I believe that Mr.Shiftlet, the character in the story “The Life You Save May Be Your Own” by Flannery O'Conner, is an innocent, sincere and honest man . Although there are many misconceptions about Mr.Shiftlet, this is mainly due to his complex character. My first example is when Mr.Shiftlet enters the story. At first he appears innocent and pitiful to the reader. He shows emotion to the reader as he is portrayed as helpless, innocent, and crippled. Mr. Shiftlet later asks Mrs. Crater why she trusts him stating, "...you've never seen me before: how do you know I'm not lying?" again appealing to his innocent appearance. Mr.Shiftlet's helpless and pitiful character shows those around him that he is trustworthy. Another example is when he is initially distracted from his religious path by the thought that the car would be his ultimate gateway to spiritual freedom. He compares the spirit to a car that starts moving: "the spirit... is like a car: always in motion." This supports Mr.Shiftlet's complex character because all of Mr.Shiftlet's actions were specifically designed to help himself, or in other words, to obtain the vehicle, as another action simply by using his resources. A complex character expressed once again in the text, this time however through his guilt. In the story it is said that Mr.Shiftlet seeks one last chance for redemption. Mr. Shiftlet knew that a man with a car has his responsibilities, that's why he gave the boy a ride. This act of kindness was an opportunity for Mr. Shiftlet to feel better about his mistakes. Again, I believe there are many misconceptions regarding Mr.Shiftlet's actions due to his complex character. Mr.Shiftlet takes care of him in many ways. One of the examples showing that......middle of the paper......Mrs. Crater. Nothing more, nothing less. A forgotten relationship…once again brought back to life through the once demolished object, taken away…just to bring happiness into one's life. I believe Mr.Shiftlet is an innocent, sincere and honest man. Overall he was a good person, because he helped the Craters without even being asked to do so. His misconceptions about his negative side have so far prevailed over his positive side. Of all the good things he did, they were never really noticed because of his misconceptions. How could Mr. Shiftlet hurt anyone when he acknowledged all the things he had done to benefit others? I believe there are many misconceptions regarding Mr.Shiftlet's actions due to his complex character. However, I believe that these misconceptions have now been put aside and that we can now all recognize Mr. Shiftlet as a kind, thoughtful and sincere man..