Jacob Dyas

American Lit
Revelation

In the short story, Revelation written by Flannery OConnor, the main character is a
privileged white woman named Mrs. Turbin. The majority of the story takes place in a waiting
room where Mrs. Turbin encounters a young girl who seems to really dislike her. Many people
consider this story as a story about someones understanding of the world being turned upside
down. To me the characters whose understanding of the world is changed is definitely Mrs.
Turbin. She feels that because she is a privileged white woman that she is somehow better than
the other people waiting in the waiting room. However, after the young girl attempts to
strangle Mrs. Turbin and calls her a wart hog she becomes extremely upset and cannot figure
out why this girl would do and say such things. It isnt until Mrs. Turbin is washing her hogs that
her Revelation begins. She sees a streak of light heading towards heaven and all the people
that she considered to be beneath her were actually in fact in front of her on their way to
heaven. This causes her to understand that all humans are created equal, and just because you
are wealthy and consider yourself to be a good Christian does not matter in Gods eyes. Instead
it is how you carry yourself and how you treat other people that really matter.