The Lame Shall Enter First By Flannery O Connor
Jennie Pascua
Professor Michelle Johnson
English 1B Summer Online
July 31, 2014
Essay # 2 “The Lame Shall Enter First”
The Power of Faith Human nature perceives good and evil as two different realms. Good is perceived as manifestations of love, purity, salvation and goodness in the lives of people. Lesser good is judged to be evil. Frequently, the perception of good and evil is based on our own frame of acceptance. When we judge other people, we create a separation between good and evil. Such people believe their actions are based on clear reasons and understanding. As a result, often they feel superior or better than another. Such moralist person is the protagonist Sheppard of Flannery O’Connor’s “The Lame Shall Enter First.” Sheppard is …show more content…
a misguided man who lacks faith in God and understanding of good and evil. He is misguided in his desire to do good, which is rooted, in his own thinking. He is inclined to control and judge the moral behaviors of other people.
“Sheppard [is] a young man whose hair [is] already white” (143). He is the City Recreational Director and works as counselor at the reformatory once a week. After the death of his wife just over a year, he buries himself in his job and forgets to understand his own son, Norton. Sheppard denies any grief for his wife causing him to neglect his son’s grievances. He expects Norton to be “good and unselfish and neither seemed likely” (143). Sheppard lacks empathy to comprehend his son’s behavior and confusion over the death of his mother. He irritatingly tells his son to “stop thinking about [himself] and think what [he] can do for somebody else, then [he’ll] stop missing [his] mother" (147). Norton at his tender age needs the support and guidance to understand the death of his mother. Sheppard does not believe in God and heaven but values moral reasoning. He tells Norton that his mother is nowhere and for him to grieve “was all part of his selfishness” (146). Sheppard’s inability to understand the grief of his son causes him to consider Norton as self-centered child. He judges Norton based from his own theories that the boy is a failure and needs reformation. But Sheppard does not realize he himself also needs proper instruction.
Sheppard compares his office at the reformatory to being like a confessional box.
“He had never been inside a confessional but he thought it must be the same kind of operation he had there” (149). He self-righteously thinks his job is similar to priests but “his credentials were less dubious than a priest’s” (149). Sheppard works “at the reformatory as a counselor, receiving nothing” (145). He receives satisfaction in believing that “doing good” for others is the most important thing in life but unknowingly cannot tend to his son’s emotional needs. Sheppard believes he has provided everything to Norton. Instead of showering his son with love and understanding, he makes Norton feel guilty in his childish behaviors. He lectures him about less fortunate children and acts of sharing that are difficult for the young boy to …show more content…
digest.
Sheppard meets Rufus Johnson, a smart delinquent kid with an I.Q score of 140. Eagerly interested with Rufus’ intelligence, Sheppard believes he can transform Rufus into his own thinking and image. He thinks, “what was wasted on Norton would cause Johnson to flourish” (152). To win Sheppard’s trust and confidence, he invites Rufus to stay in their house. Norton is terrified when Rufus storms their house. Rufus asks Norton, “How do you stand [him]? He thinks he’s Jesus Christ” (161). Despite the kindness Sheppard shows to Rufus, he despises Sheppard’s hypocrisy and the psychological treatment he gets. Sheppard thinks that Rufus’ clubfoot is the root of his criminal acts. He wants to persuade Rufus “to make the most of [his] intelligence” (150). But Rufus tells him to “Study it and git your fill” (150). Rufus does not like Sheppard’s idea that he will be the one to save him. He tells Sheppard, “When I get ready to be saved, Jesus’ll save me, not that lying stinking atheist, not that…” (189). Rufus’ talk sessions with Sheppard at the reformatory help him to recognize the true personality of Sheppard.
Rufus at a young age believes in God, heaven and hell.
But he declares himself to be under the power of Satan. In order to educate Rufus about science and astronomy, Sheppard buys him a telescope. Sheppard is fascinated by science and astronomy as he claims, “We’re living in the space age” (151). Sheppard’s intention is for Rufus to detach himself about the idea of good and evil. The telescope instead becomes a source for Norton to see Rufus as someone who can enlighten him about death and heaven. Norton through Rufus receives more acceptable explanations where his mother is. Rufus tells Norton if his mother believes in Jesus, “she’s saved” (165). But “Right now you’d go where she is, but if you live long enough, you’ll go to hell,” warns Rufus to Norton (166). Rufus’ insights and sharings contradict Sheppard’s stories to his son. He wants his son to believe “[his mother] doesn’t exist” (165). Norton needs a moral explanation, but Sheppard fails to do so. He also buys Rufus a new shoe perfect for his clubfoot. Sheppard thinks “the shoe [is] going to make the greatest difference in the boy’s attitude” (162). Rufus rejects the new shoe to destroy Sheppard’s ambitious plan that he can change him. Sheppard is convinced he can transform Rufus and Norton in his own might but outside the real sense of
goodness.
