O Connor's Everything That Rises Must Converge: Historical Criticism
Everything that Rises Must Converge: Historical Criticism Flannery O'Connor was one of the most well-known and respected scholars of her time. She was an American author and writer who composed multiple short stories and two books, one of these being a story in regards to racism, "Everything that Rises Must Converge". The book was distributed in the mid 1960’s; amid this time, numerous African Americans had no rights by any means. African Americans were transitioning into a more complicated period. They were standing up for their beliefs, they were denied rights such as voting all the way to having a specific seat on a bus and they were not respected and made fun of constantly. O’Connor was an extremely religious individual and communicated her confidence through her works. O'Connor's written works were enormously influenced by her time period. Particularly amid the central 1950's and 60's when numerous African Americans were standing up of their convictions, they were denied rights, for example, voting the distance to having a particular seat on a transport, they were not regarded and ridiculed continually. Her
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experience of this period helped with the characterization of Julian and his mom and the historical background written into the text. In “Everything That Rises Must Converge” we focus on the mother’s background and the attitudes that prevailed in the white, southern contemporary culture that produced her. Also, we examine how her expression of these attitudes has turned Julian against her throughout the entire story.
Most of “Everything that Rises Must Converge,” happens while Julian and his mom are on the way to her weight-loss class. Upon the bus ride, Julian’s mom noticed a young black boy and by being the means, by which she generally is with little children, she plays with the little boy throughout the bus ride and even tells Julian, “I think he likes me.” After getting to their stop she gives the African American kid a coin; “My son don’t take nobodies pennies.” She proceeds to slapping Julian’s mother with her purse in the head, knocking her to the pavement. Yes she is simply being neighborly, however circumstances are different. Back then during The Civil Rights Movement, African Americans still had to sit, drink and eat at certain places. A gesture of such nature could have been seen as a very nice thing to be doing during that time frame but due to new circumstances, it embarrasses the little boy’s mother who then retaliate, she yells, “My son don’t take nobodies pennies.” She proceeds to slapping Julian’s mother with her purse in the head, knocking her to the pavement. Julian's mother still lives in the South with strict social arrangements of acknowledged tenets that chose the behavior of both whites and blacks. In spite of the way the new systematic government that she lives in, she still holds quickly to the old conventions to contradict the startling changes that the new mix and antidiscrimination laws have brought. We see this when she says, “You remain what you are,” she said. “Your great-grand-father had a plantation and two hundred slaves.” Julian already almost despises his mom and hates the fact that she worships him in a since for graduating college but he hasn’t done anything since then. We notice a sudden despair and ill-mannered gesture from Julian as he responds to his moms comment when he says, “There are no more slaves,” he said irritably.(O’Connor) These notions help us to understand that she still does believe in how she was raised and is oblivious to the new generation that is evolving.
This not purposely noted from her but only because she grew up in this manner and hasn’t had the proper evolvement in understanding and dealing with the concept of blacks becoming equal and having rights.
She understands that blacks should rise but she feels this should happen separately. If Julian’s mom would have known and understood what was happening in her time period and had that notion to respect change, she would have reconsidered her gesture and wouldn’t have been hit with the purse. Even in today’s world giving money to a random child can be taken as an insult to the parent portraying to maybe not have money to give to their own. After a full analysis of this story, we maybe can take away from it that African Americans still hold that grudge in proving that that that can be very successful and make it at their own expense and hard
work.
experience of this period helped with the characterization of Julian and his mom and the historical background written into the text. In “Everything That Rises Must Converge” we focus on the mother’s background and the attitudes that prevailed in the white, southern contemporary culture that produced her. Also, we examine how her expression of these attitudes has turned Julian against her throughout the entire story.
Most of “Everything that Rises Must Converge,” happens while Julian and his mom are on the way to her weight-loss class. Upon the bus ride, Julian’s mom noticed a young black boy and by being the means, by which she generally is with little children, she plays with the little boy throughout the bus ride and even tells Julian, “I think he likes me.” After getting to their stop she gives the African American kid a coin; “My son don’t take nobodies pennies.” She proceeds to slapping Julian’s mother with her purse in the head, knocking her to the pavement. Yes she is simply being neighborly, however circumstances are different. Back then during The Civil Rights Movement, African Americans still had to sit, drink and eat at certain places. A gesture of such nature could have been seen as a very nice thing to be doing during that time frame but due to new circumstances, it embarrasses the little boy’s mother who then retaliate, she yells, “My son don’t take nobodies pennies.” She proceeds to slapping Julian’s mother with her purse in the head, knocking her to the pavement. Julian's mother still lives in the South with strict social arrangements of acknowledged tenets that chose the behavior of both whites and blacks. In spite of the way the new systematic government that she lives in, she still holds quickly to the old conventions to contradict the startling changes that the new mix and antidiscrimination laws have brought. We see this when she says, “You remain what you are,” she said. “Your great-grand-father had a plantation and two hundred slaves.” Julian already almost despises his mom and hates the fact that she worships him in a since for graduating college but he hasn’t done anything since then. We notice a sudden despair and ill-mannered gesture from Julian as he responds to his moms comment when he says, “There are no more slaves,” he said irritably.(O’Connor) These notions help us to understand that she still does believe in how she was raised and is oblivious to the new generation that is evolving.
This not purposely noted from her but only because she grew up in this manner and hasn’t had the proper evolvement in understanding and dealing with the concept of blacks becoming equal and having rights.
She understands that blacks should rise but she feels this should happen separately. If Julian’s mom would have known and understood what was happening in her time period and had that notion to respect change, she would have reconsidered her gesture and wouldn’t have been hit with the purse. Even in today’s world giving money to a random child can be taken as an insult to the parent portraying to maybe not have money to give to their own. After a full analysis of this story, we maybe can take away from it that African Americans still hold that grudge in proving that that that can be very successful and make it at their own expense and hard
work.