He takes a special interest in a certain troubled child, inviting the boy to stay in their home. "The Lame Shall Enter First" is an imaginative and entertaining tale of faith's impact on a father (Sheppard) and young boy (Rufus Johnson). Rufus Johnson, "The Lame Shall Enter First," (480) Rufus screams these words to the reporter when the police finally catch him breaking into a home. "The Lame Shall Enter First" u ga Hopewell, Flannery O'Connor's memorable amputee in "Good Country People," and Rufus Johnson, her club-footed juvenile delinquent in "The Lame Shall Enter First," both literally stomp around dleir respective narratives and leave family members or misguided do-gooders in their padl uncomfortable, even anxious. Each character in this story is experiencing an emotional battle which they try to find healing but for some it will be too late. Literary Analysis: The Lame Shall Enter First Nakia Chambliss Baptist College of Health Sciences Literary Analysis: The Lame Shall Enter First There are three main characters in this story: Sheppard, Norton and Rufus. Even if I’ve come to expect amazing stories, unexpected angles, turns of events and sensational characters, I am still flabbergasted. The protagonist, O. E. Parker, resembles Hazel Motes, the protagonist of O'Connor's first novel, Wise Blood. The escalating clash between these two characters makes for a slightly suspenseful plot and provides captivating afterthoughts for the readers. Sheppard is City Recreational Director and works as a counselor at the reformatory on Saturdays. The Lame Shall Enter First by Flannery O’Connor This is an extraordinary, powerful, complex, fabulous story. Read “The Lame Shall Enter First” (PDF page 450) A Late Encounter with the Enemy | 4,300 words "The Lame Shall Enter First" is a short story by Flannery O'Connor. Summary And Analysis "A Good Man Is Hard to Find" "The Life You Save May Be Your Own" "The River" "The Displaced Person" "A Temple of the Holy Ghost" "The Artificial Nigger" "Good Country People" "The Enduring Chill" "Everything That Rises Must Converge" "The Lame Shall Enter First" "Revelation" Sufjan Stevens; Related Links; Essay Questions The Lame Shall Enter First by Flannery O'Connor, A Reading by Dr. Paul Hamilton. Sheppard is eating his cold cereal out of the small box it came in and mentally appraises his ten-year-old son, Norton, whose mother, Sheppard's wife, has been dead over a year. I would say that with Proust she is at the top of my preferences. What a fantastic writer. He was a "The Lame Shall Enter First" "Revelation" "Parker's Back" "Judgement Day" "Everything That Rises Must Converge" The short story that lends its name to the 1965 short story collection was first published in the 1961 issue of New World Writing. THE LAME SHALL ENTER FIRST By FLANNERY O'CONNOR SHEPPARD sat on a stool at the bar that divided the kitchen in half, eating his cereal out of the individual pasteboard box it came in. "The Lame Shall Enter First" Summary. AI; As Flannery O'Conner physically introduces the reader to Sheppard and his son Norton, it's apparent that… The Lame Shall Enter First A boy is in mourning over the death of his mother while his father is focused on helping others. The story won O'Connor her second O. Henry Award in 1963. He ate mechanically, his eyes on the child, who was wandering from cabinet to cabinet in the panelled kitchen, collecting the ingredients for his breakfast. They have brought him to Sheppard's house to prove to Sheppard that they were right about him, and he makes these accusations about Sheppard. Both characters undergo a disturbing experience at a fair, both try to reject any involvement with religion, and both finally succumb to the demands of the spirit. 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