Sheppard, his name itself being an allusion to Christ, sees himself as a do-gooder with moral superiority. Johnson even exclaims to Norton, “He thinks he’s Jesus Christ!” (O’Connor 464) In direct contrast to Sheppard’s compassionate façade, his true selfishness is eventually realized in the final moments of the story as he woefully repeats the phrase “I did more for him than I did for my own child.” (O’Connor 486) While Johnson’s disability is used as a foil for Sheppard’s awakening, her decision to make Johnson more than just a flat character (more than just his disability) directly defies the stereotype that characters with disability only exist in literature to further the growth of the protagonist. Holly A. Moore in her analysis: “Spiritual Epiphanies: The Role of Disability in
Sheppard, his name itself being an allusion to Christ, sees himself as a do-gooder with moral superiority. Johnson even exclaims to Norton, “He thinks he’s Jesus Christ!” (O’Connor 464) In direct contrast to Sheppard’s compassionate façade, his true selfishness is eventually realized in the final moments of the story as he woefully repeats the phrase “I did more for him than I did for my own child.” (O’Connor 486) While Johnson’s disability is used as a foil for Sheppard’s awakening, her decision to make Johnson more than just a flat character (more than just his disability) directly defies the stereotype that characters with disability only exist in literature to further the growth of the protagonist. Holly A. Moore in her analysis: “Spiritual Epiphanies: The Role of Disability in