Revelation, By Flannery O Connor

Not ever negative situation leads to an unwelcome outcome. Flannery O’Connor introduces how conflict changes a character for the better in her short story “Revelation”. The main character, Mrs. Turpin, likes to categorize the people she meets base on their looks and possessions. She is suddenly attacked by a patient named Mary-Grace, who is then quickly sedated. However, before the medication takes effect Mary-Grace leaves Mrs. Turpin with an insult that leaves a lasting impression that causes the protagonist to think deeply about herself as a person. Both the internal and external conflicts that occur to Mrs. Turpin – Mary-Grace, the hired workers, and the revelation – transform her way of thinking. The confrontation between Mrs. Turpin and Mary-Grace initiates the transformation of the protagonist. For example, in the waiting room Mrs. Turpin converses with Mary-Grace’s mother. During their discussion Mrs. Turpin begins a rant on her wonderful and blessed life. However, Mary-Grace listens with increasing agitation, then proceeds to throw her book, which “strikes [Mrs. Turpin] directly over her left eye.

When Claud brings over the hired help Mrs. Turpin recounts the events in the waiting room. One of the workers simply answers back that “[Mrs. Turpin] just had a little gall]” (O’Connor 387). Not only does this figuratively imply fall from grace, but it also shows that the help know Mrs. Turpin’s true personality. They are there to help bring Mrs. Turpin’s flaws to the surface. In continuation, Mrs. Turpin proceeds further into the conversation only to be met with more flattery. “Mrs. Turpin [knows] exactly how much Negro flattery [is] worth, and it [only adds] to her rage (O’Connor 387). The workers know how much it is worth too. They want to increase her rage; they want her to see her faults and fix them. Their adulations help elevate Mrs. Turpin to the next stage of