The short story can be one of the trickiest forms of literature around. Because the author is faced with the challenge of concluding the story quickly, he or she must be selective in their choice of words in order to convey the point that they are trying to make. In order to do this, the talented author will use every element of the story to assist in the telling of the story. Flannery O’Connor’s “Revelation” is a fine example of the use of all these elements. She completes the thoughts and ideas by using the plot, characters, setting, point of view, symbolism, style, and theme to reveal a lot about the story without having to use a great deal of description. The end result is a dynamic story written in the most compact form. While O’Connor brilliantly uses all the elements in “Revelation” to her advantage, her choice of settings is one part that significantly drives home the theme of the story.
When reading the story “Revelation” by Flannery O’Connor, the reader must consider the settings as one of the most important elements. This story basically has two different settings. The first is the doctor’s office waiting room and the other is the “pig parlor.” Oddly, these settings have many parallels, which may or may not
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The theme is seen in all aspects of the story, but is especially prevalent in the locations and environments where the action occurs. ” This pen is used for containing pigs, however it is no ordinary pigsty. By carefully considering the time, place, atmosphere, environment, and characters for her settings, she has woven a certain amount of detail into the story that would have been forgotten and quite honestly are probably often overlooked.
The symbolic use of the setting is that the doctor’s office and the “pig parlor” in this work both represent filth. For Ruby the filth can be interpreted as a moral or ethical inner conflict. Her eyes are opened, leaving the reader to hope she was changed in some way. ”
The story ends with Ruby receiving her epiphany while standing beside the “pig parlor. In the case of the sow the filth is literal. The parlor’s floor is “a square of concrete as large as a small room” (Meyer 350). This closeness and the number of occupants will be mirrored in the final scene at the “pig parlor. Upon entering the room, Ruby Turpin, the protagonist and a large woman, “made (the room) look even smaller by her presence” (Meyer 340). By using this setting, O’Connor is showing a not only a desire, but a need for a cleansing. She lies in bed and tearfully declares herself “not a wart hog. During this scene, there are seven shoats and an old sow contained in the pen.
Approximate Word count =
1209
Approximate Pages =
5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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