A Good Man is Hard to Find

The most prominent theme in the story—mentioned even in the title—is the idea of goodness and, by extension, the notion of evil. The grandmother labels several characters in the story “good” men, including both Red Sammy and The Misfit himself. Her definition of goodness has few firm characteristics other than a connection to one’s blood and heritage. For example, she insists that The Misfit would never shoot a lady because he comes from good people with good blood. Her definition of goodness is also related to her own personal thoughts and beliefs. Essentially, people who agree with her opinions are good people in her mind. 

By contrast, The Misfit seems to have an idea of the separation between good and evil, but he does not hold one in higher regard than the other. For example, he recognizes that Jesus is the personification of goodness, but as he has no evidence that Jesus existed, he sees no value in living a traditionally good life. He finds pleasure in meanness, or evil like murder. This idea is the result of his incarceration, which he feels was unrelated to his actions.