(3-4 sentences)

*Thesis: O’Brien’s story is more effective than Hemingway’s because he more successfully conveys the themes of isolation, desperation and disillusionment.



1st Blank: Isolation

  1. Isolation
  1.  O’Brien displays isolation through ___a___ and  __b____.
  1. Uses __a____to create this theme
  1. Quote from O’Brien that shows __a____
  2. Explain how the quote shows _____a___
  3. Explain how _____a__ develops the theme

2. Uses ___b_____to build the theme of isolation

  1. Example of this 
  1. Quote that shows this
  2. Explain the quote

3. Close off with a statement of O’Brien’s effectiveness in displaying the theme

B. Hemingway’s story displays the theme of isolation through_____ and _____

  1. Like O’Brien, he uses ________ to create the theme.
  1. Quote to show the first blank
  2. Explain how that quote is an example of ______
  1. Unlike O’Brien he uses ________to display theme
    1. Quote 
    2. Explain the quote 

*C. Which is better? Stronger, Clearer, and more effective

  1. Explain why this is
  2. Explain how this affects the reader
  3. Use quotes from both stories 
  4. Use strong language of comparison and contrast
  1. Desperation
  1.  O’Brien displays desperation through ___a___ and  __b____.
  1. Uses __a____to create this theme
  1. Quote from O’Brien that shows __a____
  2. Explain how the quote shows _____a___
  3. Explain how _____a__ develops the theme

2. Uses ___b_____to build the theme of desperation

  1. Example of this 
  1. Quote that shows this
  2. Explain the quote

3. Close off with a statement of O’Brien’s effectiveness in displaying the theme

B. Hemingway’s story displays the theme of desperation through_____ and _____

  1. Like O’Brien, he uses ________ to create the theme.
  1. Quote to show the first blank
  2. Explain how that quote is an example of ______
  1. Unlike O’Brien he uses ________to display theme
    1. Quote 
    2. Explain the quote 

*C. Which is better? Stronger, Clearer, and more effective

  1. Explain why this is
  2. Explain how this affects the reader
  3. Use quotes from both stories 
  4. Use strong language of comparison and contrast



  1. Disillusionment
  1.  O’Brien displays disillusionment through ___a___ and  __b____.
  1. Uses __a____to create this theme
  1. Quote from O’Brien that shows __a____
  2. Explain how the quote shows _____a___
  3. Explain how _____a__ develops the theme

2. Uses ___b_____to build the theme of disillusionment

  1. Example of this 
  1. Quote that shows this
  2. Explain the quote

3. Close off with a statement of O’Brien’s effectiveness in displaying the theme

B. Hemingway’s story displays the theme of disillusionment through_____ and _____

  1. Like O’Brien, he uses ________ to create the theme.
  1. Quote to show the first blank
  2. Explain how that quote is an example of ______
  1. Unlike O’Brien he uses ________to display theme
    1. Quote 
    2. Explain the quote 

*C. Which is better? Stronger, Clearer, and more effective

  1. Explain why this is
  2. Explain how this affects the reader
  3. Use quotes from both stories 
  4. Use strong language of comparison and contrast



  1. Conclusion

State comparison again

Repeat idea from thesis

Close with one last explanation of the two



*indicates the money paragraph.  This is where you need to put the root of your thesis statement into action to feed the branches of your argument. 


This is just a sample outline 

The short  stories are ” A good man is hard to find” and “The life you save may be your own” both by Flannery O’Conor

Please make sure there is 11 paragraph like the outline

Follow the outline just with my stories.


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