Case Of Julian And His Mother example essay topic

In most cases, a child will adopt the values and beliefs that their parents believe. This could be religion, political views or even characteristics. However, it is also natural for this child to eventually think for himself and question the morals and values he has been brought up to believe. This rebellious stage in his life causes him to search for what he truly thinks about certain topics in the world.

Most of the time, he finds his own thoughts and combines them with the beliefs he was taught as a child. In some cases like in "Everything That Rises Must Converge" by Flannery O'Conner, the child questions the parents' beliefs so much that his new beliefs are the exact opposite. This drastic view change can cause arguments between the parent and the child. In the case of Julian and his mother, the difference in beliefs is so extreme that both parties believe that they are right and the other person is wrong. Each side wants the other side to see how right their beliefs are so badly that they feel the need to shove their beliefs in to each others faces constantly. Julian's mother was brought up to believe that Negroes are the lesser class.

She lived on a plantation with her Grandfather who owned a few hundred slaves. The thought that Negroes are to be looked down upon is natural to her. This is the way that most people were brought up during her generation. She does not treat these people like dirt. She simply talks down to them and considers them not as well off as the white class. She naturally teaches these values to her son.

Even though Julian was taught that Negroes are the lesser class and should be looked down upon, he stands up against this thought and intentionally goes against it. He makes a point to talk to Negroes to such an extent that it is almost as if Julian believes that Negroes are the lesser class but does not want to be anything like his mother. Because of this he takes on the opposite position just to be different than her. He forces himself to sit with Negroes and strike up a conversation. He wants to find a dark girl to fall in love with just so he can prove that he is nothing like his mother. Unfortunately this tactic is transparent.

We can see that he is only trying to be rebellious and not be like his mother. He even goes out of his way to make a point that Negroes are the same as the white class. Julian admits that he has no reason to hate his mother. She did her very best to raise him. She sent him to college, fed him and clothed him, she even sacrificed filling her teeth so he could have his teeth straightened.

He hates the fact that he cannot write her off as a bad mother so he finds a belief of hers that he can stand up against. Julian's mother is stuck in her childhood. She can not and will not see the world as it changes. She like most people in the early 1960's who do not want to change their mindsets. When she finally sees the way the world is changing and how her beliefs of Negroes are out dated, she can no longer handle the world. She does not want to be equal to a Negro and goes out of her way to put these people in their place.

Her eyes are closed to the real world and finally when her eyes are pried open to see the world as it is, she is blinded by the light. Wayne C. Booth's analysis, "A Rhetorical Reading os O'Connor's Everything That Rises Must Converge,' " points out that Juilan's mother is almost innocent in her thoughts. She wants to make things right but still can not see that Negroes are not lesser than white. Julian also does not see this and only interacts with Negroes for shock value. His mother is not the one that has her eyes shut, rather it is Julian who has his eyes shut to the real world. The only time he opens his eyes to the real world is when he pushes his mother too far.

It is now too late to make this right and he must live with what he has done for the rest of his life. He is now forced to think for himself instead of thinking the exact opposite of his mother simply to shock her. She is no longer there is shock or rebel against. He must now reconstruct what he thinks about the world and come to his own conclusions. The real question is will Julian continue to go against his mother's beliefs simply for spite even though she is now longer there or will he finally grow up and think for himself?