The Shortcomings of a Good Disposition

After reading “Revelation” by Flannery O’Connor, I felt slightly sick. It is one of few stories in which I felt no attachment to any character. The story also has an incomplete ending, leaving the reader to decide whether Mrs. Turpin truly experiences a “revelation” or not. Although the story is full of vivid details and interesting descriptions, the part of the story that affected me most was the author’s candor regarding Mrs. Turpin’s thoughts.

Mrs. Turpin, being the phony that she is, always speaks in a patronizing manner. The way she analyzes people and makes judgments is a reflection of her insecurities. When she says, “I wish I could reduce” (14), it is a clear indication that she is not comfortable with the way she looks. She then says that though she wishes she could lose weight, the most important thing is to have a “good disposition” (17). If she indeed believes having a “good disposition” is of utmost importance, why is it that she has such hideous thoughts?

The fact of the matter is that Mrs. Turpin simply thinks she is better than everyone else. She repeatedly thinks that if Jesus were to offer her someone else’s place, she would not take it. She even says that, “If it’s one thing I am… it’s grateful” (101). Because she is friendly and open to all conversation, Mrs. Turpin believes herself to be the most agreeable person alive. One of the things that bothered me most about Mrs. Turpin is that while she is carrying on conversation with all the people in the waiting room, she is analyzing their flaws and expressing her thankfulness for not having been bestowed with those deficiencies.

Not only is Mrs. Turpin condescending to the people in the waiting room, she also acts the same way around people she is familiar with. Right when the story starts, we see that Mrs. Turpin has a dominating disposition when she shoves her husband into the doctor’s office, “Claud was florid and bald and sturdy, somewhat shorter than Mrs. Turpin, but he sat down as if he were accustomed to doing what she told him to” (2). She acts the same way towards her black servants. Though they are kind to her and want to defend her in any way possible, she is annoyed by them. Because she believes their words to be “Negro flattery” (163), she becomes frustrated by their lack of honesty. If Mrs. Turpin is so peeved by fake appraisal, then why does she indulge in the act ever so frequently?

As the story goes on, we see that not only is Mrs. Turpin arrogant, she is also ignorant. She has absolutely no idea why Mary Grace is giving her such hateful looks—and for that matter, why anyone would give her such hateful looks. She is also surprised when Mary Grace says, “Go back to hell where you came from, you old wart hog” (113). Mrs. Turpin is well aware that she had negative thoughts towards the Mary Grace and her “white trash” mother; however, she fails to understand why the girl would be so affected by those thoughts.

Although not directly related to Mrs. Turpin’s inner-most feelings, I found it interesting that Mrs. Turpin was at the farm, alone, trying to sort out her thoughts. She has taken Mary Grace’s message so deep to hear that she is asking for answers as though she expects God to intervene. Early in the story, it is clear what an important role God plays in Mrs. Turpin’s life, “‘Thank you, Jesus, for making everything the way it is!’” (101). She looks at Mary Grace’s message as a warning that her oh-so-perfect disposition is not so perfect after all. Although she does not express remorse for the way she is, Mrs. Turpin’s seriousness regarding the bitter insult shows that she realizes there is something wrong with her. It was somewhat surprising to me that a woman as self-righteous as Mrs. Turpin would respond so intensely to an insult. However, just as the reader realizes the importance of Mary Grace’s statement, Mrs. Turpin as well sees that what happened at the doctor’s office was unordinary.

Mrs. Turpin’s frustration in the end of the story shows her trying to discover her shortcomings, and perhaps even making a change. Though Mrs. Turpin is not a likeable character, she was indeed inspired to do some soul-searching after her experience in the waiting room (741).