Devoted to Betrayal For centuries, literalist, such as Flannery O’Connor, have debated and shared their views on deception and betrayal. In the short story, “The Life You Save May Be Your Own,” O’Connor introduces two characters located in the south that form an unlikely alliance to gain an advantage over the other. The mother wants to gain a son- in- law to marry and care for her daughter, and make repairs on her farm. The shiftless drifter wants a car, which he believes represent success and freedom. The third character is an innocent young girl who is deaf and has a speech impediment. She is betrayed by her mother and the shiftless drifter in order to satisfy their selfish desires. Selfishness is the foundation of deception and betrayal
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For example, when Mr. Shiftlet first arrives at the Crater home, Young Lucynell's mother notices that Mr. Shiftlet is a tramp who is handicapped and only wants something from her. Before Mr. Shiftlet walks upon Young Lucynell’s mother’s porch, he looks at the sky and forms a crooked cross. The crooked cross represents a connotation of Christian significance (grace of God), and that he is physically deformed (Lynn). Considering this, Young Lucynell's mother uses that knowledge to take advantage of Mr. Shiftlet and her daughter, by manipulating Mr. Shiftlet into thinking her motives were genuine when she offers him a place to stay in exchange for him to repair her house (O'Connor 861), although he is handicapped. However, Mr. Shiftlet has his own agenda, and that is getting freedom and a life of his own. The only way Mr. Shiftlet can be free is to agree to Young Lucynell's mother’s terms and earn the green car he spotted in the shed when he first arrived, but that was not all. Young Lucynell's mother also wants Mr. Shiftlet to marry her daughter and finally remove the heavy burden of having to care for her daughter's special needs. Since Young Lucynell is deaf and has a speech impediment, it motivates Young Lucynell's mother to be deceitful, while Mr. Shiftlet tries to portray himself as a person who is not concerned about money and possessions. He manipulates the mother …show more content…
First, Mr. Shiftlet is described in the beginning of the short story as a wounded veteran of the Arms Service that lost half an arm in World War II, with long, black, slick hair. Young Lucynell’s mother is convinced that he is a tramp and is not trustworthy. Although she notices he is handicapped, it allows her to initiate her plan to remove the burden of her daughter by manipulating him and disregarding her daughter’s deformity. Secondly, Young Lucynell is wearing a blue dress, has blue eyes and is suffering from a speech impediment, as a result of her being deaf, that allows her mother to take advantage of her deformity and her innocence. Even more, Young Lucynell cannot defend herself, nor does she have the will to oppose her mother’s determination to dispose of her daughter. Lastly, Young Lucynell’s mother is described as a manly figure dressed in men’s clothing who plays the role of the mother and the father to Young Lucynell, and is said to be “as wide as a cedar post with her fist on her hip,” (O’Connor 860). Young Lucynell’s mother is presented as a protector of her daughter and stands in a defensive posture to signify to Mr. Shiftlet that she will fight anyone who tries to harm her daughter, which is contrary to her actions. Given these examples, O’Connor uses descriptions to get the reader to understand the detailed characteristics of
For example, when Mr. Shiftlet first arrives at the Crater home, Young Lucynell's mother notices that Mr. Shiftlet is a tramp who is handicapped and only wants something from her. Before Mr. Shiftlet walks upon Young Lucynell’s mother’s porch, he looks at the sky and forms a crooked cross. The crooked cross represents a connotation of Christian significance (grace of God), and that he is physically deformed (Lynn). Considering this, Young Lucynell's mother uses that knowledge to take advantage of Mr. Shiftlet and her daughter, by manipulating Mr. Shiftlet into thinking her motives were genuine when she offers him a place to stay in exchange for him to repair her house (O'Connor 861), although he is handicapped. However, Mr. Shiftlet has his own agenda, and that is getting freedom and a life of his own. The only way Mr. Shiftlet can be free is to agree to Young Lucynell's mother’s terms and earn the green car he spotted in the shed when he first arrived, but that was not all. Young Lucynell's mother also wants Mr. Shiftlet to marry her daughter and finally remove the heavy burden of having to care for her daughter's special needs. Since Young Lucynell is deaf and has a speech impediment, it motivates Young Lucynell's mother to be deceitful, while Mr. Shiftlet tries to portray himself as a person who is not concerned about money and possessions. He manipulates the mother …show more content…
First, Mr. Shiftlet is described in the beginning of the short story as a wounded veteran of the Arms Service that lost half an arm in World War II, with long, black, slick hair. Young Lucynell’s mother is convinced that he is a tramp and is not trustworthy. Although she notices he is handicapped, it allows her to initiate her plan to remove the burden of her daughter by manipulating him and disregarding her daughter’s deformity. Secondly, Young Lucynell is wearing a blue dress, has blue eyes and is suffering from a speech impediment, as a result of her being deaf, that allows her mother to take advantage of her deformity and her innocence. Even more, Young Lucynell cannot defend herself, nor does she have the will to oppose her mother’s determination to dispose of her daughter. Lastly, Young Lucynell’s mother is described as a manly figure dressed in men’s clothing who plays the role of the mother and the father to Young Lucynell, and is said to be “as wide as a cedar post with her fist on her hip,” (O’Connor 860). Young Lucynell’s mother is presented as a protector of her daughter and stands in a defensive posture to signify to Mr. Shiftlet that she will fight anyone who tries to harm her daughter, which is contrary to her actions. Given these examples, O’Connor uses descriptions to get the reader to understand the detailed characteristics of