“Lucynell don’t even know what a hotel is,” the old woman muttered. “Listen here, Mr. Shiftlet,” she said, sliding forward in her chair, “you’d be getting a permanent house and a deep well and the most innocent girl in the world. You don’t need no money. Lemme tell you something: there ain’t any place in the world for a poor disabled friendless drifting man.” The ugly words settled in Mr. Shiftlet’s head like a group of buzzards in the top of a tree.

—“The Life You Save May Be Your Own,”
Flannery O’Connor

Which two things are being compared in the last sentence?
✔ words and buzzards
How is the simile used to develop Mr. Shiftlet’s Southern gothic character?

The image suggests Mr. Shiftlet is likely to die tragically.

The image reinforces the idea that Mrs. Crater and Lucynell are both damaged.
The image emphasizes Mr. Shiftlet’s experience in an uncaring world.