"Everything That Rises Must Converge" is a short story by Flannery O'Connor that was published in 1965. It follows the relationship between a mother and her son, Julian, as they take a bus to a local weight-loss class. The story is set in the South during the early 1960s, a time of great social change and upheaval.
At the heart of the story is the theme of convergence. This is reflected in the title, which is a quote from the French philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. It suggests that all things, no matter how different or divergent, will eventually come together and unite. In the story, this theme is explored through the relationship between Julian and his mother, as well as through the characters' interactions with each other.
One of the main conflicts in the story is the tension between Julian and his mother. Julian is a young, educated man who is trying to distance himself from his Southern roots and the prejudice and bigotry that he associates with them. His mother, on the other hand, is a product of her time and place and holds on to the values and beliefs of her generation. This causes frequent conflicts between the two, as Julian tries to reject his mother's narrow-minded views while she tries to hold on to them.
The theme of convergence is also evident in the interactions between the other characters on the bus. O'Connor uses the bus as a microcosm for the larger society, showing how different people from different backgrounds can come together and coexist, even if they don't necessarily agree with each other. The bus is a place where people from all walks of life are brought together, and through their interactions, O'Connor shows how the theme of convergence is played out in the real world.
One of the most poignant moments in the story comes when Julian's mother is confronted with the reality of her own prejudice. She has a confrontation with a black woman on the bus, and in the process, she realizes the error of her ways and the harm that her narrow-minded views have caused. This moment of self-awareness and understanding marks a turning point in the story and demonstrates the theme of convergence in a powerful way.
In conclusion, "Everything That Rises Must Converge" is a thought-provoking story that explores the theme of convergence through the relationship between a mother and son and the interactions between different characters on a bus. O'Connor uses this theme to show how even seemingly disparate things can come together and unite, and how understanding and acceptance can lead to growth and change.
Everything That Rises Must Converge Themes
Just as Julian tends to misunderstand his own motivations, he also misunderstands those of his mother. For instance, it is clear that Emily would have a hard time going through life without the help of his father. At that time, God would become "all in all. Julian is worse than his mother is when it comes to racism but he just happens to take an opposing position against his mother. Realizing that the four of them are all getting off the bus at the same time, Julian has a terrible premonition that, after they depart the bus together, his Mother will try to give Carver a nickel.
Everything That Rises Must Converge Analysis Essay
The second is the date of publication online or last modification online. As we examine these clues, we will find that Mrs. Her uneasiness at riding on an integrated bus is illustrated by her comment, "I see we have the bus to ourselves," and by her observation, "The world is in a mess everywhere. His rough demeanor changes and he becomes almost infantilized. Most simply stated, Teilhard speculated that the evolutionary process was producing a higher and higher level of consciousness and that ultimately that consciousness, now become spiritual, would be complete when it merged with the Divine Consciousness at the Omega point. The daughter thinks of herself as white.
Everything That Rises Must Converge: Full Book Summary
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Julian desperately wants to demonstrate that he can communicate and connect to blacks, but he finds himself unable to connect to other people on their own terms, particularly across racial lines. But Julian remembers visiting it once as a child, and he still dreams about it; although he pretends to hate it, he resents his mother for having been able to experience it. Daisy asks Ben if she can come over into his garden and play with him. The fact that he morbidly enjoys it suggest that he maybe cares more about winning his argument with his Mother and feeling superior to other Southern whites than he may care about equality. Rusk offers to resign from his post, but President Lyndon Johnson refuses to accept his resignation. Embarrassed, Julian comments that the days of slavery are over, to which she replies that blacks should be free to rise but should do so separately from whites. Wresting herself from his grasp, she crumples to the pavement.
Everything That Rises Must Converge Summary & Analysis
Controversial issues such as civil rights came to the forefront, inspiring more and more young Americans to question those in power. As she walks along, paying no attention to him, he continues to scold her. As they bicker, the bus pulls up and they board. The result is that her messages are stark and vivid, and O 'Connor is able to make bold positions on controversial subjects. In a book called The Phenomenon of Man 1955 , which attempts to reconcile the science of evolution with a Christian vision, Teilhard theorizes that after the rise of homo sapiens evolution continues on a spiritual level toward a level of pure consciousness called Being.
