Flannery O'Connor, in her story "Revelation," uses an episode of violence to introduce the main character, Mrs. Turpin, to her actual identity. Mrs. Turpin is unaware of her misguided self-image and sees herself as superior and good in the eyes of God. The violent attack by Mary Grace was a life changing experience that caused Mrs. Turpin to look inside herself and evaluate her own character as seen by others; to ask those burning questions, questions she refuses to see or ask.
             Mrs. Turpin immediately judges and places labels on the occupations of the doctor's office, waiting room. She quickly dismisses people who reside in a lower social class. Her labeling technique was developed during many sleepless nights, where she would occupy herself by naming and defining the separate social classes of people. For example, looking at Mary Grace, the teen college student, Mrs. Turpin sees a fat pimply faced girl and thinks "how pitiful it was to have a face like that at that age", but smiles at her anyway (O'Connor Revelation 267). Another example would be the white trash mother of Mary Grace, who gets into a conversation about Mrs. Turpin's pig parlor. The white trash mother dislikes hogs with a passion, because they are "nasty stinking things" (O'Connor Revelation 269) Mrs. Turpin defends the pig parlor by saying "Our hogs are not dirty and they don't stink, " They're cleaner than some children I've seen. Their feet never touch the ground," (O'Connor Revelation 269). She is implying that her pigs are cleaner than the mother's son, who also happens to be in the waiting room.
             Mrs. Turpin continues with her backhand comments and sarcasm stating, "If it's one thing I am, it's grateful. When I think of who all I could have been besides myself and what all I got, a little of everything
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