Christianity teaches us that God is both just and merciful, even for those who have sinned and, sometimes, fall short of His standards. This concept is key in both of Flannery O'Connor's short stories "The Life You Save May Be Your Own  and "A Good Man is Hard to Find . Both stories take place in the South and posses detestable characters. "The Life You Save May Be Your Own  is about a man named Tom Shiftlet who comes to Mrs. Crater and her mute daughter's house to be a handyman in exchange for food and a place to sleep. Mrs. Crater tries all she can to marry her daughter off to Tom, and when she finally does, he abandons the daughter and runs away with Mrs. Crater's car. On the other hand, "A Good Man is Hard to Find  is about a family that takes a road trip. On the way, they get into an unexpected accident that leads them to a wanted serial killer. Both stories portray religious themes in which some of the main characters are questioned if they, despite their many flaws and sins, will reject or accept an offer of grace. Through the use of several literary elements, both of Flannery O'Connor's short stories "The Life You Save May Be Your Own  and "A Good Man is Hard to Find  support the theme that grace is for everyone, even for those who are loathsome. In "The Life You Save May Be Your Own , each character is willing to dehumanize not only Lucynell, Mrs. Crater's daughter, but themselves as well. When Tom Shiftlet proposes to fix up Mrs. Crater's house, she and Tom make an agreement that Tom can stay on the farm in exchange for food and a place to sleep. All Mrs. Crater wants is someone to take care of the property after she dies, so she uses her daughter as an animal, or an object, to get what she wants. For instance, Mrs. Crater made her daughter appear to be even more attractive by raving about the virtues of a wife " ˜that can't talk..can't sass you back or use foul language'  to Tom as he works (O'Connor, "Life You Save  60). On the other hand, there is Tom Shiftlet who uses Lucynell to get a working automobile so he can finally leave town. After Tom marries Lucynell, they stop at a diner on their way to their "honeymoon . In the middle of the meal, Lucynell passes out. Tom then pays for the food and abandons her. "Tom's desire for the automobile indicates a hollowness within him, just as Mrs. Crater's desire to use Tom's carpentry skills and his ability as a male for her to reveal her own emptiness  (Deignan n. pag.). Similar to the grandmother in "A Good Man is Hard to Find , both Mrs. Crater and Tom Shiftlet have selfish motives for their seemingly moral actions. Moreover, the setting of O'Connor's "A Good Man is Hard to Find  characterizes how the grandmother represents classic Southern mores. For example, she upbraids her grandson for not having more respect for his hometown and as the family is driving, the grandmother continues to speak of her knowledge of the landscapes and plantations. This shows that the grandmother has an intimate understanding and takes pride in where she lives. Furthermore, "the grandmother demonstrates racial and class prejudice through her word and actions  (" ˜A Good Man is Hard to Find'  102). In addition, the grandmother freely and frequently passes her judgement on