“Everything That Rises Must Converge” by Flannery O’Connor: A Review

Introduction: “Everything That Rises Must Converge” by Flannery O’Connor

“Everything That Rises Must Converge” by Flannery O’Connor was first published in 1961 within the literary journal New World Writing. A hallmark of O’Connor’s Southern Gothic style, the story delves into themes of race, class, and generational conflict within the American South. Its jarring climax, unflinching portrayal of prejudice, and complex exploration of human frailty have established it as a mainstay in high school and collegiate literary studies.

Summary of Main Events: “Everything That Rises Must Converge” by Flannery O’Connor

1. Opening scene: An older, white Southern woman (Julian’s mother) and her son Julian board a bus. She strikes up a condescending conversation with a Black woman.
2. Racial tensions: Julian’s mother’s attempts at forced politeness highlight her subtle racism, making Julian increasingly uncomfortable.
3. The hat: Julian’s mother insists on giving a young Black boy a penny, further straining the tense atmosphere.
4. Mother as flawed figure: Julian reflects on his mother’s traditional views and her resistance towards social change. He dreams of a life beyond her influence.
5. Identity struggle: Julian feels both superior and connected to the Black passengers, revealing his own internal conflicts.
6. The shared hat: Julian’s mother spots a Black woman wearing the same gaudy hat as herself, triggering feelings of both connection and superiority.
7. Confrontation escalates: Julian’s mother feels faint and the Black woman on the bus offers concerned assistance.
8. Julian’s anger: He witnesses what he interprets as his mother being patronized and humiliated, his anger boiling over.
9. Racial divide: Julian’s own prejudices are brought to the forefront as he envisions a violent confrontation.
10. Mother’s response: Instead of reacting violently, his mother is deeply upset and has difficulty speaking.
11. Julian’s futile support: Julian attempts to comfort his mother, but the emotional gulf between them is laid bare.
12. Mother’s collapse: Julian’s mother suffers a stroke on the walk home, triggered by the stress and shock of the events.
13. Julian’s emotional isolation: He is left alone as his mother is taken by ambulance, reflecting on his own anger and his failure to truly understand her.
14. Final scene: Julian stands alone at the bus stop, surrounded by the Black neighborhood and confronted with the consequences of his worldview.

Literary Devices/Structural Devices in “Everything That Rises Must Converge” by Flannery O’Connor

Literary/Structural Device	Explanation	Example from the Text
Allusion	Reference to history, literature, art, etc. for effect	Julian’s thoughts about his mother’s ancestors fighting in the Civil War
Characterization	How the author creates and develops character traits	Julian’s disdain for his mother’s beliefs contrasted with his own pride
Climax	The turning point or highest emotional intensity	The confrontation on the bus and Julian’s mother’s stroke
Conflict	The main struggle or problem in the story	Generational conflict, racial tensions, internal struggle
Dialogue	Conversations between characters	Racially charged exchanges between Julian’s mother and Black passengers
Epiphany	A character’s sudden realization or insight	Julian’s final moment of clarity, left alone and facing the repercussions
Flashback	Interruption of the narrative to present past events	Julian’s memories of his mother’s younger days
Foreshadowing	Hints or clues about upcoming events	The increasingly tense bus atmosphere, building towards conflict
Hyperbole	Exaggeration for emphasis or dramatic effect	Julian’s mother’s exaggerated fear of sitting among Black passengers
Imagery	Vivid sensory descriptions to evoke emotions	“Her eyes retained their battered look” – describing the mother’s shock
Irony	Words or events conveying a meaning opposite to literal	Mother’s insistence on giving the Black child money while being racist
Metaphor	Comparison without “like” or “as”	Julian’s mother described as clinging to old beliefs “like a fierce and loyal crab”
Mood	The story’s overall emotional atmosphere	Tense, discomforting, building towards a sense of inevitability
Motif	Recurring element that reinforces a theme	The hat, representing connection and social hierarchy
Personification	Giving non-human things human characteristics	The city described as yawning after a night’s sleep
Point of View	From whose perspective the story is told	Third-person limited, focused primarily on Julian’s thoughts
Setting	Time, place, and social context of the story	1960s American South, the bus as a microcosm of society
Simile	Comparison using “like” or “as”	“It was like riding a full bus incognito” – Julian and his mother’s disguise
Symbolism	An object or image representing a larger idea	The shared hat – symbolizing class, race, and unexpected connections
Theme	The underlying message or idea the author explores	Social change, racism, the illusion of superiority, flawed relationships

