Crater, Lucynell, tries to save a life that ends up becoming her own when she tries to learn to speak and act like a normal human. It is no surprise when it is revealed that Lucynell is not mentally healthy as many gothic and horror stories contain such a character. Although Mrs. Crater states that she is normal in every other feminine aspect, it is clear that she cannot speak or function normally enough with her random outbursts of screaming and tears. An example of this is on page 1019 when the first words out of his mouth other than screaming and sobbing are where he tries to imitate chickens. In reality, Lucynell's loss of voice represents the fact that she ultimately no longer has discretion over her own life. It means he is unable to take control and make his own decisions. Whether he knows it or not, he evidently tries to make his mother's life more bearable by helping her with what she can do around the house. Ironically, Lucynell finds herself in the middle of the battle over greed between Mama and Sir. What he does when he talks just like an imitation of birds is opens the door for her to step in and make her own decisions about her life. Ultimately, Lucynell may have held the power to rule her own life, but as an opportunity taken by her mother to "save" her daughter, Lucynell never had someone like Mr. Shiftlet try to teach her