To further annoy Sheppard, Rufus continues to break into houses and damage properties in the neighborhood. Sheppard is now confused whether to accuse Rufus of his misbehaviors or not. He is even more disillusioned thinking, “the poor kid is lost” (177) and he cannot make the connection he wanted to. He wants to convince Rufus that he trusts and he will protect him but unable to offer this to his own son. He sees more potential to Rufus than Norton to be like him. When Rufus claims that he did the vandalisms in the two houses, Sheppard fiercely tells him, “I’m stronger than you are and I’m going to save you” (180). To which Rufus firmly answers, “Nobody can save me but Jesus” (180). But Sheppard having lack of faith laughs and said, “I flushed that out of your head in the reformatory. I saved you from that, at least” (180).
Sheppard regards the Bible as a book “for cowards, people who are afraid to stand on their own feet and figure things out for themselves” (184). Sheppard denies the existence of the Word of God. He believes that man’s redemption depends upon “one’s self.” This causes Rufus to accuse Sheppard and said, “I believe [in the Bible]. You don’t know what I believe and what I don’t” (184). Rufus eats a page of the Bible and disappears. Sheppard asks Norton where Rufus is and he answers, “I found her” through the telescope (186). Again, Sheppard ignores his son’s discovery in search for Rufus.
When the policemen come back to Sheppard’s house to inform him that Rufus is caught this time, we can see the outrage of Rufus to Sheppard. Sheppard tells Rufus, “[he is] not evil, [but] mortally confused” (188). Rufus in fury says, “He thinks he’s God. I rather be in the reformatory than in this house” (189). Sheppard repeatedly says, “I have nothing to reproach myself with. I did more for him that I did for my own child” (189). He starts to feel guilty but it was too late. The misguided son who lost connection to the death of his mother took his life away. The misguided father, Sheppard, is unable to believe in the presence of good and evil. He thinks he is “doing good” but everything falls apart. Sheppard with his misguided thoughts and self-proclaimed pride drives Norton away with misunderstanding the presence of good and evil. He deprives his son with emotional and spiritual needs. He feeds Rufus with psychological nourishment but denying spiritual faith. He believes that goodness lies in the future and what is lost is gone. In the end, he realizes that his enthusiastic and egoistic approach lead to terrible outcomes. In the opening of the story, it tells that Sheppard eats mechanically while he watches Norton eats chocolate cake for breakfast. He lectures his son about how fortunate he was while Rufus “had to root in garbage cans for food” (146). This shows how Sheppard should correct his son properly by giving him nutritious meal but instead sermons him about focusing in helping other people. The father-son relationship is stale like the cake that Norton is eating. The unaffectionate opening can have gone differently if Sheppard is only sensitive to his son’s needs, hence they should still eat together outside their house. “When his wife was living, they had eaten outside, even breakfast, on the grass” (145). This must still stay the same so Sheppard can maintain what they used to do as a family. He must not reference Norton’s peculiar behavior as being selfish but instead must see it as part of his grieving process. Sheppard’s trust in Johnson starts to collapse when the policemen start to question the boy for possible smashed jobs in the neighborhood. “[Sheppard] did not suspect Johnson and he did not want the boy to think he did” (172). Sheppard decides to directly ask Johnson, “you didn’t leave the movie for anything at all, did you?” (173). The scene can have gone differently if Sheppard has asked Norton first before confronting Rufus. If Norton tells Shepard that Rufus left the movie and Rufus answered differently, Sheppard can see how Rufus is telling all lies. But that is not the case because Sheppard does not trust Norton as he trusts Rufus completely. In the last scene, Sheppard sees Norton with unnatural brightness and a transformed face. Norton says breathlessly to Sheppard, “I found her “ (186). He finds a vision of his mother through the telescope. Then Sheppard realizes that he can once again be a father and a mother to the lost boy. In this change of heart and attitude, he rushes to the boy’s room only to find out that Norton took his life away. Death is the bridge for him to see his mother again. The ending can be different if Sheppard finds the boy on the verge of hanging himself. Sheppard will save Norton and say, “I am so sorry.” From there, both father and son will find true redemption. Together, they will start a new beginning.
Works Cited
O’Connor, Flannery. “The Lame Shall Enter First.” Lost Short Stories. Comp. MA Johnson.
Rocklin: Sierra College, 2013. 143-190. Canvas. Web. 14 July 2014.
