"it’s nothing so sweet," mr. shiftlet continued, "as a boy’s mother. she taught him his first prayers at her knee, she give him love when no other would, she told him what was right and what wasn’t, and she seen that he done the right thing. son," he said, "i never rued a day in my life like the one i rued when i left that old mother of mine." the boy shifted in his seat but he didn’t look at mr. shiftlet. he unfolded his arms and put one hand on the door handle. "my mother was a angel of gawd," mr. shiftlet said in a very strained voice. "he took her from heaven and giver to me and i left her." his eyes were instantly clouded over with a mist of tears. the car was barely moving. —"the life you save may be your own," flannery o’connor in this passage, shiftlet presents himself as .