The Life You Save May Be Your Own

Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1953

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Summary

Background

Story Analysis

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Discussion Questions

Essay Topics

Analyze the parallels between Mr. Shiftlet and Mrs. Crater. How are the two similar and how are they different? How do they affect one another and reveal one another’s characters?

How does the character of Lucynell function in the story? Why do you think Flanner O’Connor chose to make her deaf and mentally disabled? What emerges through her lack of speech and her repetition of the one word Mr. Shiftlet teaches her?

How is “The Life You Save May be Your Own” an example of Southern Gothic literature? What comment does it make on society at the time?