Flannery O’Connor states that from reading her works, her subject is "the action of grace in territory held largely by the devil." O'Connor was a devout Catholic throughout her life, and in a majority of her works, she developed a literary philosophy that was dedicated to reconciling her dual roles as a Catholic and a fiction writer. Most of O’Connor short stories are written in such a way as to exaggerate sinfulness and the need for grace. It is undeniable O'Connor went to draconian lengths to illustrate her brand of divine grace. She utilized techniques such as matricide, strangling, scam and shooting, among others to demonstrate how evil can bring back individuals to reality and as such prepare these people for their moment of grace. Essentially, O’Connor held the perception that forgiveness is something that is achieved at a considerable cost.
In most cases, the characters in O’Connor stories acknowledge the need for repentance, and often, it is a choice between accepting and disregarding the opportunity. In the “Life You Save May be Your Own,” the antagonist Tom Shiftlet lures his way into marrying a deaf-mute Lucynell. However, Shiftlet abandons his new wife on their honeymoon and drives to Mobile, his dream destination. In TLYSMBYO, Shiftlet somewhat accepts his grace when he picks up a young boy on the road and eventually offers a prayer when the boy leaps out of the car. In “Good Country People,” O'Connor does not indicate the character's choice to the new insight. Indeed, the antagonist, Manley Pointer who poses as a Bible salesman takes advantage of the protagonist Hulga lack of practical life skills and eventually steals her wooden leg. At the end of the story, Manley brags that despite Hulga extensive education, he was able to fool her and leaves her helpless. In this particular instance, there is no evidence of Manley acceptance of grace.
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