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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Assigning stars proved to be a challenge for this title. This collection of short stories bears little resemblance to my limited exposure to O'Conner's writing, namely "The Gift of the Magi". She writes with confidence shaping believable characters creating places and situations that ring true. However, these stories lack a single sympathetic character. Each one -- man, woman, child or adult -- is uniquely blind, bigoted, selfish, calculating, arrogant, and often sinister. As a reward some unique death or living death awaits them all.
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
funny
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was my first O'Connor, and I'm not sure that I'll return. Ms. O'Connor wrote well - there's no denying that. But it comes to that question where if one writes nine stories about horrible, classist, cruel bigots, does that mean that one might have much in common with those bigots? I guess in the past, because the writing was good, Lit Folks saw the stories as extreme on purpose to give a moral message. But that's a little harder to argue alongside the letters from Ms. O'Connor that have been more recently made public. Maybe one day, I'll have a more nuanced reading of this work, but currently I'm not finding it either fun nor thought-provoking. And it's just CHOCK full of racial slurs. Sooooo no thanks.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Classism
Moderate: Ableism, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Slavery, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Toxic friendship, Alcohol
Minor: Suicide attempt
I just felt like this had the angry energy of Fox News, and I didn't like that.
I liked the stories in the beginning better, I had a hard time getting into the last few.
"Everything that Rises Must Converge" is a story that explores themes of race, class, and the struggle to overcome one's own biases. The narrative focuses on a young man named Julian and his relationship with his mother, who are taking a bus ride to attend a weight loss class. Julian is a college student who harbors racist notions, while his mother is portrayed as more open-minded.
As they ride the bus, they encounter a number of people who challenge Julian's views and force him to confront his own prejudices. A black lady with a young child takes the seat that Julian's mother had been saving for herself, frustrating Julian. His mother, however, is more understanding and offers the woman the seat. Later, a black man stands in the aisle next to Julian, and the man is wearing a hat that Julian's mother recognizes as belonging to a prestigious country club. This causes her to question her own assumptions about the man's social status, and she strikes up a conversation with him. As the conversation continues, the man reveals that he is a doctor, which challenges Julian's beliefs about the inherent superiority of white people. Julian becomes increasingly agitated and tries to defend his racist views to the man.
Through these encounters, the story explores the ways in which racism and prejudice are damaging to both the individual and society. By the end, Julian is left feeling humbled and ashamed of his views, and the reader is left with a powerful message about the dangers of allowing ourselves to be blinded by our own biases. "Everything that Rises Must Converge" is a thought-provoking and powerful work that sheds light on some of the important issues of its time.
Some critics have accused Flannery O'Connor of being a racist because of the way she portrays black characters. O'Connor was writing at a time when segregation and racism were the norm in the American South, and in part her work reflects this reality. However, she was a devout Catholic who believed in the inherent dignity of every person, regardless of their race. And it is worth noting that O'Connor often used grotesque and violent imagery in her writing to shock readers and challenge their preconceived notions. This can also be read as a reflection of her belief that it is only through being confronted with the ugliness of sin that we can be spurred to seek redemption and true enlightenment. Additionally, O'Connor often used satire and irony in her writing, which are oft misinterpreted. In this sense, her use of racism and prejudice as themes in her writing should be read as critiques these harmful beliefs.
Interestingly, it has become fashionable to accuse O'Connor of racism. In fact, her name was removed from a building at Loyola University Maryland due to such accusations. This smear seems to have stemmed from a biography of O'Connor penned by Paul Elia (for more on this see -> https://www.commonwealmagazine.org/cancelling-flannery-oconnor). The accusations of racism against O'Connor arise from a misreading, possibly malicious, of her writing and the context in which she worked. While her depictions of race and prejudice may be disturbing and unsettling to many readers, her work is aimed at improving the moral character of people. We should aim to become better and more charitable readers.
As they ride the bus, they encounter a number of people who challenge Julian's views and force him to confront his own prejudices. A black lady with a young child takes the seat that Julian's mother had been saving for herself, frustrating Julian. His mother, however, is more understanding and offers the woman the seat. Later, a black man stands in the aisle next to Julian, and the man is wearing a hat that Julian's mother recognizes as belonging to a prestigious country club. This causes her to question her own assumptions about the man's social status, and she strikes up a conversation with him. As the conversation continues, the man reveals that he is a doctor, which challenges Julian's beliefs about the inherent superiority of white people. Julian becomes increasingly agitated and tries to defend his racist views to the man.
Through these encounters, the story explores the ways in which racism and prejudice are damaging to both the individual and society. By the end, Julian is left feeling humbled and ashamed of his views, and the reader is left with a powerful message about the dangers of allowing ourselves to be blinded by our own biases. "Everything that Rises Must Converge" is a thought-provoking and powerful work that sheds light on some of the important issues of its time.
Some critics have accused Flannery O'Connor of being a racist because of the way she portrays black characters. O'Connor was writing at a time when segregation and racism were the norm in the American South, and in part her work reflects this reality. However, she was a devout Catholic who believed in the inherent dignity of every person, regardless of their race. And it is worth noting that O'Connor often used grotesque and violent imagery in her writing to shock readers and challenge their preconceived notions. This can also be read as a reflection of her belief that it is only through being confronted with the ugliness of sin that we can be spurred to seek redemption and true enlightenment. Additionally, O'Connor often used satire and irony in her writing, which are oft misinterpreted. In this sense, her use of racism and prejudice as themes in her writing should be read as critiques these harmful beliefs.
Interestingly, it has become fashionable to accuse O'Connor of racism. In fact, her name was removed from a building at Loyola University Maryland due to such accusations. This smear seems to have stemmed from a biography of O'Connor penned by Paul Elia (for more on this see -> https://www.commonwealmagazine.org/cancelling-flannery-oconnor). The accusations of racism against O'Connor arise from a misreading, possibly malicious, of her writing and the context in which she worked. While her depictions of race and prejudice may be disturbing and unsettling to many readers, her work is aimed at improving the moral character of people. We should aim to become better and more charitable readers.