The Life You Save May Be Your Own

“The Life You Save May Be Your Own”

• Genre: Fiction; realistic; Southern Gothic
• Originally Published: 1953
• Reading Level/Interest: College/adult; grades 9-12
• Structure/Length: Approx. 25 pages
• Protagonist and Central Conflict: When a one-handed drifter named Mr. Shiftlet arrives on the farm of Lucynell Crater and her daughter, also named Lucynell, Mrs. Crater talks up her daughter—who is deaf—to Mr. Shiftlet, noting that she is smart and can work. She eventually convinces Mr. Shiftlet to marry Lucynell and gives him money for their honeymoon, but Mr. Shiftlet abandons Lucynell at a diner on his way to Mobile.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Physical and mental disabilities are included as grotesque elements of the Southern Gothic genre.

Flannery O’Connor, Author

• Bio: 1925-1964; born in Savannah, Georgia; raised Catholic and attended parochial schools as a youth; graduated on an accelerated path from Georgia State College for Women and studied fiction at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop; published two novels and two short story collections praised for their withering social commentary, particularly on religious hypocrisy; died at 39 years old of lupus, the same autoimmune disease that had killed her father; posthumous recipient of the 1972 National Book Award for The Complete Stories; in recent years, critics have called out the racist attitudes displayed in her letters
• Other Works: Wise Blood (1952); A Good Man Is Hard to Find (1955); The Violent Bear It Away (1960); Everything That Rises Must Converge (1965); The Complete Stories (1971)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

• The End of Innocence
• The Spirit Versus the Law
• The Possibility of Salvation

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will:

• Gain an understanding of the cultural and geographical contexts regarding Southern literature and culture that impact elements of the Southern Gothic tradition.
• Discuss the deeper meaning of the text through prompts and activities that connect to or address the text’s themes of The End of Innocence, The Spirit Versus the Law, and The Possibility of Salvation.
• Analyze and write a dramatic scene that demonstrates an understanding of characterization and elements of the Southern Gothic genre based on text details.
• Analyze and evaluate the author’s use of symbolism and elements of the Southern Gothic style to draw conclusions in structured essay responses regarding the significance of the car, the author’s social commentary, and other topics.