Symbolism In 'Revelation By Flannery O' Connor

"Revelation," by Flannery O'Connor, demonstrates how a so-called "perfect Christian" can get caught up in their own haughtiness; therefore, blinding themselves of the true light of God. In the beginning of her story, O'Connor reveals a habitual thought of naming social classes that processes through Mrs. Turpin's mind at night (195). She places herself and the others in her socioeconomic class above colored people, "white-trash," and home-owners; moreover, one can infer that Mrs. Turpin believes she is better than them in all aspects of life. Another important aspect of Mrs. Turpin is shown through a character named Mary Grace. Mary Grace's eyes are a symbol of God's grace and the look in her eyes grows more grotesque as Mrs. Turpin makes derogatory …show more content…
Turpin tries to explain how awful it is being called a hog to her slaves; although, they know what it is like, but Mrs. Turpin is refusing the message from God that she is the dirty hog (213). Her protuberance is pitch black still representing her closed heart as she walks to the pig parlor with a self-righteous attitude and a warrior's expression on her face (214). The sun looked more like a moon during harvest season and moving westward faster than she was walking as if it wanted to arrive to the hogs before her (214). The reader can infer that the sun, a symbol for God, was going to intervene at the pig parlor because as Mrs. Turpin washes down the hogs as if to wash her own sins away the sun turns red symbolizing God's pure love when our sins are washed away. The violent washing of the pigs and the questioning of God's actions can be related to Jacob and his wrestling match with God in which after Jacob humbled himself and gave self-reciprocating love back to Christ (215 & 216). Then the colors changed from a mysterious hue to a burning color, and finally to a transparent sky which is symbolizing God's divine revelation to Mrs. Turpin after she realizes, with the help of God's grace, that she is a hog and for some reason, unknown by her, but known by God, she is a hog (216). Intensity of this revelation is shown through the rigidness and statuesque posture she holds as she stares at the pig parlor, which is compared to a human trying to discover the mystery that God can only reveal to us (217). The mystery revealed to Mrs. Turpin, the divine revelation, was a glimpse of the least of her order was first and she was last as they walked into the gates of heaven (217). This idea of "the last shall be first and the first shall be last" is Mrs. Turpin's downfall of being like Christ, just like it was for Jacob. Both had to be taken away from paradise, Jacob left Canaan to become a slave and Mrs. Turpin left her high socioeconomic class to become an even lower