The Ugliest Pilgrim by Doris Betts
"The Ugliest Pilgrim" by Doris Betts tells the poignant journey of Violet, a woman whose disfigured face is a result of a childhood accident. She embarks on a pilgrimage from Spruce Pine, North Carolina, to Tulsa, Oklahoma, seeking healing from a television evangelist. Throughout her travels, Violet documents her experiences and interactions with fellow passengers on the bus, including an older woman, a black soldier named Grady "Flick" Fliggins, and a white paratrooper, Monty Harrell. These relationships reveal the diverse struggles and quests for acceptance faced by each character.
As Violet navigates her journey, she grapples with her self-image and the nature of her desires for connection and validation. The trip takes a dark turn when Violet finds herself a victim of sexual assault, complicating her quest for healing and acceptance. Upon reaching Tulsa, she is met with disappointment when the evangelist is unavailable, forcing her to confront the reality of her situation. The story culminates as Violet recognizes her reflection and grapples with her ongoing feelings of inadequacy, yet finds a glimmer of hope in Monty’s unwavering support. The narrative explores themes of beauty, identity, and the human longing for connection.
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The Ugliest Pilgrim by Doris Betts
First published: 1973
Type of plot: Psychological
Time of work: 1969
Locale: A bus traveling from Spruce Pine, North Carolina, to Tulsa, Oklahoma
Principal Characters:
Violet Karl , the narratorGrady "Flick" Fliggins , a black soldierMonty Harrell , a white paratrooperAn elderly white woman Mr. Weatherman , a bus driver
The Story
Violet Karl is making a pilgrimage to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to have her disfigured face healed by a prominent television evangelist. Her injury resulted from a childhood accident when she accompanied her father to chop wood, and the head of the ax came off the handle, striking her in the face.
Throughout her journey, Violet keeps a journal about the things that she sees and the people whom she meets. With each settlement through which she passes, she praises the Lord for leading her one step closer to her salvation and cure. To these comments Violet adds her impressions of her fellow passengers and recounts how they pass the time during their journey from Spruce Pine, North Carolina, to her fabled Tulsa.
On the bus, Violet makes the acquaintance of three fellow passengers: an older white woman; a black soldier, Grady "Flick" Fliggins; and a white paratrooper, Monty Harrell. Each acquaintance adds to Violet's growing need for acceptance. Each shows Violet that everyone is on some sort of quest.
When she first boards the bus, Violet's only companions are the older white woman and the black soldier. She takes a seat beside the older woman, strikes up a conversation, and soon learns that the woman is on her way to visit her son in Nashville, where he works in a cellophane plant. The woman adds that she may make a permanent move to her son's home.
After the older woman goes to sleep, Violet strikes up a conversation with Grady Fliggins and begins playing a game of draw poker. Grady seems not to care that Violet's face is deformed. While they are in a snack bar during a rest stop in Kingsport, Tennessee, Violet and Flick meet a white paratrooper, Monty Harrell, who joins them on the bus and becomes the third player in the card game.
During the trip, Violet and the two young men discuss her reason for going to Tulsa. Monty seems to be most opposed to Violet's intended meeting with the television preacher. Monty freely voices his suspicion that the preacher is a "fake," but Violet will not be sidetracked.
In Nashville, the older woman leaves the bus, but not before warning Violet about her companions and men in general. She cautions Violet to be on her guard because people will recognize her weaknesses and take advantage of them. As she gets off the bus, she chats with their driver, Mr. Weatherman, about Violet, but he is replaced by another driver who shows no personal interest in his passengers.
As the journey continues, the three passengers become a closer knit group with each community through which they pass. They decide to spend the night in Memphis before resuming their journey. While she is asleep in her room, Violet has what she thinks is a dream in which Flick and Monty come into her room. From the discussion Flick and Monty have, the reader realizes that this is not a dream but, in fact, a rape. The most telling comment comes when Flick admits that looks have nothing to do with sexual pleasure; therefore, he has no feelings, one way or the other, about Violet's appearance.
When the bus trip resumes, Violet finds herself being drawn more closely to Monty. Because no one is meeting her in Tulsa, she has her ticket changed so that she can accompany Monty and Flick to Fort Smith, with Monty making up the difference in the cost. When the bus reaches Fort Smith, Monty promises Violet that he will be there waiting when she returns from Tulsa. Flick makes no such promise but merely says good-bye. Monty runs beside the bus promising that he will meet Violet on her return and asking her to promise that she will return.
Violet eventually reaches Tulsa and finds the preacher's headquarters. To her dismay, the preacher is on a publicity tour, so she must deal with one of his assistants. To every question that Violet poses concerning her disfigurement, the assistant gives a canned response about her true need being spiritual. She leaves uncured and dissatisfied.
On her bus ride back, Violet refuses to look at her face. When she reaches the Fort Smith bus station, Violet hears Monty calling her name. As she turns toward the voice, she sees her reflection in a large mirror over the jukebox. She realizes that she is still ugly and tries to flee. Monty, however, will not let her escape. As the story ends, Violet, no longer thinking about her face, realizes that Monty is about to catch up to her.