The story “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” by Flannery O'Connor, is bombarded with symbolism. In short stories, symbolism is the literary element that helps the reader describe the image and actions in their mind. Whether it's the character names or the designs on the characters' t-shirts, every detail in this story has a purpose. Flannery O'Connor was known for her strong religious background, Catholicism, and used her faith as an underlying message in her works. . In the story “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” there are a couple of things that can be directly traced back to Christianity. The little boy, John Wesley, symbolizes the religious denomination of Methodism. John Wesley, along with his brother Charles Wesley, founded the Methodist church in the 18th century. With this note, O'Connor illustrates actions and beliefs in different denominations. When the Misfit says, "He (his father) was buried in Mount Hopewell Baptist Cemetery..." (106), the author alludes to the fact that the Misfit and his family are Baptists, while the grandmother and her family they are Methodists. The silver stallion on the shirt of one of the Misfit's accomplices is another reference to Christianity. In the book of Revelation, from the Bible, it is stated: "And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth breath say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold, a pale horse: and his name sat upon it. he was Death, and Hell followed him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with the sword, and with famine, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth (Revelation 6:7-). 8, King James Version). O'Connor uses the silver stallion to foreshadow the death of the family. Sometimes the reader just has to look a little closer to get a true understanding of what is offered by the author through symbolism. O'Connor places symbolism throughout the story to foreshadow the future of the family to show the true lives lived by the individuals. The symbolism in the story is what makes the reader read more up close and gain an in-depth understanding of the meaning of the story, which also gives the story an exciting symbolism aspect and is shown in this story over and over again. Works Cited The Holy Bible, King James Version New York: American Bible Society: 1999. O'Connor, Flannery “A Good Man is Hard to Find .” Literature: The human experience. Eds. Richard Abcarian, Marvin Klotz and Samuel Cohen Boston: Bedford/St, 2010. 97.