Relationship of mother and her son in Flannery O’Connor’s

Relationship of mother and her son in Flannery O’Connor’s

“Everything that Rises Must Converge”

In this story, Flannery O’ Connor explains the complexity of relationship between a mother and a son where lack of mutual understating leads to destruction of emotions and love as well. Julian does not like her mother’s preconceived ideas, and how she judges some so quickly based on race and color. For Julian, it is disgusting to remind him all the time what her mother did for him. (710).All these small things make a void in their relationship. Julian cannot tolerate her mother’s behavior, and he always hurt her. Julian tries to teach her a lesson because he wants her mother to think that “Everything that rises must converge” which means the one who rises once must fall someday and vice versa. When they see a black woman wearing a same hat as Julian’s mother is wearing, his mother sees how people from black society rises today. His mother has a pride of being white and rich. That is why Julian tries to make negro friends which will hurt his mother. In the end, when her mother tries to give penny to black child, black woman completely refuses it and said, “he doesn’t take nobody’s pennies!” (718) which hit pride of Julian’s mother. Eventually, she become confused and started calling those people who are dying such as her father and Caroline. As a result, Julian feels guilty in making his mother numb.