The Life You Save May Be Your Own

On the surface, this story is about two people using one another for their own ends: Mr. Shiftlet wants a car, and Mrs. Crater wants a son-in-law to help maintain her farm. However, the story is also about The Possibility of Salvation and how self-deception, deception of others, and selfish desire lead people to reject that redemption.

The story opens with religious imagery. As Mr. Shiftlet arrives at the farm, he stretches, and his arms form a “crooked cross” (Paragraph 5); his missing hand/lower arm suggests that, like Jesus, he is suffering through physical torment. He is also a carpenter, as Jesus was, making the allusion to Christianity that much clearer. Mr. Shiftlet consistently presents himself as a good man, saying he has a kind of “moral intelligence” and that he wouldn’t want to marry a girl who wasn’t “innocent.”

Mrs. Crater observes the benefits of having Mr. Shiftlet around, and she can see that her daughter likes him. He teaches Lucynell how to say “bird,” which she does enthusiastically, and he brings the farm back to life. In a way, Mrs. Crater is looking for Mr. Shiftlet to be her salvation, but her understanding of salvation is more material than spiritual. She is “ravenous for a son-in-law” who will take care of her and Lucynell (Paragraph 39); the language is predatory, implying she doesn’t care whether, in using Shiftlet, she consumes and destroys him.

When Mr. Shiftlet fixes their automobile, it is as though he “raised the dead” (Paragraph 54). The irony is that Jesus resurrected the dead through his spiritual powers and religious leadership, whereas Mr. Shiftlet revives the dead car to steal it from its owner. Mrs. Crater interprets this as the resurrection of her life of material comfort and security; she believes she will have the son-in-law she needs to continue running her farm. However, Mr. Shiftlet proves unworthy of her trust.

Mrs. Crater and Mr. Shiftlet deceive one another, but also themselves. Mr. Shiftlet believes the car will make him happy, but it doesn’t. Mrs. Crater believes that Mr. Shiftlet is a moral man who will do right by her and her daughter, but he does not. Each has been fooled by the appearance of things. Mrs. Crater thought that Mr. Shiftlet was harmless because he was a “tramp” and had one arm. Mr. Shiftlet thought he was a man of “moral intelligence” who could outwit Mrs. Crater. Though both get what they wanted for a moment, both ultimately prove part of the “rottenness” of the world that they previously condemned. What’s more, their actions leave Lucynell in a highly vulnerable position. As Lucynell embodies purity and guiltlessness, their behavior symbolically marks The End of Innocence. 

Consequently, though Mr. Shiftlet attains his material goal, his mood darkens as he leaves Lucynell behind. Though his sincerity is debatable, he has consistently presented himself as someone who adheres to his own personal code of conduct; in fact, he has presented this code as nobler and more authentic than society’s rigid mores, establishing a juxtaposition between The Spirit Versus the Law. However, the freedom of following his spirit’s dictates does not ultimately make Shiftlet any happier than conformity.