In "The Life You Save may be Your Own," Flannery O'Connor descriptively characterizes the battles within oneself with the characters of Mrs. Crater, Tom Shiftlet, and Lucynell Crater. The realistic and truthful tones of their actions suggest that through personal obstacles and flaws, triumph can be obtain by being truthful. All three characters of the story are realistic and truthful in a different way. Mrs. Crater could be considered the most truthful character in the …showed first 75 words of 514 total…

…showed last 75 words of 514 total…to it. The three main characters of "The Life You Save may be Your Own" all somehow deal with the necessary components of life. The truthful and realistic accept the flaws and end up satisfied with their incompleteness, and Shiftlet, who is dishonest to himself and to others, end up unsatisfied and still incomplete. O'Connor's tone and attitude of the story analogizes itself into honest is as to happy and dishonest is as to unhappy.