NOTE: Free essay sample provided on this page should be used for references or sample purposes only. The sample essay is available to anyone, so any direct quoting without mentioning the source will be considered plagiarism by schools, colleges and universities that use plagiarism detection software. To get a completely brand-new, plagiarism-free essay, please use our essay writing service.
One click instant price quote
Essay Flannery Oconnor Larry Essay 1 A Son Who Knew Everything In her short story Everything That Rises Must Converge, Flannery OConnor allows the story to be told from the perspective of Julian, a recent college graduate who appears to be waiting for a job, while living at home with his mother. His relationship with his mother is rocky at times, to say the least. It is constantly mired with conflicts about the Old South and the New South. Julian must come to terms with himself, either he is an over protective son or just a pain in her ass. Even though Julian seems to dislike his mothers viewpoints, he continues to depends on her for stability. When the final confrontation between Julian's mother and the large black women results in her having a heart attack, to which Julian is oblivious to, it causes him to be overwhelmed with greif and fear.
He only then realizes the extent of his self-deception is fully confirmed. Julian's discription of his relationship with his mother, in his mind, was he viewed himself as the savior that must teach her a lesson about her outdated veiw points. He feels as though he needs to treat her like a little girl because of her ignorance of the changing times. It seems that the new generation always seems to know more about everything than the one before.
Meaning, the old generations are not nessasarily ignorant to the changes, but they might not know any better because of the way they were brought up. They (blacks) dont give a damn for your graciousness (342), Julian explains to his mother. The condescension of enlightened whites towards blacks and the resentment of blacks towards well-meaning whites will never change because knowing who you are is good for one generation only. You havent the foggiest idea where you stand now or who you are (342). Constantly bagging her while making himself feel better about his awareness, regardless of how it made her feel, was his way of getting back at her. Julian does not like his mother.
To him she is an embarassment, a burden and backwards to his new way of thinking. He himself, has learned to recognize racism, and argues against it. However, when his mother is the instigator, the issue becomes more personal, and he defends her. Some how like picking on my baby brother it is alright, but when someone else does it offends me.
Julian does take into account that he is educated and presumes himself to be opposite of his mother, but he finds that it is not true, and he remains a racist. Instead of confronting this as a problem, he seeks to belittle his mother. When the Negro women enters the bus, he wishes she would sit beside his mother in order to disturb her. He could think of no better arrangement (347).
Yet to his annoyance, she squeezes herself into the seat next to him (348). His lack of insight regarding their relationship is revealed when he fantasizes himself presenting his mother with a black acquaintance: either a business associate, a lover or even the doctor he could hire to heal her. When he asks the man with the paper for a light (he has nothing to smoke), embarrassing himself solely to perplex her. He remains a racist not because it was instilled in him by his mother, but because he continues to exploit the black culture for the sole purpose of changing his mother. Julian's culture in his own mind fails because it does not touch his being.
Julian, a grown man, still lives at home without the slightest notion of what it means to be independent or to even have a job. He is withdrawn from society. His ethics pertaining to equalities that are not put to the test among society, leaving him as out of touch with society as his mother. Julian's confusion about his life is blamed on his mother. His hatred for her gives him a reason to be a critical, self-loathing person.
Having the ability to tell right from wrong does not assist him in anyway. He is always looking for approval and satisfaction from the one person he accused of being in a fantasy world. The fantasy world she has lived in for so long is now and were he will spend the rest of his life. Julian is left to fend for himself in a cold world where he is no more prepared to handle than he is a job.
Finally we are left to guess whether or not Julian can make it without the one person who annoyed him so much, but stood by his side all of his life. Work Cited OConnor, Flannery. Everything That Rises Must Converge. Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. 7 th ed.
Ed. X. J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia.
New York: Longman, 1999. 340 - 51.
Free research essays on topics related to: one person, relationship with his mother, rises must converge, fantasy world, flannery oconnor
Research essay sample on Rises Must Converge Relationship With His Mother
