Mrs. Turpin Character Analysis

Mrs. Turpin is an overbearing and a commanding being with her husband. She portrays herself as this woman who is better than everyone, especially those who are of lesser status than her. I despise her arrogance and judgmental outlook about African Americans and “white trash” individuals (O’Connor, 434-436). I was pondering endlessly on how she says she is an upmost Christian, tenderhearted, and charitable person, but she voices, describes, believes, and critics people so terribly. Mrs. Turpin is a hypocrite. How can you state, believe, and preach one thing and do the opposite under the same breath? She may not realize it due to her upbringing and the time-period, but she is blatantly a racist and ignorant human being. Also, I loathe that she positions herself on a pedestal because she is not “nasty”, a “nigger”, “white trash”, or an “ungrateful” person. Additionally, she is delusional to believe that any “nigger” would want to “improve their color” (O’Connor, 436). However, even though Mrs. Turpin has many actions, thoughts, and beliefs, I do not agree with, I do respect her belief in helping individuals in need; as well as, her being grateful for what she has in life (O’Connor, 431- 444).

Overall, what the article was about correlated with “Revelation” (O’Connor, 434).

The text stated numerous times about how southern whites extremely disapproved of integration in the south; similarly, this corresponded with Mrs. Turpin’s expressed ideas she voiced in the doctor’s waiting room about African Americans. She believed that most of African Americans are on a lesser social totem pole than her and individuals in the same class and race. Mrs. Turpin and the southerners who opposed integration most likely feared the idea of African Americans being equal in life to them. Furthermore, both Mrs. Turpin and southern Christian white people used their religion to justify the right in their belief on how life should be maintained. Moreover, Mrs. Turpin’s actions can be

understood.
She lived, believed, was taught all the things she expressed and deemed right. She did not grow up with learning or seeing anything else. Since that was her normal way of life along with other past southern white people, it was hard for them to even fathom the thought of black people and other minorities being on the same level. Seeing them as human beings who deserve the same basic human rights as them. In addition, Mr. Turpin and the article expressed statements about mixed races and relationships. For example, in the article, it states that many people saw miscegenation as the worst sin one could commit. Furthermore, one can only assume that due to Mrs. Turpin being extremely religious, her husband would be as well. Which strengthens the point that Mr. Turpin believed that segregation was best to prevent mixed relationships and children being produce.