1a. What things can the old woman observe about Mr. Shiftlet the first time she sees him?
2a. What does Mr. Shiftlet look at during his conversations with the old woman?
3a. How does Mr. Shiftlet exploit old Lucynell? How does old Lucynell exploit Mr. Shiftlet?
4a. Examine Mr. Shiftlet's statements about the world and the honesty and integrity of the people in it. How does he portray himself? Compare and contrast his statements about himself with his actions.
5a. If the characters in "The Life You Save May Be Your Own" are on a continuum from innocence to evil, where would you place each character?
1b. Why do the old woman's initial observations lead her to believe that Mr. Shiftlet is "no one to be afraid of"?
2b. Why does Mr. Shiftlet marry young Lucynell?
3b. What sign does Mr. Shiftlet sees as he drives to Mobile? Why is it the title of the story?
4b. Why does the author have Mr. Shiftlet buy Lucynell a meal at The Hot Spot and reveal that he cries at the thought of his mother?
5b. Philosophers, theologians, and social scientists have, throughout the years, disagreed over the basic nature of man. Some believe that human nature is inherently good, while others believe human nature to be inherently evil and in need of restraint, discipline, and improvement. What do you think Flannery O'Connor believed about human nature? What do you personally believe, and why?
Symbol. What do you think the Christ-like stance of Mr. Shiftlet at the beginning of the story and the "turnip" storm at the end symbolize?
Southern Gothic. Review the cluster chart you made in Literary Tools. What do the deformities of the characters reveal about human nature?
1. Imagine that you are the police officer called by the boy in the diner when Lucynell wakes up. Write a missing person's report. Describe the victim and the events surrounding her discovery.
2. Imagine that you are Mr. Shiftlet and that you have arrived in Mobile. Write a letter to old Lucynell explaining your actions.
3. According to Stanley Edgar Hyman, the themes of Flannery O'Connor are the "profound equation of the mysteries of sex and religion, . . . change of identity, transformation, death-and-rebirth, . . . the perverse mother, . . . what Walter Allen . . . calls a 'world of the God-intoxicated,' [and] the transvaluation of values in which progress in the world is retrogression in the spirit." Write a paragraph tying one of these assessments to the story.
Subject/Verb Agreement. Rewrite the following sentences from the story, using correct subject/verb agreement. Make any other necessary corrections.
1. He don't know no more about it than you or me.
2. Lady, there's some men that some things mean more to them than money.
3. They wasn't as advanced as we are!
4. The body, lady, is like a house: it don't go anywhere.
5. It's the law that don't satisfy me.
Newspaper Advertisement.Imagine that you are old Lucynell and want a hired hand to make some repairs around your farm. Write a newspaper advertisement in which you specify the tasks that need to get done and explain your method of payment.
