The Life You Save May Be Your Own Character Analysis

Tom Shiftlet

Tom Shiftlet, the 28 year old protagonist of the story, is a one-armed traveling carpenter. He claims to be from Tarwater, Tennessee, and to have served in the military, traveled abroad, and worked various different… read analysis of Tom Shiftlet

Mrs. Crater

Lucynell Crater is an old widow who lives on a remote farm with her disabled daughter (who is also named Lucynell Crater). Mrs. Crater is described as toothless and tiny, “about the size of… read analysis of Mrs. Crater

Lucynell Crater

Lucynell lives with her mother, Mrs. Crater, on a remote farm in the south. She is deaf, mute, and has mental disabilities, but she is able to do work around the farm like sweeping… read analysis of Lucynell Crater

Minor Characters

Waiter at the Hot Spot

The waiter is a young man who works at the roadside restaurant where Shiftlet abandons Lucynell. The waiter describes Lucynell as looking like an “angel of Gawd” and gently touches her hair.

Hitchhiker

The hitchhiker is a young man to whom Shiftlet offers a ride after abandoning Lucynell. He sullenly listens to Shiftlet’s reminiscing about his mother, before exclaiming “My old woman is a flea bag and yours is a stinking pole cat!” and jumping out of the moving car.