Sympathy or hypocrisy? When reading the short story “Everything That Rises Must Converge” by Flannery O’Connor both Julian’s mother and Julian himself are portrayed as very different characters, yet they’re one in the same. Despite Mrs. Chestny’s lack of morality and “superiority” we can’t help but feel sympathy for her character. Unlike Julian, his attitude towards blacks is upsetting and embarrassing. Julian is a hypocritical character, who has no real understanding towards blacks.
Although Julian tries to convince himself that he is nothing like his mother we can’t help but to realize they both heavily depend on appearances and separate themselves at a higher pedestal than the rest of society. Of course it’s more obvious with Mrs.Chestny because she tries to hide the fact that she no longer carries her family's wealth through her clothing. The narrator also emphasizes this by explaining …show more content…
Chestny. Her ignorance and reluctance to adapt to her lower social status in a changing environment infuriates Julian. They eventually get inside the bus on their way to Y and as soon as a man of color in a business suit and briefcase sits close by Julian, he decides he’s going sit next to him. Only to upset her mother of course, “her face had turned angry red. He stared at her, making his eyes the eyes of a stranger” (O’Connor 500). The narrator goes on to say “he would have liked to get in a conversation with the Negro and to talk with him about art or politics or any subject that would be above the comprehension of those around us” (O’Connor 501). When Julian ask the gentlemen for a lighter, the black man without raising his eyes from his newspaper hands him a pack of matches and gives him an annoyed look (O’Connor 501). He does all of this to upset his mother and the black businessman is just a toy or trophy to hang over her face. Julian has trouble following through to his beliefs because he doesn’t fully treat black as
Although Julian tries to convince himself that he is nothing like his mother we can’t help but to realize they both heavily depend on appearances and separate themselves at a higher pedestal than the rest of society. Of course it’s more obvious with Mrs.Chestny because she tries to hide the fact that she no longer carries her family's wealth through her clothing. The narrator also emphasizes this by explaining …show more content…
Chestny. Her ignorance and reluctance to adapt to her lower social status in a changing environment infuriates Julian. They eventually get inside the bus on their way to Y and as soon as a man of color in a business suit and briefcase sits close by Julian, he decides he’s going sit next to him. Only to upset her mother of course, “her face had turned angry red. He stared at her, making his eyes the eyes of a stranger” (O’Connor 500). The narrator goes on to say “he would have liked to get in a conversation with the Negro and to talk with him about art or politics or any subject that would be above the comprehension of those around us” (O’Connor 501). When Julian ask the gentlemen for a lighter, the black man without raising his eyes from his newspaper hands him a pack of matches and gives him an annoyed look (O’Connor 501). He does all of this to upset his mother and the black businessman is just a toy or trophy to hang over her face. Julian has trouble following through to his beliefs because he doesn’t fully treat black as