Father And Son In Flannery's Home

The father seems to be a very impatient and self-concerning man. Although it is six in the morning, he doesn’t care his son isn’t dressed properly. He also tries to rush the child and woman out as quickly as possible so he can go back to sleep. Flannery writes, “He went to the door and [opens] it wide and [waits].” The man clearly wants the two to leave and continually tries to get rid of them but the lady keeps talking. When the man asks what time the child will be back, she doesn’t give a specific time but the man doesn’t seem to mind. Most parents would like to know the exact time and where they’re going.
Flannery writes, “you [find] out more when you [leave] where you [live].” She goes on to write about how much Harry learns from the babysitter
His parents clearly don’t care much about him and swear a lot and don’t teach him anything. The babysitter is taking the time to teach him about Jesus which shows her kindness for a boy she’s just met. She reads him a book with pictures about Jesus and tells him about how Jesus took all the pigs out of a man. Harry believes everything she tells him and believes the book because it has pictures of real pigs rather than fake pink smiley ones.
Flannery uses the sun as a symbol which is used to represent Christian faith. Its reflection is "set like a diamond" in the river where Harry is baptized. The personification of the sun emphasizes the idea that hope and faith overcome the darkness of sin and lack of faith. As Mrs. Connin leads her own children and Harry to the healing at the river, "The white Sunday sun followed at a little distance, climbing fast through a scum of gray cloud as if it meant to overtake them."
The preacher refers Luke 18:35-43, where Jesus gives a bling beggar his sight, because he says the people will not be healed unless they believe in