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Oconnor The Man of The House

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180 views6 pages

Oconnor The Man of The House

Dream big

Uploaded by

Tevern
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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28 FLANNERY 0°CONNOR why I sign myself now. I said long ago, you get you signature and sign everything you do and keep a copy of it. Then you'll ‘know what you done and you can hold up the erime to the pun- ishment and see do they match and in the end you'll have some- thing to prove you ain't been treated right. I call myself The Misfit,” he said, “because I can't make what all I done wrong fit what all gone through in punishment.” ‘There was a piercing seream from the woods, followed closely by a pistol report. “Does it seem right to you, lady, that one is punished a heap and another ain't punished at all?” “Jesus!” the old lady cried. “You've got good blood! I know you wouldn't shoot a lady! I know you come from nice people! Pray! Jesus, you ought not to shoot a lady. I'l give you all the ‘money I've got!” “Lady.” The Misfit said, looking beyond her far into the woods, “there never was a body that give the undertaker a tip.” There were two more pistol reports and the grandmother raised her head ike a parched old turkey hen crying for water and, called, “Bailey Boy, Bailey Boy!” as if her heart would break “Jesus was the only One that ever raised the dead” The Misfit continued, “and He shouldn't have done it. He thown everything offbalance. If He did what He said, then its nothing, for you to do but thow away everything and follow Him, and if He didn’t, then it's nothing for you to do but enjoy the few min- utes you got left the best way you can—by killing somebody or burning down his house or doing some other meanness to him. No pleasure but meanness,” he said and his voice had become almost a snarl “Maybe He didn't raise the dead” the old lady mumbled, ‘not knowing what she was saying and feeling so dizzy that she sank down inthe ditch with her legs twisted under her. “L wasn’t there so [can’t say He didn’t” The Misfit. ‘wisht [had of been there.” he said, hitting the ground with his fist. “It ain'tright I wasn’t there because if I had of been there ‘would of known, Listen lady,” he said in high voice, if Thad of been there I would of known and I woulda’t be like I am now.” His voice seemed about to crack and the grandmother’. head cleared for an instant. She saw the man’s face twisted THE MAN OF THE HOUSE 24s close to her own as if he were going to cry and she murmured, “Why you're one of my babies. You're one of my own chile

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