Characterization: “Everything That Rises Must Converge” by Flannery O’Connor

Julian’s Mother

• Outdated Views & Condescension:
• From the beginning, the story highlights her adherence to an older system of social rules and race relations. Her attempts at politeness towards Black passengers, like offering a penny to Carver, are rooted in a deep sense of patronization and antiquated social hierarchy.
  • “They should rise, yes…but on their own side of the fence.”
• Clinging to the Past: Her nostalgia for a lost Southern aristocracy flavors many of her conversations and memories. The grandfather’s old plantation functions as a symbol of past status and privilege.
  • “Her face could be kind when she closed her eyes and reminisced about her great-grandfather who had been a Confederate major…”
• Superficiality: The matching “ugly” hats symbolize her focus on appearances and her belief in social stratification as determined by possessions and perceived class. O’Connor describes them as “idiotic” to emphasize the futility of judging by outward appearance.
• Limited Self-Awareness: One of her most striking traits is a lack of insight into how her views are perceived. She believes herself to be a good, Christian woman and is genuinely baffled when her attempts at patronizing charity are met with resistance.
• Frailty Beyond Age: As much as the story explores her outdated views. O’Connor also portrays her increasing physical frailty and reliance on Julian. The stroke is not just a plot device, it highlights her vulnerability, particularly in the context of social change.

Julian

• Intellectual Superiority: He is defined by a sense of intellectual pride that masks his deep insecurities and reliance on his mother. He constantly judges her in his thoughts, sees himself as more enlightened, and scoffs at her perceived ignorance.
  • “He considered himself superior to the ordinary run of humanity…”
• Internal Conflict: Despite his supposed progressive views, his behavior often reveals his own prejudices and internal struggle. His desire to sit with the Black man on the bus stems as much from a sense of defiance towards his mother as from solidarity.
• Frustrations & Selfishness: He uses his mother’s shortcomings as an excuse for his own stagnant life. His aspirations to be a writer and escape his situation remain vague and lack action.
  • “His mother had never entered (his private world)” – yet, he also hasn’t fully entered his own potential
• Misplaced Anger: Julian’s bitterness manifests as anger towards his mother, a perceived stand-in for an old world order he rejects yet can’t fully escape. O’Connor hints at his fear of becoming like her one day.
• Glimpse of Humanity: Julian is not completely unsympathetic. In the aftermath of his mother’s stroke, we see his panic and confusion. Yet, even this moment is tinged with self-reflection, illustrating the challenge of true empathy.

Major Themes: “Everything That Rises Must Converge” by Flannery O’Connor

Theme	Explanation	Examples from the Story
Social Change & The Illusion of Superiority	Examines the tension between outdated social hierarchies and the inevitability of change. Characters cling to notions of superiority based on race and class, but events constantly undermine these beliefs.	* Julian’s mother’s condescending attitude towards Black passengers. <br> * Julian’s belief in his own intellectual superiority. * The shared hat worn by both his mother and a Black woman becomes a potent symbol of unexpected connection, undercutting their perceived differences.
Racism & Prejudice	Unflinchingly explores the insidious nature of racism, from outright prejudice to subtle microaggressions. The story reveals how even seemingly well-meaning individuals can fall prey to systemic prejudice.	* Julian’s mother’s patronizing attempts to give Carver a penny. * Julian’s own conflicted feelings of superiority mixed with a desire for connection with Black passengers. * The Black woman’s justifiable anger and distrust when Julian’s mother offers assistance during her faintness.
Generational Conflict	The story centers on the clash between Julian and his mother, representing broader societal shifts. Their conflict symbolizes the struggle between an older generation clinging to the past and a younger one seeking progress.	* Julian’s frustration with his mother’s outdated views and her influence over his life. * His mother’s nostalgia for a lost Southern aristocracy and resistance to changing social norms.
Flawed Humanity & Grace	O’Connor’s Southern Gothic style often involves moments of unexpected grace amidst characters’ flaws. The story paints a complex picture of human frailty and the potential for change or redemption, however fleeting.	* Julian’s mother’s genuine shock and vulnerability that culminate in her stroke – challenging Julian’s preconceived notions about her. * Julian’s final moment of clarity and isolation, offering the possibility, though uncertain, of personal transformation.

