First Thoughts on Epiphany

So from what I could find regarding the root of the word it appears that it comes from the Latin word epiphania which came from the Greek word epiphaneia or epiphainein . epiphainein is broken down to epi meaning “over or on” and phainein, meaning “to show” so the word came to mean “manifestation or display.” This definition makes sense as an epiphany, to the best of my understanding, is a sort of revelation in which things suddenly become clear or are finally shown. The word also seems to be strongly influenced by religion as it also is defined as the appearance of a divine being or deity to man. Both definitions seem to relate the same basic concept, that an epiphany is an awakening or realization of something bigger than what was previously understood. As an English Literature major who will soon be forced to enter the real world and pursue some sort of career, I would love to experience my own sort of epiphany in this class but I will gladly settle for simply coming to a comprehensive understanding of epiphanies in literature. Throughout all my years studying literature I must admit that I have not once delved into the topic of epiphany in the books I have read and I am now very excited to look into such a fascinating topic!