Professor Michelle Johnson
English 1B Summer Online
July 31, 2014
Essay # 2 “The Lame Shall Enter First”
The Power of Faith Human nature perceives good and evil as two different realms. Good is perceived as manifestations of love, purity, salvation and goodness in the lives of people. Lesser good is judged to be evil. Frequently, the perception of good and evil is based on our own frame of acceptance. When we judge other people, we create a separation between good and evil. Such people believe their actions are based on clear reasons and understanding. As a result, often they feel superior or better than another. Such moralist person is the protagonist Sheppard of Flannery O’Connor’s “The Lame Shall Enter First.” Sheppard is …show more content…
a misguided man who lacks faith in God and understanding of good and evil. He is misguided in his desire to do good, which is rooted, in his own thinking. He is inclined to control and judge the moral behaviors of other people.
“Sheppard [is] a young man whose hair [is] already white” (143). He is the City Recreational Director and works as counselor at the reformatory once a week. After the death of his wife just over a year, he buries himself in his job and forgets to understand his own son, Norton. Sheppard denies any grief for his wife causing him to neglect his son’s grievances. He expects Norton to be “good and unselfish and neither seemed likely” (143). Sheppard lacks empathy to comprehend his son’s behavior and confusion over the death of his mother. He irritatingly tells his son to “stop thinking about [himself] and think what [he] can do for somebody else, then [he’ll] stop missing [his] mother" (147). Norton at his tender age needs the support and guidance to understand the death of his mother. Sheppard does not believe in God and heaven but values moral reasoning. He tells Norton that his mother is nowhere and for him to grieve “was all part of his selfishness” (146). Sheppard’s inability to understand the grief of his son causes him to consider Norton as self-centered child. He judges Norton based from his own theories that the boy is a failure and needs reformation. But Sheppard does not realize he himself also needs proper instruction.
Sheppard compares his office at the reformatory to being like a confessional box.
“He had never been inside a confessional but he thought it must be the same kind of operation he had there” (149). He self-righteously thinks his job is similar to priests but “his credentials were less dubious than a priest’s” (149). Sheppard works “at the reformatory as a counselor, receiving nothing” (145). He receives satisfaction in believing that “doing good” for others is the most important thing in life but unknowingly cannot tend to his son’s emotional needs. Sheppard believes he has provided everything to Norton. Instead of showering his son with love and understanding, he makes Norton feel guilty in his childish behaviors. He lectures him about less fortunate children and acts of sharing that are difficult for the young boy to …show more content…
digest.
Sheppard meets Rufus Johnson, a smart delinquent kid with an I.Q score of 140. Eagerly interested with Rufus’ intelligence, Sheppard believes he can transform Rufus into his own thinking and image. He thinks, “what was wasted on Norton would cause Johnson to flourish” (152). To win Sheppard’s trust and confidence, he invites Rufus to stay in their house. Norton is terrified when Rufus storms their house. Rufus asks Norton, “How do you stand [him]? He thinks he’s Jesus Christ” (161). Despite the kindness Sheppard shows to Rufus, he despises Sheppard’s hypocrisy and the psychological treatment he gets. Sheppard thinks that Rufus’ clubfoot is the root of his criminal acts. He wants to persuade Rufus “to make the most of [his] intelligence” (150). But Rufus tells him to “Study it and git your fill” (150). Rufus does not like Sheppard’s idea that he will be the one to save him. He tells Sheppard, “When I get ready to be saved, Jesus’ll save me, not that lying stinking atheist, not that…” (189). Rufus’ talk sessions with Sheppard at the reformatory help him to recognize the true personality of Sheppard.
Rufus at a young age believes in God, heaven and hell.
But he declares himself to be under the power of Satan. In order to educate Rufus about science and astronomy, Sheppard buys him a telescope. Sheppard is fascinated by science and astronomy as he claims, “We’re living in the space age” (151). Sheppard’s intention is for Rufus to detach himself about the idea of good and evil. The telescope instead becomes a source for Norton to see Rufus as someone who can enlighten him about death and heaven. Norton through Rufus receives more acceptable explanations where his mother is. Rufus tells Norton if his mother believes in Jesus, “she’s saved” (165). But “Right now you’d go where she is, but if you live long enough, you’ll go to hell,” warns Rufus to Norton (166). Rufus’ insights and sharings contradict Sheppard’s stories to his son. He wants his son to believe “[his mother] doesn’t exist” (165). Norton needs a moral explanation, but Sheppard fails to do so. He also buys Rufus a new shoe perfect for his clubfoot. Sheppard thinks “the shoe [is] going to make the greatest difference in the boy’s attitude” (162). Rufus rejects the new shoe to destroy Sheppard’s ambitious plan that he can change him. Sheppard is convinced he can transform Rufus and Norton in his own might but outside the real sense of
goodness.
