The Life You Save May Be Your Own Sparknotes

How to Save a Life
The Fate of Mr. Shiftlet & the Crater Women Often, a story’s title tells a much bigger story than it initially puts on. The title of Flannery O’Connor’s short story, The Life You Save May Be Your Own, creates an entire theme for the story. The title is used within the story, when Mr. Shiftlet passes a road sign stating the exact words. These words are an explanation of many of the actions taken place throughout the story. Beginning with Mrs. Crater giving her daughter to Mr. Shiftlet as his wife. Although at first it may seem that Lucynell’s mother is very protective of her, and would never want to be without her, that does not end up being the case by any means. Mrs. Crater chooses to give her daughter to Mr. Shiftlet so

Crater’s selfishness shows early within the story as well. Her first thought after seeing Mr. Shiftlet is what he can do for her family. She is not very interested in what she may be able to do for Mr. Shiftlet. She sees him as a man who can help fix things up around her property, and also take her daughter off of her hands. She offers Mr. Shiftlet the least amount of resources she can without losing him as a helping hand, even forcing him to sleep in the broken down car. All she is worried about is getting Mr. Shiftlet to marry her Lucynell. Time and time again, she tells Mr. Shiftlet all the great qualities of young Lucynell, such as her inability to talk back or offer up anything that Mr. Shiftlet may not want to hear. Although Mrs. Crater puts on a façade that she does not want to lose Lucynell, ultimately she wants Mr. Shiftlet to take her daughter and never bring her back. She is filled with resentment toward young Lucynell, and cannot take care of her any longer. She is worrying about herself, and not the well-being of her daughter. She is only focused on taking care of

Rather, she takes the brunt of the hurt from the selfishness of her mother and her new husband. Ultimately, Lucynell is the part of the story that causes the other characters to be able to get what they want. Without Lucynell, Mr. Shiftlet would not have been able to con Mrs. Crater out of her money or her car, and he would have never gotten what he wanted. Honestly, if Lucynell had not been a factor in the story, Mrs. Crater may not have even let Mr. Shiftlet stay at her property and do work for her. The whole situation is tragic for Lucynell, because she is both deaf and mentally challenged. She does not know how to speak but a few words, and there is no way she can stand up for herself; either to her mother or Mr. Shiftlet. She has no idea that she has been taken away from her mother, and left in a diner with nowhere to go and no one to take her in. It is truly morbid the things that Mrs. Crater and Mr. Shiftlet do to poor Lucynell, especially because she is so