The most striking thing about their first meeting is that Sheppard compares his office to being like a confessional box, despite having never been in one. The escalating clash between these two characters makes for a slightly suspenseful plot and provides captivating afterthoughts for the readers. Rufus also believes that Sheppard sees himself this way, declaring to Norton, “He thinks he’s Jesus Christ!” When he is finally caught breaking into a house, Rufus tells the reporter that Sheppard “thinks he’s God… The Devil has him in his power.”, In contrast, Rufus declares himself to be controlled by Satan on the very first day he meets Sheppard. Historical Presentation Class System Sources • American society is arranged into social classes based on 5 different things. But Sheppard hopes he will run away from home and come to stay at his house, so that he can take credit for helping the boy. Thanks for the comment Alexander and thank you for highlighting the omission. Suppose you had to root in garbage cans for good? “The Lame Shall Enter First” (1962) Flannery O’Connor (1925-1964) “A well-meaning but unimaginative widower, Sheppard, neglects his son Norton, mainly because an older boy, Rufus Johnson, clubfooted and criminal, seems much more in need of help; the consequence is Norton’s suicide. Each character in this story is experiencing an emotional battle which they try to find healing but for some it will be too late. The Comforts of Home by Flannery O’Connor, Everything That Rises Must Converge by Flannery O’Connor. Your email address will not be published. I love your analysis. Taken from her Everything That Rises Must Converge collection the story is narrated in the third person and tells the tale of a man called Sheppard and his efforts to try and redeem a young juvenile delinquent called Rufus Johnson. Write. Learn. Not affiliated with Harvard College. Rufus is incredibly smart and has a club which he keeps in a battered old shoe. Flashcards. Sheppard’s longing for Rufus to leave is also significant because it suggests that Sheppard no longer feels he is able to make a connection with Rufus. Nice job. 1 Answer. The Lame Shall Enter First by Flannery O’Connor Sheppard sat on a stool at the bar that divided the kitchen in half, eating his cereal out of the individual pasteboard box it came in. Notice how this mantra of Shepperd’s “I have nothing to reproach myself with” implies that he is spotless. Rufus is the symbol of sacrifice, through the description of red, the symbol of the blood of Christ, and through his proclamation that “nobody can save [him] but Jesus” (474). This annoys Sheppard because he feels that Norton has been given everything unlike Rufus who has nothing. We can see it. He met with him every week until he was released from the reformatory. O’Connor may be using irony to suggest that it is Sheppard who is being selfish, by not focusing on Norton, rather than Norton being the selfish one. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. It is disappointing that you consider the post to be more a summary than an analysis. Tag: The Lame Shall Enter First ... She first takes issue with an approach to literature that is “entirely concerned with the social or economic or psychological forces that they will by necessity exhibit, or those details of daily life that are for the good novelist only means to … Required fields are marked *, Notify me of follow-up comments via e-mail. Sheppard’s perception that he has given everything to Norton is important because it is while they are in the kitchen we realise that Norton’s mother has been dead for a year. Sheppard has taken him to the brace shop to be fitted for a special shoe for his club foot. In this part of the story, the Bible is mentioned more as a book, showing the misguidance of the men, although the title of the story is The Lame Shall Enter Last, referring to the Bible verse, Jeremiah 32 and Luke 16, “The Lame Enter First, or the Last Shall be First.” Rather than focusing on the good within his own son, he focused, for his own benefit and ego on Rufus. It was published in 1965 in her short story collection Everything That Rises Must Converge. Relevance. She died in 1964, just before her final book was published. Download The Lame Shall Enter First Study Guide Subscribe Now Another significant setting is the universe itself, the stars and moon that can be seen through the telescope Sheppard gives Rufus. The Lame Shall Enter First is a story that is jam packed from start to finish with both suspense and foreshadowing to hook readers into it. the lame shall enter first Chinese meaning, the lame shall enter first的中文，the lame shall enter first的中文，the lame shall enter first的中文，translation, pronunciation, synonyms and example sentences are provided by ichacha.net. Rufus says he is bored with the telescope because all you can see is the moon, and he’ll never even go there: instead, he’s going to hell when he dies. Literary Analysis: The Lame Shall Enter First Nakia Chambliss Baptist College of Health Sciences Literary Analysis: The Lame Shall Enter First There are three main characters in this story: Sheppard, Norton and Rufus. The club foot has a great deal of significance. The Good Shepherd and the Black Sheep: Paradoxical Irony in “The Lame Shall Enter First” Assignment “ [W]hen thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth” counsels the Bible, thus setting the precedent for all well-meaning members of western society concerning their charitable intentions (Matt. As Sheppard talks to his son, he tries "to pierce the child's conscience with his gaze." The story follows Sheppard, a man who works at a reformatory with troubled youth, and his young son, Norton. , Notify me of follow-up comments via e-mail t know nothing about me a flawed man unable to with! And their inevitable spiritual transformation read it together this great story it begins while Norton is intently! Rufus a telescope and sets it up for him in the Sewanee Review in 1962 was. Another person or spam folder to confirm your subscription Everything unlike Rufus who has nothing Enter First by O'Connor! On Rufus his club foot home, the police are there again, with in! 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