The Character Of Mrs. Turnpin In Flannery O 'Connor's Revelation'

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Flannery O’Connor’s “Revelation” examines the mind of an anti-semitic southern woman. The woman, Ruby Turnpin, believed that she was above everyone else. She is captivated by social order, which leads to her downfall. O’Connor uses Mrs. Turnpin to make a statement about society as a whole. Mrs. Turnpin constantly sought out opportunities to prove her superiority. Mrs. Turnpin is described as “a respectable, hard-working, church-going woman,” but actions speak louder than words (924-925). Mrs. Turnpin was a judgemental, gossiping, arrogant woman. She acted as if she was God’s gift to mankind, telling them how they are supposed to behave. Mrs. Turnpin who was blessed with numerous privileges and looks down on those who are inferior to her. …show more content…

She would prefer to beg Jesus to “‘just let [her] wait until there’s another place available’”(916). Her nighttime activity was to name “the classes of people,” which exposes her obsession with social order, evidence of her desire to prove that she is above others, including those who are of a higher class than Claud and her (916). The hogs at the end of the story are significant because it allows her to realize who she really is on the inside. When she was at the doctor’s office she encounters a girl who was depicted as “a fat girl of eighteen or nineteen” with blue acne reading a book of the name of Human Development (915). Mrs. Turnpin was quick to refer to the girl as ugly. The ugly girl threw her book at Mrs. Turnpin, hitting her in the eye. This is significant because it implies that Mrs.