To understand the main theme of the novel one has to understand the conflict between Catholicism and Christianity in how they interpreted purgatory or atoneing for sins. Catholics believed that our actions would come with a price tag while Christians, particularily Southern Baptist believe that Christ forgives people for sins as long as they truly seek forgiveness and are geniunely open to receiving the goodness of Christ.
O'Connor points out the weaknesses to this position in respect to how the grandmother (southers) were preoccupied with keeping up appearances and this was no better revealed at the end of the novel when the Misfit says "She would've been a good women if she had someone want to shoot her everyday of her life". Suggesting that she was only acting civil and outwardly friendly because she feared for her life and said whatever was necessary in order to stay alive.
O'Connor cleverly uses irony to illistrate another weaknesses of the Christian argument regarding salvation in the afterlife. According to Southern Baptism, since the Grandmother was killed by the Misfit she would in essence be awarded enterance into heaven according to Christians. Therefore, O'Connor used the Misfit as the Grandmothers savior to parody Christian dogmas inherent weakness of being accountable for our sins because he allowed the grandmother enterance into heaven by killing her. That was the reason why she had refered to him as "her son" on more than one occassion.
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