Summary of Flannery O'Connor's Everything That Rises Must Converge
Everything That Rises Must Converge
Julian and his mother look at the world through different eyes. She believes that you are born into this world into a certain class and hers was one with never ending privilege and status. Her status long gone, she still clings to her old beliefs and ideas. Julian, coming from a different generation, sees thing differently. "But I can gracious to anybody. I know who I am." " They don't give a damn for your graciousness," Julian said savagely. "Knowing who you are is good for one generation only. You haven't the foggiest idea where you stand now or who you are."
Julian knows that her world has change, but she has not change with it. He sees the world changing, but she does not see it. This frustrates him because he knows what social class that they both are in, yet his mother won't change. Julian's attempts to change her are in vale. He then only views her with the utmost disdain. "Julian thought he could have stood his lot better if she had been selfish, if she had been an old hag who drank and screamed at him. He walked along, saturated in depression, as if in the midst of his martyrdom he had lost his faith."
It was this split in social ideology that shaped their relationship and ultimately divided Julian and his mother. His mother's beliefs came from her generation and generations before her. Because of that, she had her idea of what societies standards should be at that time. Julian however was from a different generation, one in transition unlike any before. His views and ideas on how society should be were completely opposite of his mothers. It was these stereotypes that Julian tried to shatter.
Julian's mother dismissed his unemployment as youth and inexperience. "She excused his gloominess on the grounds that he was still growing up and his radical ideas on his lack of practical experience. She said he didn't yet know a thing about "life," that he hadn't even entered the real world-when already he was as
Julian and his mother look at the world through different eyes. She believes that you are born into this world into a certain class and hers was one with never ending privilege and status. Her status long gone, she still clings to her old beliefs and ideas. Julian, coming from a different generation, sees thing differently. "But I can gracious to anybody. I know who I am." " They don't give a damn for your graciousness," Julian said savagely. "Knowing who you are is good for one generation only. You haven't the foggiest idea where you stand now or who you are."
Julian knows that her world has change, but she has not change with it. He sees the world changing, but she does not see it. This frustrates him because he knows what social class that they both are in, yet his mother won't change. Julian's attempts to change her are in vale. He then only views her with the utmost disdain. "Julian thought he could have stood his lot better if she had been selfish, if she had been an old hag who drank and screamed at him. He walked along, saturated in depression, as if in the midst of his martyrdom he had lost his faith."
It was this split in social ideology that shaped their relationship and ultimately divided Julian and his mother. His mother's beliefs came from her generation and generations before her. Because of that, she had her idea of what societies standards should be at that time. Julian however was from a different generation, one in transition unlike any before. His views and ideas on how society should be were completely opposite of his mothers. It was these stereotypes that Julian tried to shatter.
Julian's mother dismissed his unemployment as youth and inexperience. "She excused his gloominess on the grounds that he was still growing up and his radical ideas on his lack of practical experience. She said he didn't yet know a thing about "life," that he hadn't even entered the real world-when already he was as