How does Flannery O'Connor use imagery in The Life You Save May Be Your Own?

O'Connor uses symbols and imagery to signifi- cant effect in this story. Some recurring images and symbols include Christ, nature, physical ailments, and the automobile. When the reader is first introduced to the protagonist, for example, Shiftlet forms "a crooked cross" against the sky. He is also a carpenter. Thus, he appears to be a Christ figure, but since he has only one arm, it may be that he is a flawed Christ. Indeed, all three characters are physically disabled: Shiftlet is without an arm, Mrs. Crater is without teeth, and Lucynell is unable to speak. All of these physical features may reflect the difficulties of the human condition, which is made worse by both Shiftlet's and Mrs. Crater's refusal to embrace Lucynell, the manifestation of God's grace (or "angel of Gawd," as she is called) in the story.