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The lame shall enter first by Flannery characters?

It's difficult to definitively say which Flannery O'Connor characters would be most likely to embody the phrase "the lame shall enter first." There are several possibilities, depending on how we interpret "lame" and "enter first."

Here are a few options and why they might fit the description:

* The Misfit: This iconic character from "A Good Man is Hard to Find" is often seen as representing the "lame" in a metaphorical sense. He is spiritually crippled, devoid of compassion and lacking a sense of morality. He might "enter first" in the sense that he is the first to experience a moment of grace or recognition of his own sinfulness, though it's debatable whether he truly embraces it.

* The Grandmother: While not physically lame, she is spiritually crippled by her vanity and self-centeredness. Her initial blindness to her own flaws and the dangers of her actions could be considered a form of "lameness." Her eventual acceptance of her fate and the realization that she is indeed "a good woman" might be interpreted as her "entering first" into a state of grace or awareness.

* Hulga (Joy) from "Good Country People: Hulga embodies both physical and spiritual lameness. She is physically handicapped, but also crippled by her intellectual pride and cynical outlook. Her encounter with Manley Pointer, a conman posing as a Bible salesman, could be seen as a form of "entering first" into a state of vulnerability and potential for change. However, the ambiguity of the ending leaves it open to interpretation whether Hulga truly accepts her experience or remains trapped in her pride.

* The Child in "Revelation:" This child, who delivers a scathing judgment on the protagonist, Mrs. Turpin, could be seen as a representative of the "lame." The child's unvarnished perspective challenges Mrs. Turpin's comfortable assumptions and forces her to confront her own prejudices and hypocrisy. This could be seen as the child "entering first" into a state of moral awareness, while Mrs. Turpin struggles with the implications of her own "lameness."

Ultimately, the interpretation of "lame shall enter first" depends on how we read Flannery O'Connor's characters and their journeys. O'Connor often presents characters grappling with issues of faith, grace, and the human condition, making the question of who "enters first" and what they enter into a complex and open-ended one.

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