Compare and contrast the Grandmother from A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Ruby Turpin in Revelation by Flannery OConnor Free Essay Example, 1250 words

The Grandmother and Ruby Turpin Flannery O’Connor’s 1953 masterpiece â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† is more than just a story of murder, nor is her 1965 classic â€Å"Revelation† simply a story of life of a wealthy landowner who was choked by a violent teenage girl. These two works of O’Connor’s are a testament to the idea that evil usually hides within the kindest of us, and that, sooner or later, someone will come to expose this evil. The bitter epiphany that the Grandmother and Ruby Turpin have experienced in these stories reflects the journey of every human being toward coming to terms with himself. Moreover, in the stories, the Grandmother and Ruby Turpin share a number of similarities and differences in terms of character, experience and various other aspects. The Grandmother and Ruby Turpin share a number of similarities in terms of character and other aspects. First of all, they are both bigots. The Grandmother, in fact, is a â⠂¬Å"hypocritical old soul† (Bandy 109). As the oldest character in the story, she seems to show to Bailey, his wife and the children that she possesses the greatest wisdom and the deepest connection with Jesus Christ. We will write a custom essay sample on Compare and contrast the Grandmother from A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Ruby Turpin in Revelation by Flannery O'Connor or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now However, the irony is that she is the most afraid among the characters when the Misfit shows up. While the rest of the family are curious about the Misfit and his friends, the grandmother is the first one who â€Å"shrieked [and] scrambled to her feet [and called out] â€Å"You’re the Misfit! † (O’Connor, â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† 306). This particular line simply shows how fearful she is of what can possibly happen to her and the rest of the family. The Grandmother’s hypocrisy in her faith in Jesus Christ also shows when, even as she calls out Jesus’ name, she offers the Misfit a bribe – â€Å"I’ll give you all the money I’ve got† (308). Several times in the story, she has shown acts of kindness to the Misfit like when she says â€Å"If you would pray†¦Jesus would help you† (308). She does all these things perhaps in an effort to convince him to spare her li fe. The Grandmother’s last act of kindness is making an effort to reach out to the Misfit and touch him on the shoulder at the same time that she is telling him, â€Å"Why you’re one of my babies. You’re one of my own children† (309). Nevertheless, this last attempt of the Grandmother at survival turns out to be the exact opposite of what she actually wants. Perhaps she thinks that by mentioning God, the Misfit will not kill her, but she is wrong. Ruby Turpin, just like the Grandmother, is simply â€Å"bigoted and complacent† (Paquet-Deyris 1).