Revelation By Flannery O Connor Summary

#Twinsies is a common fad on social media nowadays, but Flannery O’Connor’s characters were “twinsies” before it was even cool. In her short stories, “Revelation” and “Everything That Rises Must Converge”, O’Connor illustrates people who, although possess a glaring difference, prove to be eerily similar. These contradictions, whether it’s their disposition or skin color, are then in turn what further proves their resemblance. Therefore in her stories, O'Connor creates characters who parallel one another, and their distinctions strengthening their similarities. Firstly in O’Connor’s short story “Revelation,” the main character, Mrs. Turpin, and a teenaged girl, Mary Grace, proves to parallel one another more than Mrs. Turpin and the reader

Basically twins “from the red shoes upward over the solid hips, the mammoth bosom, the haughty face, to the green and purple hat” (8), the only difference between the two women is the color of their skin. This relationship between the two characters once again proves to be a significant difference that further relates one to another as they both draw dignity from their appearance and race. Firstly, Julian’s mother is shown to be quite proud of her powerful heritage “wearing it like a banner of her imaginary dignity” (3). She is proud of her land and slave owning family and continues to hold herself to a high class despite having fallen in status after the integration of society. An example of her continual belief in her high class is how Julian’s mother “persisted in thinking they did well to have an apartment” (1) in a grubby neighborhood. On the other hand, Carver’s mother draws confidence in her ability to rise through the social standings from slavery and act as an equal to the whites. Although the opinions of Julian’s mother’s black doppleganger were never stated in the story, her confidence in her race can be inferred from her reaction towards Julian’s mother giving Carver a penny. Carver’s mother is outraged when Julian’s mother’s gives Carver a penny, finding it so infuriating and offensive that she stikes Julian’s mother with her purse. This pushes CArver’s mother towards such an extreme outburst as she interpreted it as a sign of pity for their once lower status. Julian’s mother, who is of an equal status as Carver’s mother, attempts to give Carver a small amount of money. This simple action undermines the confidence, status and overall life that Carver’s mother has most likely worked very hard to build.