Read the excerpt from Flannery O’Connor’s “The Life You Save May Be Your Own.” He was more depressed than ever as he drove on by
himself. The late afternoon had grown hot and sultry and the country had flattened out. Deep in the sky a storm was preparing very slowly and without thunder as if it meant to drain every drop of air from the earth before it broke. There were times when Mr. Shiftlet preferred not to be alone. He felt too that a man with a car had a responsibility to others and he kept his eye out for a hitch-hiker. Occasionally he saw a sign that warned: “Drive carefully. The life you save may be your own.” Which statement most accurately represents the excerpt’s larger idea? Beauty and truth appear in unexpected places. Social isolation may lead people to act immorally. Getting what you want may not make you happy. You may not get everything that you have bargained for.
Answer: C) Getting what you want may not make you happy.
The excerpt occurs afer Mr. Shiftlet abandons his wife, Lucynell, in the diner. It is extremely ironic because, even though he abandoned a woman who is completely dependent on him, Mr. Shiftlet feels responsible towards hitchhikers.
It is also an episode that shows that getting what you want may not always make you happy. He has obtained the liberty and solitude he wanted by leaving his wife. However, as he gets in the car, he realized he prefers not to be alone, and feels even more depressed than before.
