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Flannery OConnor, a well-known author, wrote mostly about the relationship between people and God. OConnor, a Roman Catholic, was devoted to her religion. Most of her stories revolve around southern, rural culture and the people who lived in this environment. OConnor used many themes and symbols in her stories, and one symbol that particularly sticks out is a characters eyes. Flannery OConnor uses characters eyes to convey qualities that lead to a profound understanding of their actions.
OConnor uses eye color to reveal qualities about the characters because vision is an extremely important aspect of human life. The color of a characters eyes in many of OConnors short stories reflects their view of the world and the people around them. Vision, or someones ability to see through their eyes, has historically been referred to as more than just how someone is able to use sight, […] for the first two hundred years of its existence, the word vision referred exclusively to sight with the minds eye […] (Nelson). Flannery OConnor gives the reader an in-depth description of the eyes of a character because it gives the reader a preview of the characters minds eye. For example, when a character has small, black eyes the reader is to assume that they are not pure, but a character with bright, blue eyes is seen as innocent. Flannery OConnor uses these descriptions because she is revealing a part of the character to the reader.
One of the most prevalent examples of OConnors symbolism with a characters eyes is in her short story, Revelation . Ruby Turpins beady eyes scanned the waiting room and analyzed the people sitting there. Vision in its entirety is an important aspect in the story because at the end when Mrs. Turpin has her revelation, she has a vision of heaven and of a better life. When Ruby Turpin is surveying the waiting room, she is meeting the peoples eyes and judging them. In Revelation , [an] examination of eyes as symbols reveals the gradual unfolding that leads Ruby Turpin to her ultimate personal revelation (Smith). Mrs. Turpins judgment and hypocrisy lead to her revelation in the end. A reader can predict this by the description of her eyes. The fact that they are little and bright gives the reader a sense that she has a bright view of either herself or of the world, and since they are black the reader can tell that Mrs. Turpin is not the most innocent or kind character.
As the story progresses, the reader can understand why Ruby Turpins eyes are little, bright, and black because, although she has a cheery sense of her life, she is a hypocrite and in reality, is very lost. OConnor brings in the symbolism of eyes and vision because of her religious beliefs. In the beliefs of Christianity, vision also holds a key role. Specifically, in Revelation the vision Mrs. Turpin has is life-changing. The costand giftof such a burning is a clarity of vision […] (Bruner) and to Mrs. Turpin her burning revelation gives her a lack of ambiguity about her life thus far. The symbolism of Mrs. Turpins eyes is relative to the story not only because her eyes describe her personality, but because Mrs. Turpins view of the world is different due to her distorted vision.
Mary Graces eyes are also vastly incorporated into Revelation. Mary Grace and her mother both have blue eyes, but OConnor describes the ladys eyes as captivating and Mary Graces as distasteful. OConnors description of Mary Graces eyes reflects Mrs. Turpins character more than Mary Graces. Mrs. Turpin is judging this young girl and viewing Mary Graces eyes as ugly. The description also shows how Mary Grace does not have eyes that are pleasant to look at, and that reflects on her character. Her unpleasant eyes display her unlikable character. Mary Grace also stares at Ruby Turpin throughout the story and gives her dirty looks. This eventually ends with Mary Graces outburst. When Mary Grace is looking at Mrs. Turpin, OConnor describes her eyes as, […] fierce brilliant eyes (371). The shift in Mary Graces eyes is a symbol of Mary Grace releasing her pent-up anger on Mrs. Turpin. Mary Graces eyes change because she is changing with them.
Flannery OConnors short story, A Good Man is Hard to Find, uses eye color to display the characters qualities. In this particular story, OConnor uses eye color to evoke an unexpected and sympathetic response from the reader towards the Misfit.
When the Misfit takes off his glasses, he drops the mask, in a way: without his glasses, the Misfits eyes were red-rimmed and pale and defenseless-looking . The gesture of the grandmother has stirred a humanity that he cant accept, having always forcefully claimed independence. But OConnor invites her readers to compare this gesture to the mustard seed: the title hints at this promising resolutionthis hope (Lienard and May).
OConnor is showing how the Misfit is hurting inside and that he is insecure. This description makes the readers sympathize with the Misfit and they are aware of his pain. The description of the grandmothers brown eyes as radiant tells the readers that she is kind and joyous. This creates a general fondness of the grandmother as a character. The grandmother is very cheerful and has a good attitude even in the darkest times. When the Misfit kills her, the reader is affected because of the loss of her upbeat attitude. Flannery OConnor describes the characters eyes because the symbolism and description gives the reader insight into the personalities of her characters.
Another Flannery OConnor story that uses eyes as symbolism is Good Country People. In this story, OConnor describes most of the characters eyes, but specifically focuses on Mrs. Freemans. When introducing Mrs. Hopewell and Mrs. Freeman, she describes Mrs. Freemans eyes as having, […] never swerved to left or right but turned as the story turned […] (350). This reveals a lot about Mrs. Freemans character to the reader. The reader now knows that Mrs. Freeman is nosy and gossips. OConnor also writes that Mrs. Freeman has black piercing eyes, and this shows that she is not an innocent character and does not have the purest intentions. As the reader continues, they learn that Mrs. Freeman strives to look down on people and judge them. The symbolism of Mrs. Freemans eyes exhibits her nasty personality and judgmental behavior.
Throughout Flannery OConnors short stories, she consistently uses a characters eyes as a source to provide understanding of the character as a whole. Whether that be the movement, color, or shape, a characters eyes are described in the story to display features of their personality or exposure to significant details. The description of a characters eyes reveals a deeper meaning to their actions. This is a recurring symbol that enhances the short stories. Revelation, A Good Man is Hard to Find, and Good Country People, all include examples of the symbolism of eyes OConnor uses. Vision and a persons eyes are an extremely important part of experiencing life that improve everyday existence for most people. A reader is able to understand a character in a profound and more meaningful way when they are made aware of the characters eye color because as the early known proverb by Cicero (106-43 B.C) states, The face is a picture of the mind as the eyes are its interpreter, (McCarthy) a person reveals their emotional state within the first introductory gaze. OConnors repetition of this symbolism allows it to be acknowledged by the reader and utilized in the comprehension of a character.
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