What is the theme in The Life You Save May Be Your Own by Flannery O'Connor?

Moral corruption is another theme in the story. While on the surface, the automobile and wedding gift in "The Life You Save May Be Your Own" seem unimportant, they in fact reveal a world in which money has become more important than people or spiritual peace. From the beginning, it is clear that Mrs. Crater is seeking to lure Shiftlet into her home so that she can gain his services—first as a carpenter, and then as a husband for her daughter. This causes Mrs. Crater (whose name suggests emptiness) to treat her own daughter as little more than an object to be traded.