The Life You Save Essays - The Life You Save May Be Your Own

The Life You Save Use of Symbolism in ?The Life You Save May Be Your Own? The symbolism that Flannery O'Connor uses in ?The Life You Save May Be Your Own,? illustrates the spiritual struggles between good and evil that we as human's face. The main character, Mr. Shiftlet, embarks on a journey of spiritual means by walking on both the paths of salvation and damnation. Mr. Shiftlet is given countless opportunities to turn himself around and to proceed in the right direction, on the path of salvation. As in the story, these moments that give us a chance for salvation encompass our own lives. Unfortunately, Mr. Shiftlet does not stay on the right path for very long. He finds himself, time and time again, heading towards his own damnation. There are symbols throughout ?The Life You Save May Be Your Own,? that lead one to believe that Mr. Shiftlet is ill fated. Mr. Shiftlet's acquired characteristics exemplify this, His left coat sleeve was folded up to show there was only half an arm in it (910). Mr. Shiftlet's arm, or rather stump, is a physical deformity that represents a manifestation of his soul. Mr. Shiftlet proves to be flawed by making poor choices and only wanting to achieve his own satisfaction. He [Mr. Shiftlet] swung both his whole and his short arm up slowly so that they indicated an expanse of sky and his figure formed a crooked cross (910). This crooked cross is a perversion of religion that is a clue to the future damnation that Mr. Shiftlet will soon face. Mrs. Crater directly advises Mr. Shiftlet that there ain't any place in the world for a poor, disabled, friendless drifting man (915). This symbolizes the fate of Mr. Shiftlet and he does realize the truth behind the cruel words. The ugly words settle d in Mr. Shiftlet's head like a group of buzzards in the top of a tree (916). Those buzzards are ready to attack their prey. Mr. Shiftlet is aware that he must face his end. Mr. Shiftlet later states that the monks of old slept in their coffins! (913). So the symbol in this is the car being Mr. Shiftlet's coffin and part of his spiritual struggle. There are symbols in this story that represent general moral struggles between good and bad and also Mr. Shiftlet makes attempts to do well as he ?taught Lucynell, who was completely deaf and had never said a word in her life, to say the word bird (913). Mrs. Crater's name happens to be a symbol in itself. She's an old woman who has this emptiness and it directly states that She was ravenous for a son-in-all (913). Just as the word crater means a hollow, empty, portion of the earth. Mr. Shiftlet's name is also a symbol, meaning shifty, or not trustworthy. Young Lucynell Crater is an innocent girl brought in the story as a reminder of all that is good in the world. The waiter at the restaurant, in which Mr. Shiftlet left her, said, ?She looks like an angel of Gawd? (917). There are symbols in this story that represent the damnation that Mr. Shiftlet is faced as a consequence to his actions. The first symbol is when he manages to get the car to work. He had an expression of serious modesty on his face as if he had just raised the dead (915). Even as he's taking sweet Lucynell, the ?Angel of Gawd? to her final resting place he's given human aspects as ?He became depressed in spite of the car? (917). And he continues experiencing this depression until he comes across a hitchhiker. Mr. Shiftlet ignores his warning when ?occasionally he saw a sing that warned: ?Drive carefully. The life you save may be your own'? (918). At last, there is hope for him yet. He picks up a hitchhiker on the road, in an attempt to release the guilt that he feels over leaving Lucynell and a saving opportunity to redeem himself. The two converse and Mr. Shiftlet is remembering his own mother, ?an angel of Gawd?he took her from heaven and giver to me, and I left her.? (919). Mr. S hiftlet has so much guilt built