The Life You Save May Be Your Own / Flannery O’Connor

Test Practice

Analyze Character

With your partner, discuss how to answer these questions about the selection.

1. What does Mr. Shiftlet’s discussion of his mother reveal?
a. He was so heartless he even left his own mother.
b. His mother taught him to be a good person.
c. He was ashamed of his family background.
d. He was not completely heartless, because he regretted leaving his mother.


What is the correct answer to the question above? How did the information you gathered during reading help you eliminate incorrect answers?

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