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

835 Words4 Pages

Human nature dictates that every action, no matter how selfless it appears, is inspired by a selfish reason. Flannery O'Connor shows this taken into consideration in her short story, “The Life You Save May Be Your Own”. The protagonist, Mr. Shiftlet, wanders onto the farm of old and young Lucynell. Mr. Shiftlet marries her daughter young Lucynell and does a handful of work for her including fixing her car, which he sees as a way of achieving freedom. With her use of symbolism and characterization O'Connor reveals that people play games of deceit to win their own selfish ends (Walters 82). O’Connor first uses symbolism to reveal that Shiftlet is doing things for his own personal gain. The automobile in the garage at old Lucynell’s and young …show more content…

When Shiftlet wanders onto old and young Lucynell's land, it is not completely clear what type of person he is (“The Life You Save”). By Shiftlet’s actions after old Lucynell asked where he was from gave the hint that he wanted to be secretive. After taking his time rolling his tobacco to make a cigarette, he answered her saying "my name is Tom T. Shiftlet and I come from Tarwater, Tennessee, but you never have seen me before: how you know I ain't lying?” (O’ Connor 861). Then going on to say "people don't care how they lie. Maybe the best I can tell you is, I'm a man…” (O’ Connor 861). His uneasiness to respond to her question shows that he is trying to deceive her in his identity. Because Shiftlet deceives old Lucynell, she allows him to do work for her in return for free food and shelter. Old Lucynell offers to pay him to fix the automobile that Shiftlet could not take his attention away from. After fixing the automobile, Shiftlet takes young Lucynell off to their honeymoon, only to leave her behind at the “Hot Spot”. Shiftlet’s words and actions deceive old and young Lucynell. Therefore, Shiftlet fails to bring any meaning into his empty life; Coming and leaving the same

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