life you save may be your own
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Like much of Flannery O'Connor's short fiction, ''The Life You Save May Be Your Own'' is set in the American South and contains characters whose most notable feature seems to be their ordinariness. Through imagery, dialogue, and moments of revelation, O'Connor explores the themes of morality and religion, both frequent concerns in her work. The story evoked critical praise upon its publication in the Kenyon Review in the spring of 1953. Within the sparse, apparently simple plot of the story, O'Connor constructs a world torn between renewal and emptiness, natural beauty and crass materialism, compassion and cruelty. In the end, O'Connor's protagonist must choose between these extremes and attempt to experience the grace of God's love.
O'Connor's description of the character Shiftlett expose the deceit and hypocrisy in religious institutions because as Shiftlett says that he is not interested in anything, which includes money. According to Shiftlett he was only interested in helping the old lady and her daughter Lucynell out. The only reason why Shiftlett helps out around the barn is beause he wanted to get a car that the old lady had. Shiftlett is being a hypocrit because when your religious you do not do things for your own good. You do things for the good of others...