The life you save may be your own characters. Lucynell Crater Character Analysis in The Life You Save May Be Your Own 2022-10-12

The life you save may be your own characters Rating: 6,5/10 1395 reviews

The Life You Save May Be Your Own is a short story by Flannery O'Connor that was published in 1953. The story is about a character named Tom T. Shiftlet, a drifter who is passing through a small town in Alabama. Shiftlet is a man who is searching for meaning in his life and is desperate to find a sense of purpose.

As the story begins, Shiftlet is hitchhiking on the side of the road when he is picked up by a woman named Lucynell Crater and her disabled daughter, The Misfit. Shiftlet is immediately drawn to The Misfit and begins to see her as a way to redeem himself and find meaning in his life.

Throughout the story, Shiftlet is presented as a complex and multifaceted character. On one hand, he is a drifter who is constantly on the move and seems to lack a sense of direction in life. On the other hand, he is also intelligent and articulate, and is able to hold deep conversations with The Misfit about the nature of life and existence.

One of the key themes of The Life You Save May Be Your Own is the idea of redemption. Shiftlet is a man who is searching for a way to redeem himself and find meaning in his life, and he sees The Misfit as a way to do this. He believes that by helping The Misfit and caring for her, he will be able to find purpose in his life and make amends for his past mistakes.

However, Shiftlet's attempt at redemption is ultimately unsuccessful. Despite his good intentions, he is unable to fully understand or connect with The Misfit, and their relationship ultimately ends in tragedy. This serves as a reminder that redemption is not always possible and that sometimes, the consequences of our actions cannot be undone.

Overall, The Life You Save May Be Your Own is a thought-provoking and poignant story that explores the complexities of human nature and the search for meaning in life. Through the character of Tom T. Shiftlet, O'Connor presents a nuanced and deeply flawed character who is struggling to find his place in the world and ultimately learns that redemption is not always possible.

The Life You Save May Be Your Own Summary & Analysis

the life you save may be your own characters

Crater sees a opportunity to give her daughters hand in marriage to Mr. This is the way He wanted me to be and I ain't disputing His way. Out of all types of conflict, those that exist between a person and himself can prove to be the toughest to overcome. As they leave this poor…. He is an obese eighteen-year-old boy who drives a taxi. He patches the front and back steps, builds a new …show more content… Shiftlet tries once more to redeem himself by attempting another good deed. Doctor Block The Enduring Chill The doctor Mrs.

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The Life You Save May Be Your Own Character Analysis

the life you save may be your own characters

This can be assumed by the way she quickly offers Tom Shiftlet a job that is paid by housing and food. Her interactions with him, clearly derogatory, are enough to incite his mother to knock her down. She has faith in Doctor Block. She agrees to give him the money. The last date is today's date — the date you are citing the material. Chappie wants to become a productive member of society and to progress; however, his instincts and lack of self-esteem hold him back from attaining his goal. Shiftlet then replies "Hitchhiker" and abandons her at the restaurant.

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The Life You Save May Be Your Own Characters

the life you save may be your own characters

However, when he asks that they visit him during his illness, he is disappointed by their insistence that he looks fine. But later in the story, the reader can tell that the violence surrounding Simon erodes his attitude. Crater offers to let him stay at the farm and work in exchange for food and shelter. She dies as the family drives away from the McIntyre farm. He is described as having "a big nose and a bald rectangular face and head. He asks which word and Mrs.

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Lucynell Crater Character Analysis in The Life You Save May Be Your Own

the life you save may be your own characters

Shiftlet's head like a group of buzzards in the top of a tree. The old woman was trying to marry off her mute daughter. Lucynell Crater, the mother The Life You Save May Be Your Own An old woman who lives with her mentally handicapped daughter, also named Lucynell Carter, with "long pink-gold hair and eyes as blue as a peacock's neck" and no teeth. The next morning, he goes back to the River and drowns himself in an attempt to find God. The two adults exchange curt pleasantries, then Mrs. Although she is racist and he is black, Julian's mother thinks he is cute and tries to give him a coin.


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The life you save may be your own

the life you save may be your own characters

Unfortunately, his father consequently forces the thief to strip completely naked and return the cart. The Child A Temple of the Holy Ghost A homely twelve-year-old girl who is, at first, prideful and spiteful. The fact that the mother and the daughter are both named Lucynell Crater contributes to the sense that this farm is stuck in the past. Hiram A Good Man Is Hard to Find One of The Misfit's sidekicks who murders the entire family. The huge reveal in this paragraph is that Shiftlet has no intention of going on a nice little weekend holiday with Lucynell—he has a different destination in mind, the coastal city of Mobile. The most influential person in determining your after life could have not the slightest meaning to you now.

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Grotesque Characters In The Life You Save May Be Your Own

the life you save may be your own characters

The second is the date of publication online or last modification online. She is murdered with her mother in the woods by Hiram and Bobby Lee. . He replaces God for her, and she repeats his maxims about the devil rather than following God's teachings. The boy says nothing before getting in the car.

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The Life You Save May Be Your Own Flashcards

the life you save may be your own characters

It was not until he went through this traumatic experience that anyone could get through to him. He has also never encountered a black person. That same year, she was diagnosed with lupus and returned to the family farm in Milledgeville, where she wrote, attended Mass, raised peacocks, and maintained a wide correspondence, including with writers like Elizabeth Bishop and Robert Lowell. Scholastica and drives them to the child's home for their visit. Cheatam A Temple of the Holy Ghost The butt of the child's joke when she suggests that her cousins spend time with him during their visit. By this point, Shiftlet has already looked over everything in their yard, but his eyes settle on an old, rusted car. Then he looked up and stared at Mr.


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The Life You Save May Be Your Own

the life you save may be your own characters

Crater is clearly offering her daughter's hand to Shiftlet. She is physically attacked by Mary Grace in the doctor's office waiting room, and later has a revelation stemming from Mary Grace's accusation that she is "an old wart hog. The second date is today's date — the date you are citing the material. The next day Shiftlet tells Mrs. Wendell and Cory Wilkins A Temple of the Holy Ghost Neighborhood boys who come to spend time with Joanne and Susan during their visit. At this time Mrs. He chats with The Grandmother about The Misfit and the terrible state of the world, concluding that, "A good man is hard to find.

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Tom Shiftlet Character Analysis in The Life You Save May Be Your Own

the life you save may be your own characters

Crater listens and Lucynell rocks back and forth. Carver's Mother Everything That Rises Must Converge She is a big black woman with a face that seems "set out not only to meet opposition but to seek it it out. She has four children, J. This was a transformational period for America, politically, socially, and economically. He plays on the hockey team and creates his own baseball and cricket team. Connin The River Harry's babysitter, who takes him to the river to see Bevel the preacher perform miracles and to be baptized.

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