Undoubtedly like many others, "The Lame Shall Enter First" had a proufound effect on me. We talked in class about how we are given an unfavorable first impression of Norton that immediately causes us to dislike him. I disliked Norton up until the point when Sheppard found him in his mother's coat in the closet; at that point I realized that he was just a lost, lonely little boy who misunderstood his mother's death and whose father had essentially given up on him. Obviously, we see that Sheppard's slow descent as he fails to notice the vital changes emerging in his own son come as a result of his absorption in the life of Rufus Johnson. I, however, would like to suggest that Johnson is not just a distraction or a mission for Sheppard, but he becomes a replacement for Norton and Norton is left without a niche to occupy which is why he ultimately ceases to exist.
We are blatantly told that Norton is a disapointment to his father in the very beginning of the story. So, right off the bat, Sheppard is eagerly looking for a solution to his child's short-comings and he attempts to find it in Johnson. It seemed to me that Sheppard was ashamed and embarrassed by his son, which is why he completely turned his attention away from him. We know that Sheppard is attempting to make Johnson a second son. At one point, he even tells us that he has looked into adopting the boy, but couldn't because his grandfather was his legal guardian. However, he does not foster a second son, but replaces the old, defective one. The epiphany in the story, for me, was when Sheppard stood in the hallway between the boy's rooms. He had seemingly just recieved a "thank you" from Johnson and was overcome with emotion. He leaves Rufus's room by saying "good night, son" (619). When he leaves this room, he finds the door to his biological son's room open, with Norton "beckon(ing) to him" (619). However, Sheppard completely ignores his pleading eyes for fear of betraying Johnson, the new son, "he saw the child but after the first instant, he did not let his eyes focus directly on him. He could not go in and talk to Norton without breaking Johnson's trust" (619). It may be significant to note that, in one page, he goes from calling Rufus "son" to identifying his own son as "the child". The transition is thus complete. From this point forward, Sheppard barely acknowledges Norton's presence and the child must find his identity within the stars where he believes his mother resides.