Revelation Flannery O Connor Analysis

In “Revelation” by Flannery O’Connor, the fictional main character Ruby divides people in society by both their racial and socioeconomic positions. In other nonfiction division and classification stories the authors divide and classify chance, inanimate objects, and the types of people who eat food off of other people’s plates. “Revelation” differs from nonfiction division and classification because in addition to creating a division and classification system, it also shows the effect the system has on the narrator and those who surround her.
In nonfiction division and classification essays, the author sets up a system to divide or classify certain objects or events. In “Four Kinds of Chance” the author divides chance into four different

subcategories, based on how the recipient of this chance has affected it. He does not, however, show how this change affects a certain character. He does not show the ramification of the system setting it apart from “Revelation”. In “The Plot Against People,” the author classifies inanimate objects into three categories, “those that don’t work, those that break down, and those that get lost.” The author displays three common grievances with inanimate objects and presents as to convey that inanimate objects secretly seek to destroy mankind. Although the author gives examples of inanimate objects breaking down at the worst possible time, the essay does not show increase resistance from the objects due to the system, again distancing itself from “Revelation. In “The Extendable Fork” the author classifies people who take food off other people’s plates into four types: “The Finisher, The Wait, The Researcher, and The Simple Thief.” The author’s system has it’s flaws, as the author describing himself as “all four.” This shows the difficulty in classifying people, as some fall into more than one category. The author also does not face backlash from food swipers form this article again differing from "Revelation”. The authors of non-fictions stories do not display backlash to their systems in their essays, whereas “Revelation” shows backlash to Ruby’s system.
In “Revelation.” Flannery O’Connor shows the difficulty in clarifying people. The main character, Ruby, invents a system in which she resides at the top, as she has “a little bit of everything.” She rips on white trash and black people for their poor economic status, while simultaneously bashing the rich for being too well-refined in order to justify her place at the top. Her errors in judgement come to fruition when Mary Grace throws a book at her as retribution for her judgment, exhibiting the backlash involved classifying humans. The errors of her ways are also seen in her vision, where she rises to Heaven below the white trash and blacks, showing God puts her at the bottom of his system for judging others. In “Revelation” Ruby classifies people and must deal with the negative ramifications of it.
Dividing and classifying, although a useful tool, can also be harmful. The nonfiction stories show the positive side, whereas Ruby show the negative, racist side of division.