Animal Analysis: The Role of Pigs in O'Connor's "Revelation"

"Despite her brief life and relatively modest output, [Flannery O'connor's] work is regarded as among the most distinguished American fiction of the mid-twentieth century," writes Michael Meyer, author of The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature (317). One of the many reasons her work is so remarkable is because of her utilization of literary devices, such as characterization and symbolism. A prime example of this is the pigs in her short story "revelation". Even though they are just animals, O'connor makes the pigs in this story function as symbols, characters, and even antagonists.