Writing Style in “Everything That Rises Must Converge” by Flannery O’Connor

Flannery O’Connor’s short story “Everything That Rises Must Converge” exemplifies her distinctive Southern Gothic writing style. The story utilizes grotesque imagery, such as the description of the houses as “bulbous liver-colored monstrosities,” to create a sense of unease and decay. O’Connor crafts unsympathetic characters—Julian with his intellectual snobbery and his mother with her racist condescension—forcing the reader to confront uncomfortable truths about prejudice. The story’s sharp dialogue and vivid descriptions paint a complex and unsettling portrait of the American South during the era of the Civil Rights movement. O’Connor’s climax delivers a moment of shocking violence, not in physical form, but in the emotional devastation of Julian’s mother, which serves as her signature method of revealing hidden depths and potential for grace within even flawed characters.

Literary Theories and Interpretation of “Everything That Rises Must Converge” by Flannery O’Connor

Literary Theory	Interpretation Focus	Examples from the Story
Feminist Criticism	Explores power dynamics related to gender, patriarchy, and social roles.	* Julian’s mother embodies female figures of the Old South, constrained by social expectations and clinging to waning power.<br> * The Black woman on the bus becomes a figure of resistance and defiance, challenging Julian’s mother’s patronizing gestures and social assumptions.
Marxist Criticism	Focuses on class conflict, economic systems, and societal divisions based on wealth and power.	* The story subtly portrays class tensions. Julian sees himself as intellectually above others yet depends on his mother financially.<br> * Racial prejudice is interwoven with a sense of class hierarchy and historical economic injustice tied to slavery.
New Historicism	Examines the story through the lens of its specific historical and cultural context	* Written during the height of the Civil Rights movement, the story grapples with the legacies of racism and forced integration in the American South.<br>* Julian’s and his mother’s perspectives reflect the complex social dynamics and generational conflict of the era.
Psychoanalytic Criticism	Explores unconscious desires, motivations, and the human psyche.	* Julian’s internal struggle reveals a suppressed desire for both rebellion and connection, highlighting his conflicted relationship with his mother and the social order they represent. <br> * The mother’s intense reaction to the shared hat could be interpreted as a subconscious recognition of her own social fragility.
Reader-Response Criticism	Focuses on the reader’s active role in constructing meaning from the text.	* The story’s lack of easy resolutions and unsympathetic characters provoke a variety of emotional and intellectual responses, inviting readers to confront their own preconceptions about race and class. <br> * O’Connor’s use of ambiguity and open-endedness leaves space for multiple interpretations and ongoing debate.

Questions and Thesis Statements about “Everything That Rises Must Converge” by Flannery O’Connor

Topic	Question	Thesis Statement
Social Change	How does the story portray the societal clash between old social orders and the push for racial integration?	In “Everything That Rises Must Converge,” O’Connor uses the microcosm of the bus to illustrate the painful and inevitable clash of old social hierarchies with the forces of desegregation and a changing American South.
Symbolism	What is the significance of the shared hat in the story?	The matching hats in “Everything That Rises Must Converge” symbolize connection, class divides, and the crumbling illusion of superiority, forcing both Julian and his mother to confront their flawed assumptions about the world.
Characterization	How does O’Connor use Julian’s character to explore internal conflict and hypocrisy?	O’Connor constructs Julian as a character of deep contradictions; his outward progressivism masks latent prejudice, revealing the hypocrisy of intellectual snobbery that fails to overcome internalized biases.
Grotesque Elements	How does O’Connor’s use of the grotesque shape the reader’s understanding of the characters and setting?	Flannery O’Connor’s signature Southern Gothic style employs grotesque imagery and descriptions to create a sense of unease, revealing the warped perspectives and decaying social structures within the story’s world.
Grace	To what extent does O’Connor offer a possibility of grace or redemption within the story’s bleak ending?	While “Everything That Rises Must Converge” delivers a shocking conclusion, it also hints at a potential for change and grace; the characters’ moments of vulnerability challenge easy dismissals and suggest a possibility, however fleeting, for personal transformation.

