Flannery O’Connor once said that “I write the way I do because (not though) I am a Catholic.” Upon reading and interpreting two of her works this week, one finds that this could not have been more clearly stated. The reader finds a recurring theme of religion in almost all of O’Connor’s works; “Revelation” proves to be no exception.
The symbolisms and motifs of this short story can easily be extracted from a purely religious viewpoint because of the author’s writing style. It is patently clear that Mrs. Turpin sees herself as the perfect Christian, providing an example for the rest of the world to follow, as those of the faith are taught to do. Yet blinded by her prejudice, Mrs. Turpin cannot see that she is a perfect example of why so many today are reluctant to accept Christianity as their religion. It is the common case of a misinterpretation of the teachings of the Bible by an individual. Mrs. Turpin believes that she must use her blessing of being made “better” than others to save the souls of what appear to her to be savages and lowlifes. Based upon her judgment of other people around her, it is hard to believe how Mrs. Turpin views herself as the shining light of Christ for all to see. In the waiting room, she quickly groups the other people in the room into labels such as “trash” and “niggers”. It is apparent that she thinks very poorly of these people when she describes their habits of “[Lounging] about the sidewalks all day drinking root beer. Dip snuff and spit in every puddle and have it all over my face. I could be nasty. Or you could have made me a nigger… Lay down in the middle of the road and stop traffic. Roll on the ground.” (380)
From the religious perspective, the climax of the story is God attempting to send a message to Mrs. Turpin of what it is to be a true Christian. She is attacked in the waiting room of the doctor’s office- comparable to waiting in purgatory before the gates of Heaven- by a random college girl who tells Mrs. Turpin to “Go back to hell where you came from, you old wart hog.” (376). It is as if this girl could see straight into Mrs. Turpin’s soul, past all the fake appearances and outside layers. Yet still, Mrs. Turpin does not get the message, later becoming furious with God and even challenging His authority. It is then that she sees something like a highway, extending from earth to the heavens, with a train of souls going upwards, “clean for the first time in their lives…” (381). The conclusion leaves it up to the reader to decide whether or not Mrs. Turpin finally does get the message from up above.
“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.” (Revelations 21:4)
(525)
1 comment:
Andrew--Because of the passage from the book of Revelations which you attach to your post, I assume that you think that the purpose of the ending is to show that God is giving Mrs. Turpin the chance to "make all things new"? I would have loved for you to have written just a little more, stating what you think the message meant and whether you think it was received, but you do a good job identifying why you think she is a bad example of the "good Christian."
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