"The River" by Flannery O'Connor is often thought of as having an ambiguous ending. The reader learns of Matthew, a young boy, who lies and says his name is Bevel after hearing the babysitter use the name in conversation. After Bevel finds a book about faith at the babysitter’s house he embarks on a journey to discover god and his kingdom. Assisting along the way is the elder Bevel; who introduces him to faith through baptism. The story ends with Bevel drowning himself in the same river he was baptized. He drowns himself thinking it is the only way to find the Kingdom of Christ. The ending is ambiguous because it is up to the reader to determine whether or not Bevel actually did reach god’s kingdom. On one hand he only just discovered god
