In "The Life You Save Could Be Your Own", Flannery O'Connor uses Mr. Shiftlet to discuss moral intelligence in her story. Mr. Shiftlet, the main character, considers himself a real man who has no flaws. Mr. Shiftlet displays elements of humanism and moral questions of good and evil. Humanism is the belief that human beings emphasize their own needs and think only of rational ways to solve problems. Mr. Shiftlet talks about evil people to make themselves look better in the eyes of others. He doesn't care about the thought of other people's opinions. He thinks he is doing the right thing by not stealing the car because he helps clean the Crater's house, fixes the car, and teaches the deaf woman, Mrs. Crater, how to say "bird". He thinks that everyone around him is corrupt and that he is the only one left in society who can help others and do the right thing in life. In "The Life You Save Could Be Your Own" Mr. Shiftlet sees himself as above the law, ignoring whether he hurts others along the way. Because Mr. Shiftlet sees himself as above the law, he thinks he can act irresponsibly towards others. Mr. Shiftlet thinks of himself above others: “He looked like a young man but had a look of composed dissatisfaction, as if he understood life thoroughly” (1). He denies having flaws and presents himself to others as superior. Mr. Shiftlet has a chance to achieve peace with the world. He is alone without friends and is given the opportunity to work hard and live a quiet life. The possibility of having a normal life begins when he sees two women on the porch. Approaching them, he turns his back on the sunset. When he meets the Craters he sees an old car he wants. Mr. Shiftlet wants a car, so he decides to get it. He thinks he is a moral man, so... middle of paper... Solzhenitsyn talks about the topic of humanism. The same theme of people doing what is legal, whether or not ignoring others, plays a role in both pieces. He says that “The limits of human rights and fairness are determined by a system of laws; these limits are very broad. If one is right from a legal point of view, nothing else is necessary, no one can say that one cannot still be completely right” (Solzhenitsyn 18). People will do what is legal to appear morally good and intelligent, but in reality they can still act legally without regard to the feelings and opinions of others. Mr. Shiftlet does not act illegally on his journey to find peace, but he ignores the feelings of others and thinks he is above others. Because he acts above the law, he makes bad decisions and ultimately fails in his journey to find happiness.