Short Questions/Answers “Everything That Rises Must Converge” by Flannery O’Connor

1. How does symbolism enhance the story’s central themes?

• Answer: O’Connor masterfully utilizes symbolism to highlight themes of social hierarchy, prejudice, and the fragility of perceived differences.
  • The matching hats: Initially symbolic of class divisions, ultimately they force both Julian’s mother and the Black woman to confront the illusion of their imagined superiority.
  • Carver: The child’s name evokes historic figures involved in Black uplift and education, subtly challenging the racist notions of the older generation.

2. Is Julian a sympathetic character? Why or why not?

• Answer: Julian’s character evokes a complex mixture of disdain and pity. His supposed intellectual progressivism hides deep-rooted prejudices, mirroring those of his mother.
  • His desire to connect with Black passengers stems as much from defying his mother as from genuine solidarity.
  • Ultimately, his intellectual pride, self-centeredness, and inability to act meaningfully against the social injustices make him a largely unsympathetic figure.

3. How does the setting contribute to the story’s atmosphere?

• Answer: The 1960s Southern setting and the confined, public space of the bus magnify the social anxieties of the era.
  • O’Connor’s Southern Gothic style utilizes grotesque descriptions of the physical environment – decaying houses, the heat – reflecting the warped perspectives of the characters and the suffocating tension of forced integration.
  • The bus mirrors the larger society; a microcosm of racial divisions and inevitable collisions of old and new.

4. What is O’Connor’s message about human nature?

• Answer: O’Connor’s unflinching portrayal of flawed characters forces readers to confront uncomfortable truths about themselves.
  • The story exposes the insidious persistence of prejudice, even in those who perceive themselves as enlightened or well-intentioned.
  • O’Connor’s signature use of shock – here, the emotional devastation of the stroke – suggests that grace or transformation might only arise from confronting the darkest parts of ourselves.

Literary Works Similar to “Everything That Rises Must Converge” by Flannery O’Connor

·  Other Works by Flannery O’Connor:

• Short Stories: Collections like “A Good Man is Hard to Find” and The Complete Stories exhibit her distinct Southern Gothic style, tackling themes of grotesque characters, social decay, and the violence that underlies seemingly polite society.
• Novels: Wise Blood delves into religious extremism, the search for meaning, and O’Connor’s complex treatment of characters who are at once deeply flawed and capable of redemption.

·  Southern Gothic Tradition:

• William Faulkner: Novels like As I Lay Dying and short stories such as “A Rose for Emily” utilize a similar setting and explore the complexities of family, the legacy of the American South, and the presence of the grotesque hidden within the seemingly ordinary.
• Carson McCullers: Novels like The Heart is a Lonely Hunter expose societal isolation, inner turmoil, and characters grappling with identity and social alienation in a Southern context.

·  Themes of Race and Social Injustice:

• Toni Morrison: Novels like The Bluest Eye examine the psychological effects of internalized racism and grapple with ideas of beauty and societal expectations within the Black community.
• Ralph Ellison: His seminal novel Invisible Man offers a searing critique of societal blindness towards the Black experience and the struggle for identity in a prejudiced world.
• James Baldwin: Short stories like “Sonny’s Blues” and essays collected in Notes of a Native Son dissect racial tensions, family dynamics, and the search for understanding across social divides.

Suggested Readings about “Everything That Rises Must Converge” by Flannery O’Connor

Scholarly Articles

• Hyman, Melanie L. “The Art of Excellence: A Study of Flannery O’Connor’s Use of Grotesquerie, Humor, and Religion in A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Other Stories.” (1986).
• Desmond, John. Risen Sons: Flannery O’Connor’s Vision of History. University of Georgia Press, 2003.

Critical Essays

• Fitzgerald, Sally, editor. The Habit of Being: Letters of Flannery O’Connor. Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1979. (Contains O’Connor’s own reflections on her writing and themes)
• May, John R., editor. The Pruning Word: The Parables of Flannery O’Connor. University of Notre Dame Press, 1976.

Websites

• The Flannery O’Connor Review: Journal dedicated to the study of O’Connor’s work)
• Encyclopedia of Alabama – Flannery O’Connor Entry: http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1376 (Provides biographical and contextual information)