Julian In Flannery O Connor's Everything That Rises Must Converge

In “Everything That Rises Must Converge” written by Flannery O’Connor, the characters Julian and his mother, referred to only as “Julian’s Mother”, maintain an intricate and rather deleterious relationship. Their conflicting views regarding race issues are the ultimate dividers in their relationship. This dissension places a large strain on nearly all of their interactions. Julian is irritated by his mother and treats her with enmity, while his mother is tolerant of his temper. Their relationship heavily affects both characters and carries a strong significance in each others lives. Both characters are deeply affected by their relationship with one another and are reliant on each other in different aspects. Julian is resentful of his mother, but is also aware of the physical support she has given him throughout his lifetime, including sending him to college and allowing him to stay with her while he does not have a job “Julian did not like to consider all she did for him…” (O’Connor 197). Additionally, whether aware of it or not, they are dependent on each other for companionship. Julian walks with his mother to the Y for her “reducing class” so she does not have to walk alone. Furthermore, Julian and his mother have isolated themselves and allowed their thoughts to be engulfed by the exasperating communications involved in their relationship. This has led them to be somewhat detached from the rest of society. The

Julian’s mother sees herself as superior because her race. This differs from Julian who sees himself as superior because of his education and views. The characters both possess petty and closed- minded attributes but refuse to admit their faults. Julian and his mother take advantage of the companionship their relationship provides while retaining their individual views and