Church Quote by Flannery O'Connor
“It began to drizzle rain and he turned on the windshield wipers; they made a great clatter like two idiots clapping in church.”
About This Quote
Source Story: A Good Man Is Hard to Find, 1953
The narrator describes rain and windshield wipers making noisy, clumsy sounds, likening them to foolish applause in a church.
In simple terms: Rain triggers noisy wipers that sound like clumsy applause.
Key Takeaway
Notice how ordinary moments can feel absurd.
Themes
irony
absurdity
everyday life
Mood
wry
observational
Type
literary
descriptive
When to use this quote
- driving in rain
- observing mundane details
- writing description
Key Concepts
sound imagery
humor
Questions to Reflect On
- What everyday sound feels oddly out of place?
- How does humor affect perception of routine?
A Different Perspective
The metaphor may overstate the silliness of the scene.
![“T]he church is not a place. It's not a building. It's not a preaching point. It's not a spiritual service provider. It's a people - the new covenant, blood-bought people of God. That's why Paul said, 'Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her' (Eph. 5:25). He didn't give himself up for a…” quote by Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7a4/mark-dever-3175_blood_t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-bu_3297.jpg)
