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The Life You Save May Be Your Own By Flannery O Connor

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“The Life You Save May Be Your Own” was written by Flannery O 'Connor in the 1950 's. O 'Connor has a collection of short stories and novels mixed with her Christian background, southern style, and distorted humor. In this short story, selfish gain is the motive in Tom Shiflet and woman Crater 's encounter. The meeting of the two occurred one day while Tom Shiflet wandered near the isolated home of old woman Crater and her mentally disabled daughter Lucynell. As Tom Shiflet openly adored the sunset his eyes were secretly fixed on an old broke down automobile. The old woman listened as he told of his background, but she also secretly had a strong desire for a son-in-law that wasn 't evident at the time. The two characters having a strong desire …show more content…
Old woman Crater quietly observing and secretly satisfied because “she was ravenous for a son-in-law” (O 'Connor 4). The time came when Shiflet expressed his interest in the property and the automobile which allowed old woman Crater to showcase her sweet innocent daughter. After attempting to resist the offer she gave him, he finally gave in and eventually gained the automobile and she gained a new son-in-law in return. Shiflet takes young Lucynell off for two days and eventually abandons her in a cafe. In “The Life You Save May Be Your Own” O 'Connor shows her artistry and Christian symbolism in a grotesque tale of selfish gain. It emphasizes on the unspoken truth of good deeds overtaken by selfish …show more content…
The “garden” at the center of the Crater place in “The Life You Save” may well offer ground where community might take root, but that plot is tended by an unfortunately all-too-dusty little “trinity”(Karnes 123). Mrs Crater is the “garden-owning” member of this earthy trinity, and it is “her road” Shiftlet walks (Karnes 124). Although Mrs. Crater would seem to be an easy target by her appearance, she always had underlying intentions for her proposal. “Well, if you come out here to work, I 'll be able to feed you and give you a place to sleep but I can 't pay. I 'll tell you that before you begin,” she said (O 'Connor 3). The living conditions of the Crater women gave Shiftlet easy access to what he was eager to possess. “Lady,” he said, jerking his short arm up as if he could point with it to her house and yard and pump, “there ain 't a broken thing on this plantation that I couldn 't fix for you, one-arm jackleg or not (O 'Connor 3). What Shiftlet 's

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