Everything that rises must converge

Everything that rises must converge

• 1.
  Everything That RisesMust Converge - Flannery O'Connor -Nava Teja
• 2.
  Flannery O'Connor • March25, 1925 – August 3, 1964 (39), Georgia, USA • Lost father at the age of 15 • Planned to start her career as a political cartoonist • Studied social sciences and journalism • Novelist, essayist, reviews and commentaries • Fascinated by birds • At the age of 25 diagnosed with lupus • Wrote more than 24 short stories and 2 novels while battling Lupus • “Complete Stories” won the 1972 U.S.National Book Award for Fiction
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  Writing style • SouthernGothic style • Subgenre of gothic fiction • Subgenre of gothic horror – combines fiction, horror and romanticism • Reflects her own Roman catholic faith • Examines morality and ethics • Issue of race in background • Trademark technique – Foreshadowing • “All my stories are about the action of grace on a character who is not very willing to support it, but most people think of these stories as hard, hopeless and brutal”– Flannery O'Connor
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  Everything That RisesMust Converge • Wrote in her final decade • Published after six months of her death • Eponymous story of the short story collection • Title refers to a work by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin titled “Omega Point” • Pierre Teilhard de Chadrin (1881-1955) • Won O’Henry Award in 1963 for the short story collection
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  Historical Context • African-AmericanCivil Rights Movement (1955-1968) • Montgomery Bus Boycott 1956 • Desegregating Little Rock Central High School 1957 • Freedom Rides 1961 • Setting • Integrated Southern United States • Recent years after the integration • Point of view: Omniscient Limited
• 6.
  Characters • Julian –Protagonist • Grew up in “New South” (Southern US after racial integration) • An embittered recent college graduate (Age 25 to 27) • He feels that his mother is outdated • Wants to be a writer • Expects others to live up to his idealized expectations • Supports racial equality but unable to relate to African Americans • Wants to live in grandfather’s mansion despite of the slaves • Static
• 7.
  Characters (Continued) • Julian’smother – Antagonist • Grew up in Southern US (before integration) • Age - above 50 • Widow and struggled a lot to support her son • Mentally stuck in the past and says that she is adjustable • Racist • Treats her son as a Hero, though he is a weak person and disrespectful to her • Very Kind and loving to children • Static • Woman with canvas sandals, woman with protruding teeth, black man, black woman, Carver
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  Plot Overview • Julianescorts his mother to a weekly weight- loss class to reduce her high blood pressure • Julian’s mother refuses to take bus alone since integration • He want’s to teach her a lesson about racism • They board the bus and she points out with relief that there are only white people on bus
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  Plot Overview (Continued) •In the next stop a well dressed African American man boards • Julian asks him for a light to teach his mother a lesson • Julian daydreams about other ways to teach her a lesson • Bringing a black lawyer or professor to home for dinner • Taking his mother to black doctor when she requires treatment • Bringing a black woman home and forcing his mother to accept her
• 10.
  Plot Overview (Continued) •A black woman boards with her young son • Little boy clambers onto the seat next to Julian’s mother • Black woman squeezes into the seat next to Julian • Julian realizes that the black woman wears the same hat as his mother • Both parties get down at the same stop
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  Plot Overview (Continued) •Julian’s mother offers a penny to Carver • Carver’s mother knocks her down • Julian berates his mother and pulls her • She looks disoriented, sways for a moment and stumbles • Dies with one eye fixed on Julian’s face
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  Themes • Social Conflictas a Generational Conflict (Racism) • She believes in slavery • Julian supports racial equality • Lineage as Wellbeing • Family heritage gives them an absolute social standing • Appearance as a Faulty Measure of Reality • Julian’s mother rely heavily on her dressing style
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  Symbols • The Hat •Visually demonstrates that both women are now essentially the same • Highlights the absurdity of segregation and racial inequality • The Penny • Represents patronizing attitude towards African Americans • Symbolic persistence of blacks’ dependence on whites • Motifs • Social Conduct
• 14.
  Comments • Neither characteris truly immoral towards blacks • Julian • Too judgmental about his mother • Wrong approach of teaching a lesson • Mrs. Chestny • Hardworking and caring • Has to go through a transition from a world of slavery to a life with freedom and equality for everyone
• 15.
  References • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flannery_O'Connor • http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/f/flanneryo116575.html •http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Migration_(African_American) • http://www.sparknotes.com/short-stories/everything-that-rises- must- converge/ • http://www.shmoop.com/everything-that-rises-must-converge/
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  Thank You