Read the excerpt from Flannery O’Connor’s “The Life You Save May Be Your Own.”He held the pose for almost fifty seconds and then he picked up his box and came on to the porch and dropped down on the bottom step. “Lady,” he said in a firm nasal voice, “I’d give a fortune to live where I could see me a sun do that every evening.”Keeping in mind the ending of the story, which best describes the irony of Mr. Shiftlet’s statement?
Answer
A
Mr. Shiftlet does not need a fortune, as he places no value on financial wealth or the security of having a permanent home.
B
Instead of staying at the plantation, where he can see sunsets like these for the rest of his life, he runs away with Mrs. Crater’s car and money.
C
According to Mrs. Crater, the sun sets like this every evening, and if he stays at the plantation, Mr. Shiftlet will see this regularly.
D
No amount of money can ensure that an individual will witness a sunset to equal this one and will see it every single day.
Explanation
Mr. Shiftlet says he would give a fortune to live somewhere he could watch the sunset every evening, suggesting that he values a lasting home and its beauty. But at the end of the story, he abandons the plantation and drives away with Mrs. Crater’s car and money instead of staying. That contrast makes his statement ironic, so B is the best choice.
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