“Revelation” a Short Story by Flannery O’Connor Explicatory Essay

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Flannery O’Connor can be referred to as the renderer of “transparent scenes of divine mystery ordinarily invisible to world-weary modern eyes” (Sykes 3). Her short story “Revelation” is a magnificent work focusing on really important ethical issues. It is necessary to note that O’Connor was a devout Roman Catholic, which is manifested in many of her works.

The short story “Revelation” is one of those works where the writer’s religious beliefs are manifested. This story contains her accounts on her life in Southern states. The author reveals the tension between different people who were divided in terms of religious beliefs, race and social status. In her short story she reveals moral wickedness and sinfulness of those who think they live a rightful life.

Flannery O’Connor had to live among Protestants who were unable to accept any other way of thinking. In one of her works she stated:

It is an embarrassment to our fundamentalist neighbors… to realize that they are doctrinally nearer their traditional enemy, the Church of Rome, than they are to modern Protestantism. (qtd. in Wood 13)

The writer reveals this delusion portraying an episode in the Doctor’s waiting room. Mrs. Turnip is a decent woman who goes to the church and lives a rightful life. She thinks she is a respectable woman who deserves her place in the heaven. However, her faith is rather peculiar. She is a religious woman as she often refers to Jesus in her thought. Nonetheless, she also pays too much attention to social status and race.

Thus, she despises all those who are less well-to-do (or less attractive, less reasonable, etc.) than she is. Her dream about an available place in this world and her conversation with Jesus is really suggestive. She makes a specific decision: “All right, make me a nigger then – but that don’t mean a trashy one” (O’Connor n.p.).

O’Connor portrays a woman who forgets that all people are God’s children. There is no difference between a ‘trashy’ woman or a decent woman, a ‘nigger’ or a white woman. O’Connor depicts the woman who believes she is one of the most rightful people in the world, whereas she has a sinful vision of the world.

Admittedly, O’Connor met many women who could be prototypes for Mrs. Turnip. The writer noticed Protestants who had wrongful views on the social order or Christianity.

However, unlike many Protestants, O’Connor gave a chance to everyone. For instance, in her short story revelation came to the woman who could be saved. O’Connor saw people who lived around her (Protestants mainly) as lost sheep. Of course, the author knew these lost souls can (and even should) also be saved. The ending of the short story suggests that the woman can be saved if she manages to accept the truth.

Interestingly, the revelation comes in the middle of the woman’s life which is not typical for O’Connor’s works. Sykes states that O’Connor’s revelations are “final and absolute” as they often come “at the moment of death” (38). The short story “Revelation” is a bit different.

Here the woman has a chance to realize that there is something wrong in her life. She has the vision that can change her life and her values. The author does not show the outcome of the revelation. She lets the reader make any conclusions.

It is necessary to note that this is a very strong ending which confirms with the major purpose of the short story. O’Connor wanted to make people think. The reader would not try to solve the dilemma had the writer provided particular conclusions. However, specific incompleteness of the short story is what motivates people to seek for the answer. The reader can reflect on his/her own ethical and religious decisions and beliefs.

Admittedly, the short story is inspired by the experiences the writer obtained in South. The writer simply could not accept the indifference many people revealed. The writer saw the unjust attitude of ‘highly’ religious people who claimed she (being a Catholic) was not a rightful person.

O’Connor’s “Revelation” is a particular message to all those people who tried to persuade her (and others) that Protestantism is the only rightful way of thinking. O’Connor could not accept the claims that only Protestants understood the real nature of Christianity and faith.

O’Connor’s Southern background enabled the writer to notice the conflicts which existed in the society of that time. The writer revealed her views in the short story “Revelation” where she managed to address some of the conflicts. Being a devout Roman Catholic, O’Connor had to live in a rather hostile world where Protestants were uneager to accept any other views.

It is also important to state that the author managed to remain faithful to her religion. Her works articulate the idea that people can have different views as they are all different. People can pertain to different social classes or different races. However, the author claimed that people should follow basic moral rules and make ethical decision.

Works Cited

O’Connor, Flannery. Revelation. Unfolding Flannery O’Connor, 2011. Web.

Sykes, J. Flannery O’Connor, Walker Percy, and the Aesthetic of Revelation. Columbia, MO: University of Missouri Press, 2007. Print.

Wood, Ralph C. Flannery O’Connor and the Christ-Haunted South. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2005. Print.

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"“Revelation” a Short Story by Flannery O’Connor." IvyPanda, 6 June 2019, ivypanda.com/essays/oconnors-revelations/.

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IvyPanda. 2019. "“Revelation” a Short Story by Flannery O’Connor." June 6, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/oconnors-revelations/.

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