"And they lived happily ever after." This picturesque phrase can hardly be described as the typical ending of a Flannery O'Connor play. In a "standard" O'Connor piece, one might expect to find various allusions to religion, sardonic situations, and demented characters. “The Life You Save May Be Your Own” exemplifies a perfect example of O’Connor’s writing style. This story depicts the opposite of a fairy tale by bringing irony into the situations of the mother raising, the beautiful and innocent young woman, the hero saving the woman, and the romantic setting in a fairytale kingdom. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Flannery O'Connor's works are often considered grotesque, bigoted, or sarcastic. Many critics believe that this style is due to his misery in life. At the age of ten, her father died from the disease she was later diagnosed with. He lives a solitary life on an isolated farm in Milledgeville, Georgia. Although he is not always the example of a cheerful and optimistic person, he achieves personal triumphs through his writings and his awards. He retains a great deal of courage and brightness throughout his life. Although she welcomes many guests to her home, writes corresponding letters to friends and experiences happy moments, she remains a rather serious intellectual. His lupus diagnosis affects his lifestyle but not his writing style. One cannot conclude that Flannery O'Connor writes about such grotesque topics because of her own misery and self-pity over receiving the lupus diagnosis; rather, as a Catholic and an extraordinarily gifted writer, she is fascinated by such controversial topics. If she were personally troubled and upset by her illness, she would make no effort to explain why these issues matter to her. He collects these letters and publishes them in a book. In one letter in particular, O'Connor answers the question of why he writes about such topics. She clearly states: "I write like this because (but not) I am Catholic. This is a fact and nothing covers it like the simple statement. However, I am a Catholic particularly gifted with modern conscience [...]" (F. O'Connor 90). By saying this, everything in his writing falls into perspective. As a devout Catholic, she centers her life on Christ, who is the Truth and the Light. When you do this, you are better able to see the black and white topics in life. Seeing good and evil, O'Connor conscientiously writes about the unpleasant because of his modern conscience which is fascinated by grotesque subjects. His ability to see such provocative themes is a sort of gift he receives by following the Christian faith. O'Connor says: "My sense is that writers who see in the light of their Christian faith will, in these times, have the keenest eye for the grotesque, for the perverse and for the unacceptable" (F. O' Connor 68). The grotesque, the perverse and the unacceptable are the subjects of nearly all of his published works. Every character, every setting and every theme deals with unpleasant issues and situations that you couldn't imagine. His perception of darkness and evil comes directly from the Bible. His unpleasant characters seem to have traits such as:[...] self-loving, greedy, proud, vainglorious, blasphemous, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, impious, without natural affection, lawbreakers, false accusers, incontinent, ferocious, despisers of good, treacherous, intoxicating, haughty, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: turn away from such. (2 Tim 3:2-5) Men of this description sooner or later become icharacters from O'Connor's stories. When one, like Miss O'Connor, knows the good and evil of the world, yet still chooses to write about topics as mentioned, it is because "[...] gives an additional dimension to work in" (W. O'Connor 70). An author has little to work with when the characters are ideal Christians in a setting like a southern "Bible Belt" city. O'Connor realizes that for any variation and conflict, or for anything to happen in his stories, the characters must have difficult experiences. As a philosopher, Heraclitus, states, "The way up is the way down." O'Connor takes his characters through all the earthly ugliness so that insight can be gained. As one professor writes: There are no shortcuts to beauty or intuition. We must cross the finite, the limited, the defined, without omitting anything so as not to leave out some of the potential of being-in-flesh... The finite is not in itself a generality, to be understood in one fell swoop. . Rather, it contains many forms, byways, intelligence, powers, diversity, and people, and we must not move too quickly from the many to the one. (Quinn 110) O'Connor's peculiar detail is not used in vain. Using individual attention to each fictional element included in his stories, he uses ugliness to contrast beauty. He could use liars to exemplify the truth. O'Connor's brilliant insight comes after the painstaking and somewhat ruthless challenges the characters face. What may seem grotesque serves the purpose of seeing the links between the natural, the earthly, and the living versus the supernatural, the celestial, or death. So rightly, “None of his characters are sentimentalized, for he sees the potential evil in all human beings, and is constantly aware of the inconsistencies in human actions” (W. O'Connor 70-71). Why reduce the amount of conflict that takes place in the story? O'Connor believes that the possible outcome of each situation contains some information to help better understand the ending. Its themes and morals are often linked to the Catechism such as original sin, salvation, grace, mercy and forgiveness of Christ. His character Tom L. Shiftlet, a minor villain compared to other O'Connor monstrosities, subtly compares himself to mercy, salvation, and resurrection. Thus, his writing of grotesque characters and his allusion to religion are written because of his unique mind, fascination with carnal sin, and his overwhelming consciousness of Catholicism. The smallest details of his works