An extreme act is almost necessary to realize true reflection on one's life and truly question whether one is worthy of salvation or not. The person most influential in determining your afterlife may not have the slightest meaning to you now. Flannery O'Connor's writing reflects her beliefs. Kaplan argues that “the grandmother's ability to accept such a death is therefore the supreme test of her faith” (Kaplan 905). This pairs well with the story; Flannery O'Connor also suffers in her life from an illness which, in some respects, should call her faith into question. Initially, La Nonna's belief was never about anyone's needs but her own. She wants people to think she is Christ-like because she wears a nice Sunday dress. The true character is revealed during the crisis. Grandma is arrogant, materialistic and always worries about what others think of her. While they were traveling to Florida, Grandma makes an insensitive comment about a black boy with no pants on the street. He seemed to lack sympathy or curiosity about this boy's situation. This remark is insensitive and shows the reader Grandmother's point of view. She's essentially an old lady set in her ways. He cannot notice anyone's point of view except his own. It is only at the end of the story that even The Misfit notices the change in Grandma, which is why he states that she would have been a better woman if someone had been there to pull the trigger, all her life. Grandma never showed compassion for anyone except herself. There is also a deeper meaning in what he means; tries to illustrate that people aren't tested until they meet that... middle of paper... Kirk, Connie Ann. Critical Companion to Flannery O'Connor. New York: Facts on File, 2008. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Network. 8 February 2014.< http://0-web.b.ebscohost.com.library.acaweb.org/ehost/ebookviewer/ebook/bmxlYmtfXzIyOTQ4MV9fQU41?sid=1836ce9e-26f4-4cc4-af65-eb5e046a6668@sessionmgr110&vid=2&format =EB&rid=1>.Nester, Nancy L. “A Good O'Connor Man Is Hard to Find.” The Explicator 64.2 (2006): 115-8. ProQuest. Network. 8 February 2014. .Shackelford, D. Dean. "O'Connor, Flannery." Critical survey of short fiction: American writers. Ed. Charles E. May. 4th ed. vol. 3. Ipswich, MA: Salem Press, 2012. 1256-1264. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Network. February 8. 2014. .