When re-reading this story, I was more concerned with the relationship between Lucynell and her mother. I thought that the fact that her mother was so determined to keep her daughter to herself, but she treats her daughter as an item that she can sell and bargain with. She eventually markets her daughter for a car and gives Shiftlet some more money for a "honeymoon". I just found it odd that she states how her daughter is such a good woman and she needs her but then she gives up all these beliefs and is offended when Shiftlet does not buy into her original offer. I find the whole trading her daughter off offensive, rather than allowing Lucynell to figure out her own situation she feel as if it is her motherly duty to find her someone to take care of her and give her the sense of a husband.
I also found the betrayl by the end of the story odd Shiftlet just ups and leaves her in the diner after she is described as being angelic by the buss boy. He also leaves her while she is sleeping which I find condemns him more he does not give her the chance to realize what he is doing before he vanishes. I just find the character of Shiftlet very shady and obuses the trust of the two women within this story. I think that may be a topic that O'Conner is portraying the fact of trusting someone and them betraying you and whether or not to trust them and who you can trust.
Which leds into what may be the purpose of Shiftlet and the hitchhiker and their conversation about mothers. Shiftlet first words to the boy are about his mother and how great she is but I find that really odd at first I was under the impression that he was talking about mothers because the boy is young and I thought that it was a way for Shiftlet to preach to the boy about being a hitchhiker. However, after reading it again I think that Shiftlet feels guilty about his betrayl of Lucynell not for her sake but for her mother's sake. Her mother had intursted him with her daughter and he discarded her like trash in the diner. I think that his remorse comes from something that occured between him and his mother and I think that is also the reason he agreed to take Lucynell in the first place.
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I agree completely about the relationship between the two Lucynell characters. It makes you feel dirty reading it. I doubt, though, that Shiftlet feels guilty. After all, this was his plan all along.
I like your comments on O'Connor's view of trust and betrayal.
I don't think it was his plan all along though because he tries to get out of it by using money as an excuse. And yes he does bargain with the mother for a money but I think intially he just wanted the car and then when the mother offered the money he decides to take Lucynell, and I think that is why there is the mother reference at the end of the story, it goes back to the guilt of him taking advantage of this mother and the bargaining for her daughter's "well-being".
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