The Lame Shall Enter First Analysis

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Flannery O’Connor’s The Lame Shall Enter First is a short American classic centralizing on the theme of compassion. The story’s main premise follows Sheppard, his son Norton and juvenile delinquent. The father, Sheppard, believes it is his ultimate purpose in life to help the disadvantaged, which in this case is Rufus Johnson, a fourteen-year-old boy who believes he is under the influence of Satan. Despite the fact that Norton’s mom died a year ago, Sheppard absolutely refuses to be sympathetic with his son’s grief and sees him as greedy as a result of that. When Rufus enters the scene, Sheppard sees his living with them as an opportunity for Norton to learn selfless discipline and for him to fulfill his life’s purpose. However, once Norton