A Revelation of Equality

The author of Revelation seeks to make a statement about equality through a very judgmental, superior-thinking, and fake character. By reading the thoughts of Ruby Turpin, as well as what she actually says, the reader is allowed to discover just how skewed of a person she is. It is by having the ability to know Ruby’s thoughts that the reader finds how contradictory of a person she is, and is able to come to the conclusion, as she eventually will, that she is definitely not any better than the other people that she meets that day.
Ruby Turpin is revealed to be a very judgmental and critical person from the very beginning. Upon her entrance into the doctor’s waiting room, she observes the rude manners of the little boy and criticizes the size of the room. She then goes on to observe the others in the room, and it is obvious by her thoughts that she believes she has everyone figured out, not leaving any room for getting to know the actual person. Ruby comments that the woman who she describes as white-trash and “worse than niggers any day” (20) is wearing bedroom slippers, something that she does not find surprising, as she admits that it is “exactly what you would have expected her to have on” (22). Throughout the story she continues to make judgments about the “white-trashy” woman that we see through her thoughts and the internal, rude comments that she makes to herself. While attempting to engage in normal, casual conversation with the other women, the white-trash woman says about her son and mother, “Look like I can’t get nothing down them two but Co’Cola and candy” (77), only to receive a judgment from Ruby who thinks to herself, “that’s all you try to get down em” (78). Without knowing anything about the woman
except the way she dresses and talks, Ruby assumes that she does not attempt to feed her child and mother properly, making a judgment about her character without knowing her at all.
Aside from being judgmental, it is clear that Mrs. Turpin places herself a cut above the rest, the best kind of person, superior to the other individuals in the waiting room, especially the white-trash woman. Her superior-thinking nature is displayed in many ways, through her body language, tone of voice, and thoughts. Ruby clearly takes class very seriously, and, after hearing a comment made by the white-trash woman, exchanges a look with the lady that she is talking to that “indicated they both understood that you had to have certain things before you could know certain things” (52). This shows that Ruby figures since the woman is obviously poor and of a lower class, she does not have the ability or right to know certain things, placing herself superior to the woman and others like her. She also uses her tone to express her self-endowed superiority. When discussing the Back-to-Africa solution (which was popular during the time), Ruby points out how the white-trash woman’s ideas are very foolish and could never work. The author indicates that Ruby’s tone was demeaning by using the word “explained” (65), as if talking to a foolish child who did not understand. Her thoughts reveal her superior thinking by all of the questions she admits to pondering upon before she goes to bed. Mrs. Turpin describes how she debates whether she would be white-trash or black if she could not be herself and had to choose. Here, she is clearly placing herself above both groups and then asking which is the less bad of two undesirable classes. These are but a few ways that Ruby exerts herself as being superior.
Despite her thoughts of being exceptionally good, the readers discover that Ruby is actually a very fake, insincere person. Mrs. Turpin obviously finds herself to be a good and generous person, noting that to help anybody out was her life’s philosophy, that she “never spared herself when she found somebody in need, whether they were white, black, trash or decent” (75). As a reader, however, this is difficult to believe. Knowing her true sentiments about different types of people, her judgment, her criticism, and other prejudices, it becomes clear that she does not help anybody out of a pure goodness in her heart, but rather helps people so that she can say, “Look at me! Look how good I am,” so that she can put a checkmark on a list of the things she thinks a decent person would do. She acknowledges another fake quality about herself when describing to a woman in the doctor’s office how she pretends to be kind to the blacks who are working for them, allowing them to think that she thinks of them as equal to herself. These instances show how Ruby is not at all the person she thinks or hopes to be.
These aspects of Mrs. Turpin’s character, her being judgmental, superior-thinking, and fake, do not raise her up as a virtuous woman. The insight the readers have into her thoughts, which are usually sarcastic and rude, support the point that a person cannot be judged just by what is apparent when first looking at him/her. One cannot size up someone’s character or moral integrity by an outward appearance. In this way, Ruby has a very humbling experience in the story. Mrs. Turpin wonders why she would be singled out to receive this message “when there was trash in the room to whom it might justly have been applied” (130). The answer is in her question: it is her pride that causes her downfall. The other individuals in the room had their own faults, no doubt, but Ruby failed to see her faults, labeling people as trash and finding herself superior. Why was she singled out for this message? Because she had not figured out that she was no better than everyone else, and she needed to be told.
Ruby finally learns her lesson through her vision. After seeing a variety of souls entering into heaven via a bridge in the sky, she has a revelation, understanding that just because she is white or has a better house or more money, does not make her more favored than other human beings. Through this vision and revelation, the author makes his point about equality, that as far as worth and trash are concerned, everyone is equal.
(1067 words)

What did you find interesting about Mary Grace? What was the reason for her attitude and scowl at the beginning of the story and how did it change throughout?

Did you find Mary Grace's choice of action to be surprising? Why or why not?

What do you think this story says about race relations at the time? How did Mrs. Turpin's and the white-trash lady's opinions differ when discussing blacks and why do you think this is?