The Life You Save May Be Your Own

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Free Lucynell Scene Rewrite”

In this activity, students will consider the use of “the grotesque” in the story as part of the Southern Gothic tradition in literature, with a focus on Lucynell. They will then rewrite a scene as a short play in which Lucynell is able to hear and respond to the other characters.

One key element of Southern Gothic literature is the inclusion of “the grotesque.” This often takes the form of a physical disability or an emotional limitation and is meant to offer some larger comment about the character. In the story, Mr. Shiftlet, Mrs. Crater, and Lucynell are all “grotesque” in their own ways. How do their physical and emotional limitations contribute to a deeper understanding of The End of Innocence and/or The Possibility of Salvation?

• What physical and/or emotional challenges do Mr. Shiftlet, Mrs. Crater, and Lucynell each suffer from?
• How does each physical or emotional challenge lead to a deeper understanding of the character, their role in the story, or their relationships with other characters?
• How would our understanding change if Lucynell could hear and respond to Mr.