Revelation is a communication of divine truth. Appropriately titled Revelation, Flannery O"Connor's short story about coming to terms with eternal equality is both intriguing and thought provoking because of the development of the main character, Mrs. Turpin. Mrs. Turpin firmly believes that she is better than most other people, and she really cannot explain which people might, just might fall beneath her on the social scale. If it was not enough to think it, Mrs. Turpin decides to vocalize her gratitude for not being born lowly much to the disgust of Mary Grace, another patient in the waiting room. "If it's one thing I am, it's grateful. When I think who all I could have been besides myself and what all I got, I just feel like shouting, "Thank you, Jesus, for making everything the way it is!" It could have been different!. Oh thank you, Jesus, thank you" (347)! Mary Grace throws a book at Mrs. Turpin, chokes her, and, inadvertently, puts into motion Mrs. Turpin's divine revelation. Mrs. Turpin evolves from a brassy, self-righteous snob to a broken, self-doubting sinner through the conflict presented by Mary Grace, an unattractive, ill student.
Character development is the lifeline of a story. Without characters, there would be virtually no action in the story. Characters are revealed by the author through showing and/or telling about their distinguishing, and sometimes changing, characteristics, interactions and conversations. Characters illustrate the action of a story, and make readers see the characters in a specific light. In Revelation, Flannery O"Connor's characterizations make each character seem very real. She combines showing and telling by tying together physical attributes with personality traits drawn out by the events of the story. This story combines dynamic characters that change throughout, flat characters that are used to create dynamic characters and stock characters to help make a point in the story.
