In Flannery O'Connor's "Revelation" how does she use humor and violence, and how do they add to the meaning of the story?

O'Connor often ues both humor and violence in her stories,
managing to combine those traits with a deep moral and religious seriousness.
"Revelation" is no exception.

Perhaps the moments in the
story when violence and humor come together most forcefully are the moments just before
Mrs. Turpin has the book thrown at her (literally).

Just as
Mrs. Turpin is congratulating herself on the good fortune of being Mrs. Turpin (thus
illustrating one of O'Connor's major themes -- the theme of pride), she is hit with the
appropriately titled book Human Development. All throughout the
first part of the story, Mrs. Turpin's pride has been consistently humorous. She takes
herself so seriously that O'Connor's readers find it difficult to take her seriously at
all. She is a walking, talking demonstration of the follies of pride (but also of its
serious moral failings), and much of what she says is quite unintentionally funny
(unintentionally on her part, but intentionally on
O'Connor's).

Her pride is so humorous that it makes us
laugh, especially when she thanks Jesus for making her exactly who she is (with no room
for improvement, in her opinion). She also thanks Jesus for giving her exactly the kind
of life she presently enjoys (again, she can't imagine anything better, which suggests
the poverty of her imagination).  "For one thing," O'Connor writes, "somebody else could
have got Claud" -- a funny line in a story full of funny lines. Claud, after all, is not
exactly Paul Newman, but he is the perfect husband for Mrs. Turpin because she dominates
him so easily.

Immediately after Mrs. Turpin thanks Jesus
once more, O'Connor writes as follows (and with no
transition):

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The book struck her directly over her left eye.
It struck almost at the same instant that she realized that the girl was about to hurl
it.

The abrupt shift -- from
the name of Jesus to the attack by the girl (ironically and humorously named Mary Grace
-- a name with definite Christian connotations) is typical of the way O'Connor combines
humor and violence. The attack itself is somewhat funny; the fact that the attacker is
named Mary Grace is funny as well; the fact tthat the book is titled Human
Development is funny; and the fact that O'Connor surprises us just as much as
she surprises Mrs. Turpin is also funny.

At the same time,
the attack has serious implications.  O'Connor would have seen it as a means by which
God attempts to offer Mrs. Turpin grace, if she will only accept it. O'Connor also would
have suggested that this is indeed a moment that may lead, if Mrs. Turpin responds
properly, to real human development.  Thus, in her typical way, O'Connor manages to be
combine humor, violence, and deep spiritual seriousness.