Characters tend to drive a story. This is certainly clear in Yann Martel's Life Of Pi, where we follow a young boy's story of survival, rise to adulthood and overcoming a traumatic event. Another story that feels like it was created by its characters is Flannery O'Connor's "A Good Man is Hard to Find," which sports a strong leading role in Close-Minded Grandma, set in its own way alongside a decidedly unhinged villain in the form of The Misfit. The most obvious characters that can be compared between these two stories are Granny and Pi, and the simplest comparison that could be made between these two strong characters is their fanatical devotion to religion. It is clear that the grandmother maintains a strict set of Christian beliefs when she tells the person who just killed her son and grandchildren that he is "a good man" and constantly tells the misfit that Jesus will save him. Even until her death, throughout the ordeal she constantly repeated the name of Jesus. Pi also appears to follow a strict code of rituals as she continues to practice her religion throughout her journey. The author also describes how Pi came to practice them all, providing further detail about Pi's life as a whole and almost giving the reader a reason to empathize with his crazy practice of the three religions. Even on the life raft with a dangerous tiger in his presence every day, he consistently continues to fervently follow most rituals of every religion, unless he is unable to physically perform them. Another comparison that could be made between Pi and Grandma is their view of the world. Grandma's worldview is very narrow, while Pi's view is much more universal. Pi's point of view seems to find beauty... middle of paper... dying a slow, painful death instead of giving it a quick end. Both Pi Patel and the grandmother from Life of Pi and "A Good Man is Hard to Find", respectively, have many similarities with each other that go beyond just the basics. How they handle situations and adapt to change, however, is drastically different and ultimately costs one of them their life. Richard Parker came to respect Pi as an equal, or at least accepted the fact that they both needed each other to live. The Misfit, however, disliked Granny for her strong attitude and it ultimately cost her her life. Even minor characters like henchmen and hyenas or members of the Family shared similarities that seemed to exist in many stories. The fact of the matter is that the characters seem to drive the plot, describe the situation, and showcase the main themes of each story.