are often a projection of his self-image, subtext or comic irony. O'Connor uses finite, amoral, and grotesque characters and settings so that one can more fully understand truth or moral conscience at an optimal level. Once the reader has glimpsed the evil in the world, he or she will more easily understand the good, the light, and the truth. Since critics often find allusions to the life of Christ, one can safely conclude that such writing style is directly related to Miss O'Connor's firm belief in Catholicism. In "The Life You Save May Be Your Own", the beautiful and innocent young woman in this story in no way displays the image of a wonderful enchantress from a typical fairy tale. When one is told to imagine the heroine of the story, one may think of a girl who "[...] has[s] long pink-gold hair and eyes as blue as a peacock's neck" (F. O'Connor 623). This angelic peculiarity may be the only positive trait Lucynell possesses. O'Connor's mention of a peacock is significant. It symbolizes the beauty of the peacock as cherubic elegance. Or as one critic believes, "[...] the peacock symbolizes the divine natureof Christ [...]" (Hyman 344). By inserting this minute detail into Lucynell's description, O'Connor alludes to her characteristics as an innocent celestial person. However, because O'Connor does not create perfect characters, she projects her own negative self-image to balance Lucynell's image. Therefore, because of this negative balance, Lucynell will never achieve the feat of being the astonishingly beautiful and innocent woman who charms in life to fascinate is someone who does not have the pleasure of seeing her awake. As the newlywed couple sits in the diner, the young man comments: "'She looks like an angel of God'" (F. O'Connor 627). if he saw her come out of sleep? Most likely, he would observe a clumsy and obnoxious girl who cannot speak or compose herself in public. Lucynell may be a beautiful young lady while sleeping, but the beautiful fairy tale heroine does not make her way through life while is she awake? Unlike the charismatic beauty of a mythological woman, Lucynell feels no shame or embarrassment as she strikes strange poses when complete strangers approach, nor does she attempt to hypnotize any man. However, it has the ability to exclude any possibility of marriage. Who can fall in love with "[t]he big rosy-faced girl [who] follows him everywhere, saying 'Burrttddt ddbirrrttdt,' clapping her hands" (F. O'Connor 624)? Lucynell's misfortune almost gives one a feeling of sympathy as one understands that she will never become a beautiful and innocent heroine. While Lucynell does not exemplify the character one would like her to be portrayed as, she remains the only link to innocence and salvation in the story. As one critic points out, "Thanks to her idiocy, Lucynell is as close to angelic innocence as a person can be [...]" (Ragen 137). However undesirable Lucynell's innocence may be, one will be blameworthy if she betrays this kind of divinity. Therefore, Shiftlet's abandonment makes him guilty because he cheats the trust of a naive woman. O'Connor also seeks to warn every innocent young woman that she is vulnerable and could be taken advantage of by a deceptive man. For every woman, the reality remains that she may never be able to achieve the feat of being a woman like the one in a fairy tale. Only a handful of fictional women have been able to claim the victory of being a charismatic woman that men can't resist. Although not with the intensity of Lucynell's misfortune, every woman has flaws that prevent her from portraying the image of the beautiful goddess. Since no such Venus truly exists, O'Connor creates the extreme opposite of an idol to foil the situation. The mother in a story can be classified into two categories: the evil stepmother or the loving mother. In this case, Mrs. Crater exemplifies the mother who does not fit into either category; it is neither negligent nor encouraging. Lucynell Crater is the only character in this story who has the consciousness to choose between right and wrong, innocence or ambition. The mother has one goal in mind: to marry her daughter off to anyone who wants her. When Mr. Tom L. Shiftlet arrives at the harsh farm, Mrs. Crater sees the only opportunity to marry off her daughter. He attempts to start a relationship between the two as soon as he finds the opportunity. Mrs. Crater insinuates to Shiftlet her desire to have him with her daughter by saying, "'Teach her to say sugarpie,' she said. Mr. Shiftlet knew what she had in mind" (F. O'Connor 625). Lucynell misses no opportunity to have her daughter with this man. While both Shiftlet and Lucynell are quite insightful, Lucynell ignores the fact that there are questionable characteristics in this potential son-in-law. Mrs. Crater's choice to choose evil over goodshows that the right answer is not always the final answer. Would a caring mother consider the fact that her only daughter might marry a deceiver? The prospector agrees to take the daughter away only when bribes are inserted into the deal. As Shiftlet and her mother once again discuss marriage proposals, Mrs. Crater "bait[ys] her carefully. 'You can have her painted by Saturday. I'll pay for the paint'" (F. O'Connor 626). The mother's numerous attempts to marry off her daughter to someone who will only enter into the relationship if a piece of rusty metal is painted exemplify her lack of concern. Perhaps at her age, her only ambition in life is to see her daughter get married. Yet, why would a decent mother ignore a man's obvious lack of sincerity in marrying her innocent and naive child? Mrs. Crater still feels she has to convince Shiftlet of his good choice to marry her daughter. Returning home from the pre-announced wedding, the mother says, "'Isn't Lucynell pretty? She looks like a little doll.' [...] 