The Good Shepherd and the Black Sheep: Paradoxical Irony in “The Lame Shall Enter First”

When thou doest alms, let not thy left hand accredit what thy right hand doeth counsels the Bible, thus setting the precedent for entirely well-meaning members of western society concerning their charitable intentions (Matt. 6. 3). Hu valet de chambreitys motivation to aid others, regardless of the outcome, is oft times spotted by the sharp struggle between selflessness and selfishness. Flannery OConnor captures this classic conflict between good and evil in Southern Grotesque fashion through her characters, the protagonist Sheppard and his foil, Rufus Johnson, in comment2 The Lame Shall Enter First. comment3 Challenging the literal paradigm of unhorse and darkness, OConnor weaves together well crafted characterization, cryptic dialogue, and both biblical and literary allusion in this incomprehensible plot and, by way of Sheppard and the antithetical Rufus, blends the black and bloodless of Christian dogma into an ironic grey. The contrast of light and dark begins with the des cription and characterization of the unmistakablely angelic comment4 Sheppard, and continues with the introduction of the obscure and ominous Rufus Johnson. OConnor is not pretentious in her description and development of either character.Sheppards white hair and halo are obvious references to his protagonistic status as the storys do-gooder comment5 (Norton 371). The narrator continues on by lauding his charitable contribution to the community as a counselor and weekend volunteer for boys no wizard else cared about (372). The readers only initial clue toward Sheppards self-righteous mania is his deliberate, guilt-implying sermon towards Norton, his disconcerted and doomed son. It is not, however, until the arrival of the dim, drenched Rufus that seemingly stark white coat of Sheppard loses its untainted radiance. comment6 Johnson is literally cast as the black sheep from the moment he limps into the house in his soaking wet black suit (376). The eventual(prenominal) personifica tion of evil comes when he is physically compared directly to the perennial villian Adolf Hitler (378). His opaque character is developed as dark as his appearance through his sodding(a) ingratitude and spiteful words toward his supposed savior, Sheppard. The ambiguous dialogue between the two main characters continues to blur the line between the traditional literal sentiment of good versus evil and the authors own Grotesque version. comment7 OConnors use of foreshadowing and plot development through dialogue is essential to the work, and is much more obvious upon rereading it. though Sheppards works are concrete and compassionate, his words are abstract and empty. His answers to both Norton and Rufus come in rehearsed, logical explanations. comment8 Sheppards attempts to animate either child about their future day are thwarted by his own uncertainty. The clearest example of this comes from one of the most crucial sections of the story, when Sheppard fails to satisfy Nortons des ire to know where his deceased mother is She doesnt exist . . Thats all I have to give you, . . . the truth (383). comment9 Where the good shepherd fails, the black sheep prevails. The dark character that Rufus is developed into shows an admirable assurity and for once a faint light flickers from behind the black sheen that appeared in the boys eyes (375) as he describes the existence of heaven and hell to Norton, confirming that the boys mother is saved (383). Then, in one of the most obvious uses of foreshadowing in the story, Rufus goes on to tell Norton comment10 that Right now youd go where she is . . . but if you live long enough, youll go to hell (383). erstwhile again Sheppard and his voice of reason seem to grow grayer as he immediately tells Norton to close the window, as if to separate him from the stars and his newly found hope in the existence of his mother (383). Admittedly influenced by her orthodox Christian background (408), OConnor scatters both biblical and ass orted literal allusions throughout her story, creating somewhat of a parody of common Christian themes. The use of Sheppard as the name of the protagonist binds the character to some religious comparison immediately.This is only reinforced when Rufus pronounces bitterly He thinks hes messiah Christ (381) comment11Another use of allusion with reference to Sheppard is Rufus comment12 crudely accurate accusation of him as a big tin Jesus (395). Like the forlorn tin man from The Wizard of Oz, Rufus statement argues that Sheppard is just as hollow as that empty, heartless shell of a man, regardless of his outwardly good deeds. Perhaps the most cover phrase in the story is OConnors allusion to the verse in St.Matthew quoted in the first paragraph. comment13 Repeated both at the beginning of the story and in his final appearance, Rufus declares that Sheppard dont know his left hand from his right (377, 395). Clearly OConnor is alluding to Sheppards selfish or misguided agenda well ill ustrated when he tells Norton of his desire to help the orphaned Rufus. Sheppards publicly through with(p) deeds are challenged by Rufus, the unwilling recipient of a well-meaning man going through the motions, yet craving some sort of support for his actions.The once polarized characters grow ever closer with the equalizing power of reality. The Lame Shall Enter First ends as abruptly as it begins. There is no cathartic advantage for the alleged comment14 good shepherd, only the agony of total defeat. Sheppards epiphany comes too late and the stark contrast that once distinguished him from the dark object of his alms turns into the feeble realization that he is no better than the beleaguered beneficiary.Through OConnors strategic literary devices, deft character contrast, and parody of entrenched Christian values, the reader is left to gestate and dissect the fact that maybe the entire flock comment15 isnt worth one black sheep. Between the black and white islands of moral cer tainty, good and evil, there lies a sea of ironic grey. Works Cited The King James Version. Great Britain Cambridge UP, 1996. OConnor, Flannery. The Lame Shall Enter First. The Norton Introduction to Literature. Eds. Jerome Beaty and J. Paul Hunter. 7th ed. New York Norton, 1998. 371-414.