In the story, "Everything That Rises Must Converge" by Flannery O'Connor, the son, Julian, is accompanying his mother to a weight reducing class at the Y.  Along the trip, Julian had constant internal thoughts and building resentments towards his mother and her racial beliefs. Julian's mother had a segregated up bringing, she was taught to believe African-American's are inferior to her. Throughout the story Julian tries repeatedly to convince his mother to change her ways, to make her see things in the present instead of the past. By analyzing word choice, point of view, and historical context the reader will no longer see Julian as someone that is for African-American equality, but someone that is only trying to rebel against his mother's racial beliefs. 

Throughout the story O'Connor's word choice had huge impact on the conversations between the two main characters. For example, on the way to the bus stop Julian's mother is complaining about a hat she had just bought, and was thinking about taking it back to the store (O'Connor 182). Julian told her he liked it and that she should "shut up and enjoy it." Julian's mother's reply is what began the intense racial conversation that followed.  "There are no more slaves," he said irritably (183). In this conversation Julian is trying to force his mother to stop thinking in the past and to understand that there is "no more slaves" (183). When O'Connor uses the word irritably, he is trying to help the reader hear the anger and annoyance in his voice. Him and his mother have this racial conversation almost every Wednesday and he is tired of constantly having this discussion. Later during the bus ride Julian's mother is having a conversation with another rider on the bus discussing her surroundings by saying, "I see we have the bus to ourselves" (185).  O'Connor describes Julian's reaction as a "cringe" (185). When O'Connor uses the word cringe it is to show how Julian really feels about the statement his mother says. When Julian cringes it shows that he actually cares and not ignoring his mother's comment. O'Connor could have easily painted Julian as someone that would have ignored the mother's comment; instead he paints him as someone that cannot stand his mother's racial beliefs. Mimi Chang states that at a certain age, children will have a "psychological need to assert their independence and develop their independent sense of self apart from their parents" (Chang). This sense of independence is seen very strongly between Julian and his mother. He does not like her older generation racial beliefs; he has his own beliefs, which in turn leads him to rebel against his mother.

Also, by taking a look at Julian's internal conflict the reader will be able to see a 3rd person point of view of Julian's growing tension against his mother's racial beliefs. According to Michalopoulou, it is normal for Julian to rebel and disagree with his mother at his age, "the teen years are a time of great change and intense growth, where many physical, cognitive, and psychological changes are occurring" (Michalopoulou). For example, during the bus ride Julian is shown turn to his inner thoughts. "Behind the newspaper Julian was withdrawing into the inner compartment of his mind where he spend most of his time" (O'Connor 186). While Julian is in the state he began to think of multiple ways that he could "teach his mother a lesson" (188). First, Julian imagined becoming friends with a "distinguished Negro professor or lawyer and bring him home to spend the evening" (188). Julian thinks that if he can become friends with an African-American his mother would be forced to be respect them and his beliefs, ultimately making her leave her old beliefs behind. Next, his internal and imaginary thoughts became darker. He began to imagine his mother "lying desperately ill and his being able to secure only a Negro doctor for her" (O'Connor 188). In this example, Julian is become increasingly happy at the thought of the only person that could save her from this terrible sickness, would be an African-American, the people she believed were not qualified enough to even sit on the same bus as her. Julian imagines her not being able to say no to treatment, in turn Julian's mother would have to let go of her racial beliefs if she wanted to get better. Finally, Julian imagines the ultimate way to rebel against his mother's racial beliefs. Julian imagines bringing home "a beautiful suspiciously Negroid woman" (188). Here, Julian knows this is the only way to get his mother to change her ways. Julian knows that his mother would not want to lose him to an African-American and she would have to change her to get him to stay. Julian even imagines how the conversation would happen, "Now persecute us, go ahead and persecute us. Drive her out of here, but remember, you're driving me too" (188). Julian is content with his imaginary thoughts, because he knows his mother's old racial beliefs would come to a definite end if he gave her those ultimatums. 

Finally, by looking at Julian's actions the reader will be able to see Julian's apparent rebellion against his mother's racial beliefs. In the 1930's there was a woman by the name of Juliette Hampton Morgan who would also rebel against her parents southern racial beliefs. Her own mother told her, "she was making a fool of herself and tarnishing the family's good name" (Stanton). Juliette never gave up what she believed in, even if it meant rebelling against her own mother, just like Julian. Juliette took action for what she believed in no matter what people thought of her, unlike Julian, she was doing it for the equality of African-Americans not to anger her parents. For example, during the bus ride Julian intentionally makes his mother angry by moving closer to the African-American that had gotten on the bus (O'Connor 187). The reader may think Julian's actions are to make African-Americans equal, but what he does next will prove that he is only trying to rebel against his mother. After his move to be closer to the African-American he knew his mother would be angry and he purposely look up to see her reaction, "From this position, he looked serenely across at his mother" (187). When Julian looks calmly over at his mother, he is not looking for her approval; instead he is looking to see how angry she gets. He thinks to himself that he has, "openly declared war on her" (187). His thoughts show that he is only trying to rebel against "her" he is not trying to fight for African-American equality. Next, Julian becomes increasing interested in this African-American man, he imagines having a "conversation with the Negro and to talk with him about art or politics" (187). Since the African-American was sitting firmly behind the newspaper, Julian comes up with another way to advance his rebellion against his mother by purposely speaking to the African-American man. While his mother kept her eyes fixed directly on Julian, Julian ask the man, "Do you have a light?" (187). Julian asking the man for a light is an important conversation being that there are no smoking signs on the bus and Julian does not smoke himself (187). It is evident now that Julian is not trying to speak to the man for his racial beliefs, he is only speaking to him to blatantly rebel against his "unnaturally red" faced mother's racial beliefs.  

Throughout the story, Julian's character went from someone the reader could believe was trying to help equalize the African-American race, to someone only trying to anger his mother. By looking at O'Connor's word choice, Julian's internal conflicts, and actions the reader can conclude Julian is someone that is not standing up for his racial beliefs, but, someone that is only trying to rebel against his mother's older generational racial beliefs.