'You have received a prize!'" (F. O'Connor 626). His vain attempts to keep his daughter and Shiftlet happy cease when he lets Lucynell go on her "honeymoon". Although Lucynell Crater followed her own ambition and saw her daughter married, her only daughter will suffer because of her mother's blind aspirations. Miss Crater exemplifies O'Connor's type of character who is "[...] vain, selfish creatures blind to themselves, dead to others, and desperately in need of grace" (Milder 419). Yet while her daughter's possible grace is before her eyes, she remains blinded by ambition. Mrs. Crater's choice to follow her own desires makes her useless to others. Many mothers tell their daughters, "I just want you to be happy." Through her actions, Lucynell shows that she never wants this for her daughter by pairing her with a misleading and duplicitous man. By realizing her own goals first, the mother demonstrates that she would rather make herself happy before wanting the same for her daughter. Mrs. Crater is "[...] involved in sin like the rest of humanity" (Ragen 137). While this sin may not be comparable to the fleshly sins committed by humanity, it sins through pride, greed, and symbolic blindness. Mrs. CraterWhile the handsome hero rescues the beautiful girl and throws her into his arms, he trips over a fallen branch and drops the heroine into a puddle of mud. The clumsy man ruined the fairy tale ending. In Flannery O' Connor's twisted tale, Tom L. Shiftlet ruins the fairy tale in ways more damaging than a single act of embarrassment. If you imagine the main male character of a fairy tale, you would see a well-built, charismatic and intelligent man with a smile that would melt the heart of any damsel in distress. Less likely one would think of a hard-edged hero with a "[...] smile [that] stretch[s] like a tired snake waking by a fire" (F. O'Connor 626). This very description would immediately make one think of a shady and diabolical character, not exactly the typical hero. From the beginning, Shiftlet tries to portray a Christ-like character. His actions, such as raising his arms to form a crooked cross and breathing life into a car that hasn't run for fifteen years, allude to important actions during Christ's ministry. O'Connor specifically writes such suggestive terms so that one can clearly see that Tom L. Shiftlet's is so far-fetched from the typical hero that his dirty flaws lie well beneath the sly surface. As much as Shiftlet tries to gain the temporary trust of others, Shiftlet, like other of O'Connor's 'villains' "[...] are versions of the pseudo-Christ as trickster, easily betraying those whothey put their faith in them [...]" (Asals 133) In the thin, angular and one-armed man hides a manipulative and scheming character, a man without moral integrity. He knows himself that he has no moral convictions. He attempts to convince Mrs. Crater and himself to do so by saying that he has "[...] 'a moral intelligence!' and his face comes out of the darkness into a ray of light and he stares at her as if he himself were amazed by this impossible truth" (F. O'Connor 624). Every true hero must base his decisions on the virtuous desires of his honest heart. Without the knowledge of right and wrong, how can a man make the right decisions? This fact foreshadows that any act coming from Shiftlet will be based on greed, lust and carnal desires only his own life, while he is given the chance to improve at least that of Lucynell or Mrs. Crater" (Ragen 138). Although Shiftlet has an opportunity to perform Christ-like Acts of Service, he rejects them due to his selfish habits. What brings Shiftlet to the farm is the thing she wants most: a car2E The mother, having no intention of ever using the car again, uses it as bait to lure Shiftlet into a relationship with her "exquisite" daughter. Shiftlet is happy with the deal but doesn't keep the car because he believes the marriage was "'[...] nothing but paperwork and blood tests. [...] It didn't satisfy me at all' " (F. O'Connor 626). Shiftlet's only satisfaction is found when he deceives and insults an innocent woman, steals a car, and boasts of a pitiful act of assistance to a hitchhiker. In the end, all this "hero" cares about are his desires and pleasures. Only the 'slime of the earth' would create such discontent in the lives of others to satisfy their own lusts, certainly not a hero. Shiftlet exemplifies O'Connor's typical evil characters. Shiftlet is a perfect projection of a hypocritical and perverse man who has an image of Christ and man. Because of O'Connor's modern consciousness, he finds it interesting to connect Christ and the devil into one individual and experience the result. While Shiftlet is a lesser villain than O'Connor's other characters, he clearly points out that you can't put your trust in the hands of a shady character without facing devastating consequences. Any fairy tale will experience mild conflicts and challenges to deal with. the story is interesting, but luckily most of it has a happy ending. In every typical story, two characters find love and spread happiness to those around them. In O'Connor's twisted version, the farm does not present an enchanting setting where love is sure to transpire. The rustic farmhouse shows a slight glimmer of hope thanks to the view of the mountainous horizon, the only beauty of the environment. Shiftlet also comments on the beauty of the scene saying: "[...] a man had to run away to the country to see the whole world and he would want to live in a desolate place like this where he would see the sun set down every evening as God intended it done" (F. O'Connor 624). The setting may be the only source of divine light shown in the story. To contrast the situation and make the ending even more insightful by crossing the finite, O'Connor writes the beauty of the horizon so that the setting in the final scene is even more opposite. In the beginning, “The sun, birds, mountains, sky, and moon all reflect the presence of God” (Edelstein 139). While in most fictional stories the weather predicts the ending, this initial setting adds an extra twist to what will happen. The beauty of the horizon adds to the contrast of the grotesque characters. With the mother trying to marry her only daughter.