Post 18 - A Symbol in "Revelation"

One of the many symbols in Flannery O'Connor's short story "Revelation" was the book Human Development that  Mary Grace hurled at Mrs. Turpin. I think that this was symbolic of the new views in society that were confronting those that were stuck in an old pattern of thinking, like Mrs. Turpin. Mary Grace was a college student from the North and so, most likely, had learned a progressive way of thinking while away at school. Mrs. Turpin was portrayed by O'Connor as a typical southerner, full of racism, pride, religion, and certainty. The final clash in the doctor's office waiting room ended in Mary Grace's throwing of the book she was reading, Human Development, and hitting Mrs. Turpin in the head. This was symbolic of the development, or in other words progression, of society confronting those same southern views. This was the part of the story that I found to be the most entertaining. It also spoke the loudest to the theme of the story. Though Mrs. Turpin spoke of God and her religion throughout the story and it ended with her having a religious "revelation," I interpreted the story as more of a statement on the changes occurring in society, and the book Human Development hitting her upside the head was the ultimate symbol of that progression.