Suggestions
Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select.Please wait while we process your payment
If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. Sometimes it can end up there.
If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. Sometimes it can end up there.
Please wait while we process your payment
By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy.
Don’t have an account? Subscribe now
Create Your Account
Sign up for your FREE 7-day trial
Already have an account? Log in
Your Email
Choose Your Plan
Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan!
payment page
Purchasing SparkNotes PLUS for a group?
Get Annual Plans at a discount when you buy 2 or more!
Price
$24.99 $18.74 /subscription + tax
Subtotal $37.48 + tax
Save 25% on 2-49 accounts
Save 30% on 50-99 accounts
Want 100 or more? Contact us for a customized plan.
Your Plan
Payment Details
Payment Summary
SparkNotes Plus
You'll be billed after your free trial ends.
7-Day Free Trial
Not Applicable
Renews June 9, 2023 June 2, 2023
Discounts (applied to next billing)
DUE NOW
US $0.00
SNPLUSROCKS20 | 20% Discount
This is not a valid promo code.
Discount Code (one code per order)
SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4.99/month or $24.99/year as selected above. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND AVOID BEING CHARGED, YOU MUST CANCEL BEFORE THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL PERIOD. You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv@bn.com. Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. Free trial is available to new customers only.
Choose Your Plan
For the next 7 days, you'll have access to awesome PLUS stuff like AP English test prep, No Fear Shakespeare translations and audio, a note-taking tool, personalized dashboard, & much more!
You’ve successfully purchased a group discount. Your group members can use the joining link below to redeem their group membership. You'll also receive an email with the link.
Members will be prompted to log in or create an account to redeem their group membership.
Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! Continue to start your free trial.
Please wait while we process your payment
Your PLUS subscription has expired
Please wait while we process your payment
Originally published as part of the 1955 short-story collection A Good Man is Hard to Find, “The Life You Save May Be Your Own” is an example of Flannery O’Connor’s bitingly funny, morally ambiguous mode of storytelling that would mark her as one of the most important Southern writers of the mid-20th century. The story revolves around two people working to get what they want and the fallout from the decisions they make chasing that end. O’Connor’s stories are often about damaged people in a broken world and the consequences that they are forced to live with as they pursue their desires.
Read our full plot summary of “The Life You Save May Be Your Own.”
See a complete list of the characters in “The Life You Save May Be Your Own” and in-depth analyses of Tom T. Shiftlet and the Old Woman.
Here's where you will find analysis of the key literary devices in “The Life You Save May Be Your Own.”
Find the quotes from “The Life You Save May Be Your Own” you need to support your essay or refresh your memory.
Enhance your understanding of “The Life You Save May Be Your Own” by learning more about the literary context for the story, Flannery O'Connor, and other works by the author on SparkNotes.
