Last Rites “Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It's the transition that's troublesome.” - Jimi Hendrix. The late rock n roll artist summed up one of the most challenging fears to overcome for all humans, preparation for death. Flannery O’Connor uses this concept to show how it can affect people’s behaviors and attitudes. The story begins with the typical family being challenged by the grandmother who doesn't want to take the vacation to …showed first 75 words of 1206 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1206 total…She then uses numerous images such as the grandmother’s dress, the graveyard, and the conversation with the Misfit to further feed our curiosity. It is almost comical how O’Connor sets her readers up for the ending of the story. For example, the name of the town where the Misfit kills them is "Toombsboro"(1281). The authors foreshadowing images are both strong and obscure, so as not to spoil the surprising ending of the story.