O'Conner

Love Always Converge

Flannery O' Conner was born in Georgia. Her Southern Catholic views on racial issues and religion gives O' Conner her name. She continued to express her views on the decaying south up to her death. " Everything That Rises Must Converge" was one of O'Connor's last pieces before lupus took her life. The title" Everything That Rises Must Converge" is borrowed from the works of Teilhard de Chardin. "The religion philosopher explains the ideal of everything and everyone will be joined at the end of the geologic time." (179) The author uses this theme to explain in the story how the old south and the new south emerge creating one south. The author's agenda in the short story is to explore the possibilities of symbolism using a mother (old south) and son's (new south) relationship in the process. The relationships represents how different one views are. These views are converged by love.

The story centers on Julian and his mother, Ms. Cheeny's weekly trip to the downtown YMCA. The story focuses Mrs. Cheeny and Julian's racist ideology.

The issue of old south vs. new south helps keep the fuel between Julian (new south) and his mother (old south) burning. Julian's mother is an older woman who is still holds on to the manners of the old south, "She was one of the few members of the Y reducing class who arrived in hat and gloves." (206). She implicates her kind as the dominated race and naturally Ms. Cheeny feels threatened. She only knew blacks in society as slaveries, working for her great family. The thought of blacks becoming a part of "her" society disturb her, " It's simply not realistic. They should rise, yes but on their own side of the fence." (207)

Julian , a recent graduated tries to show is mom that the old south has died. The author uses Julian view of the decaying mansion as a symbol of the south. Julian recalls the mansion, "the double stairways had rotted and been torn down"(207) as his mom views the mansion as a high kingdom. Though out the ride Julian encounter with several black passengers. He tries to talk