In "The Life You Save May Be Yours", Flannery O'Connor uses Mr. Shiftlet to discuss moral intelligence in her story . Mr. Shiftlet, the main character, considers himself a true man without flaws. Mr. Shiftlet displays elements of humanism and moral questions about right and wrong. Humanism is the belief that human beings focus on their needs and think only of rational ways to solve problems. Mr. Shiftlet talks about mean people to make him look better in the eyes of others. He doesn't care about other people's opinions. He thinks he is doing the right thing by not stealing the car because he helps clean Crater's house, repairs the car, and teaches the deaf woman, Mrs. Crater, how to say "bird". He thinks that everyone around him is corrupt and that he is the only one in society who can help others and do the right thing in life. In "The Life You Save Can Be Your Own", Mr. Shiftlet sees himself above the law, not caring if he hurts others along the way. Since Mr. Shiftlet sees himself above the law, he believes he can act irresponsibly towards others. Mr. Shiftlet considers himself above the others: “He seemed to be a young man but he had an air of calm dissatisfaction, as if he understood life perfectly” (1). He denies having any faults and presents himself to others as superior. Mr. Shiftlet has a chance to achieve peace with the world. He is alone, without friends, and has the opportunity to work hard and live a quiet life. The chance for a normal life begins when he sees two women on the porch. As he approaches them, he turns his back to the sunset. Upon meeting the Craters, he sees an old car that he wants. Mr. Shiftlet wants a car so he sets out to get it. He thinks he is a moral man, so... middle of paper ...... Solzhenitsyn talks about the theme of humanism. The same theme of people doing what is legal, whether they ignore others or not, plays a role in both plays. He says that “the limits of human rights and righteousness are determined by a system of laws; these limits are very broad. If one is right from a legal point of view, nothing more is necessary, no one can mention that one might not be completely right” (Solzhenitsyn, 18). People will do what is legal to appear as if they are morally good and intelligent, but in reality, they can still act legally without considering the feelings and opinions of others. Mr. Shiftlet does not act illegally throughout his journey to find peace, but he disregards the feelings of others and thinks he is above others. Since he acts above the law, he makes bad decisions and at the end of his journey to find happiness, he fails..