Flannery O’Connor oftentimes employs themes of judgement and grace. Similarly, the Southern author utilizes racism as a major theme in the popular short story, Revelation. In this short story, Mrs. Turpin, a hypocritically religious woman, converses with the characters surrounding her in a doctor’s waiting room. As the story progresses, Mrs. Turpin and those surrounding the extrovertive woman begin expressing racist sentiments. Mrs. Turpin utilizes an ethical and emotional approach in an attempt to defend and soften her views. In contrast, one of the surrounding characters utilizes logic in order to vocalize her distaste for colored people. Once the story commences, Mrs. Turpin is the first to express racist sentiments. As she patiently sits in a doctor’s waiting room, the hypocritical woman begins scouring the room and creating her own judgement of those in sight. As Mrs. Turpin feasts her eyes upon a woman whom she refers to as “white-trash” (O’Connor 454), she begins to recall the order in which she believes certain classes are classified. In a quick and unbothered…show more content… In order to support this theme, O’Connor exhibits examples of ethos, pathos, and logos, through dialogue between her characters. Mrs. Turpin utilizes an ethical and emotional approach in an attempt to defend and soften her views. In contrast, the “white trash” (454) woman utilizes logic in order to vocalize her distaste for colored people. Racism, a common theme in O’Connor’s stories, is undoubtedly present in Mrs. Turpin’s view of the world. Though the woman prides herself in being kind to her African-American farmhands, she still considers herself and other white folk to be above them. It is not until the end of the short story that Mrs. Turpin realizes her error in beliefs and behavior. The extraordinary woman has a revelation that every single person is equal in God’s
