The Lame Shall Enter First

In Flannery O'Connor's "The Lame Shall Enter First", there is really no

happiness at all.
In the begining of the story, the reader already see's broken communion between

Shepard and Rufas as they eat breakfast. This already foreshadows that the events to

come are not good for these characters.
As the story progresses the reader realizes Shepard, who represents a Christ

like figure but ironically does not believe in God, ignores his real son, Norton, for a

random child he has taken in, Rufas. Shepard wants Rufas to excel in everything which is

why he wantts Rufas to use the teliscope but Rufus doesn't care about it. Instead Norton

starts using the teliscope to search for his mother in the sky. In a way that represents

flight.
Unnfortunatly Norton, who only wants to be with his mother, hangs himself in

hoping when he reachs Heaven he will see her.THe only reason he did so though was cause

Rufas told him if he died right now he would be with his mommy. Rufas knew he would kill

himself. The result of this is Shepard losing everything.