preview

Analysis Of O ' Connor 's Everything That Rises Must Converge

Decent Essays

Flannery O’Connor’s Everything That Rises Must Converge suggests that racial harmony will never be achieved unless the people backing it, genuinely and wholeheartedly, wish to achieve equality; otherwise the consequence will be even more damage between race (and family) relations. Julian is frustrated with the behavior of his racist mother, and he often daydreams about teaching his mother a lesson by affiliating with black people. In attempts to anger his mother he has tried to associate with African Americans, but he fails to connect with them, perhaps because his intentions for associating with them are unkind. Julian’s support for racial equality is nothing but a hypocritical ploy to anger his mother. This behavior only further damages race relations. O’Connor uses character, literary devices, and conflict to support the idea that there must be good intentions when dealing with racial equality, or the conditions will worsen.
Julian, the protagonist, bombards his mother with constant lessons on racial equality; however, analyzing his character can reveal the fact that his “lessons” are nothing but an attempt to feel power over his mother. Julian loses his feeling of power the moment he begins to depend on living with his mother while he tries to “[get] on his feet” (485). Julian’s mother gave a lot of her resources to provide Julian with an education, but Julian “[does] not like to consider all she [does] for him” (485). Julian’s hypocrisy is further displayed he

Get Access