Question

Read the excerpt from Flannery O’Connor’s “The Life You Save May Be Your Own.”

The daughter could not see far in front of her and continued to play with her fingers. Although the old woman lived in this desolate spot with only her daughter and she had never seen Mr. Shiftlet before, she could tell, even from a distance, that he was a tramp and no one to be afraid of. His left coat sleeve was folded up to show there was only half an arm in it and his gaunt figure listed slightly to the side as if the breeze were pushing him. He had on a black town suit and a brown felt hat that was turned up in the front and down in the back and he carried a tin tool box by a handle. He came on, at an amble, up her road, his face turned toward the sun which appeared to be balancing itself on the peak of a small mountain.

What technique does O’Connor use in the paragraph to create compelling characters?
detailed descriptions
vivid dialogue
multiple settings
believable motivations

Answer 1

Detailed descriptions.

O’Connor uses rich physical and behavioral details (the half arm, gaunt, hat, tin toolbox, the daughter's actions, the old woman's judgment) to build vivid, compelling characters.