Revelation by Flannery O'Connor God's Grace Via Essay

Revelation" by Flannery O'Connor

"God's Grace via Violence" is a Major, Controversial Theme in Flannery O'Connor's Work

Born in Savannah, Georgia on March 25, 1925 and deceased from Lupus at the age of 39, (Gordon), Flannery O'Connor led a brief but meaningful literal and literary life. Praised for attaining "an excellence not only of action but of interior disposition and activity' that struggled to reflect the goodness and love of God" (Gordon), O'Connor and her writings are earnestly studied to this day (Loyola University Chicago). Chief among the reasons for O'Connor's enduring popularity is her consistent use of symbolism and devices to explore humanity, God's grace and our relationship with God (Hub Pages: Eric Denby). "Revelation" and "A Good Man is Hard to Find" are notable examples of O'Connor's sometimes-controversial "God's grace via violence" theme, which has been denounced by some but staunchly defended by O'Connor.

O'Connor's Recurring Use of "God's Grace Via Violence"

O'Connor's most controversial method is use of violence as an instrument of God's grace. In "Revelation," Mrs. Turpin's violent awakening from her self-satisfied, judgmental brand of Christianity begins when Mary Grace strikes her with a deliberately hurled book, accosts her with a howling "raw face" and chokes her (Unfolding Flannery O'Connor). Startled into believing Mary Grace knows her beyond their chance encounter, Mrs. Turpin asks, "What you got to say to me?" An unrepentant Mary Grace whispers, "Go back to hell where you came from, you old wart hog" (Unfolding Flannery O'Connor). Mrs. Turpin tries to continue her smug life but is repeatedly confronted by her new perceptions of her old life, for example, in seeing through the insincere flattery of her black farm hands (Unfolding Flannery O'Connor). Mrs. Turpin continues perceiving aspects of her life anew until she finally sees a vision of "souls tumbling toward heaven," led by "white trash…and bands of black niggers…and battalions of freaks and lunatics," with herself and others like her at the back (Unfolding Flannery O'Connor). The clear implication is that Mrs. Turpin's false sense of Christian superiority has been upended by Mary Grace's violent dispensation of God's grace, so Mrs. Turpin finally sees all those "beneath" her now spiritually superior to her (Meghan, Flannery O'Connor's Stories Study Guide: Summary and Analysis of "Revelation").

"Revelation's" use of God's violent grace is not unique. In the same vein as Mrs. Turpin, the grandmother in "A Good Man is Hard to Find" is a boldly drawn smug, southern Christian to whom God's grace is revealed via violence. Through the grandmother's deceit, she manipulates her traveling family into an alternate car route that she misremembered (Cummings). As the family continues to drive lost on the unfamiliar road, the grandmother is so startled by a "horrible thought" that she lifts her valise, unleashing her cat from its hidden basket (Cummings). The cat jumps on the driver's shoulder, so startling the driver that he crashes the car into a ditch. As they are stuck in the ditch, the family is confronted by a serial killer known as "the Misfit" and his two minions (Cummings). The Misfit and his companions are friendly at first; however, the grandmother recognizes him and says so. As a result, the Misfit and his companions kill the entire family, though only two or 3 at a time, leaving the grandmother for last (Meghan, Flannery O'Connor's Stories Study Guide: Summary and Analysis of "A Good Man Is Hard to Find"). As the grandmother hears each shot ring out, killing her family one by one, she tries every trick in her smug Christian valise: telling the Misfit that he's a "good man" and not of "common blood"; telling the Misfit that Christ will help him; begging for her life; even offering a bribe (Hub Pages: Eric Denby). The Misfit rebuffs all her attempts. When the Misfit, who is now wearing her dead son's shirt, speaks of wishing to know…