To further annoy Sheppard, Rufus continues to break into houses and damage properties in the neighborhood. Sheppard is now confused whether to accuse Rufus of his misbehaviors or not. He is even more disillusioned thinking, “the poor kid is lost” (177) and he cannot make the connection he wanted to. He wants to convince Rufus that he trusts and he will protect him but unable to offer this to his own son. He sees more potential to Rufus than Norton to be like him. When Rufus claims that he did the vandalisms in the two houses, Sheppard fiercely tells him, “I’m stronger than you are and I’m going to save you” (180). To which Rufus firmly answers, “Nobody can save me but Jesus” (180). But Sheppard having lack of faith laughs and said, “I flushed that out of your head in the reformatory. I saved you from that, at least” (180).
Sheppard regards the Bible as a book “for cowards, people who are afraid to stand on their own feet and figure things out for themselves” (184). Sheppard denies the existence of the Word of God. He believes that man’s redemption depends upon “one’s self.” This causes Rufus to accuse Sheppard and said, “I believe [in the Bible]. You don’t know what I believe and what I don’t” (184). Rufus eats a page of the Bible and disappears. Sheppard asks Norton where Rufus is and he answers, “I found her” through the telescope (186). Again, Sheppard ignores his son’s discovery in search for Rufus.
When the policemen come back to Sheppard’s house to inform him that Rufus is caught this time, we can see the outrage of Rufus to Sheppard. Sheppard tells Rufus, “[he is] not evil, [but] mortally confused” (188). Rufus in fury says, “He thinks he’s God. I rather be in the reformatory than in this house” (189). Sheppard repeatedly says, “I have nothing to reproach myself with. I did more for him that I did for my own child” (189). He starts to feel guilty but it was too late. The misguided son who lost connection to the death of his mother took his life away. The misguided father, Sheppard, is unable to believe in the presence of good and evil. He thinks he is “doing good” but everything falls apart. Sheppard with his misguided thoughts and self-proclaimed pride drives Norton away with misunderstanding the presence of good and evil. He deprives his son with emotional and spiritual needs. He feeds Rufus with psychological nourishment but denying spiritual faith. He believes that goodness lies in the future and what is lost is gone. In the end, he realizes that his enthusiastic and egoistic approach lead to terrible outcomes. In the opening of the story, it tells that Sheppard eats mechanically while he watches Norton eats chocolate cake for breakfast. He lectures his son about how fortunate he was while Rufus “had to root in garbage cans for food” (146). This shows how Sheppard should correct his son properly by giving him nutritious meal but instead sermons him about focusing in helping other people. The father-son relationship is stale like the cake that Norton is eating. The unaffectionate opening can have gone differently if Sheppard is only sensitive to his son’s needs, hence they should still eat together outside their house. “When his wife was living, they had eaten outside, even breakfast, on the grass” (145). This must still stay the same so Sheppard can maintain what they used to do as a family. He must not reference Norton’s peculiar behavior as being selfish but instead must see it as part of his grieving process. Sheppard’s trust in Johnson starts to collapse when the policemen start to question the boy for possible smashed jobs in the neighborhood. “[Sheppard] did not suspect Johnson and he did not want the boy to think he did” (172). Sheppard decides to directly ask Johnson, “you didn’t leave the movie for anything at all, did you?” (173). The scene can have gone differently if Sheppard has asked Norton first before confronting Rufus. If Norton tells Shepard that Rufus left the movie and Rufus answered differently, Sheppard can see how Rufus is telling all lies. But that is not the case because Sheppard does not trust Norton as he trusts Rufus completely. In the last scene, Sheppard sees Norton with unnatural brightness and a transformed face. Norton says breathlessly to Sheppard, “I found her “ (186). He finds a vision of his mother through the telescope. Then Sheppard realizes that he can once again be a father and a mother to the lost boy. In this change of heart and attitude, he rushes to the boy’s room only to find out that Norton took his life away. Death is the bridge for him to see his mother again. The ending can be different if Sheppard finds the boy on the verge of hanging himself. Sheppard will save Norton and say, “I am so sorry.” From there, both father and son will find true redemption. Together, they will start a new beginning.
Works Cited
O’Connor, Flannery. “The Lame Shall Enter First.” Lost Short Stories. Comp. MA Johnson.
Rocklin: Sierra College, 2013. 143-190. Canvas. Web. 14 July 2014.