Everything That Rises Must Converge

Everything That Rises Must Converge

This story is about the relationship between a mother and a son. It takes place in the south around the late fifties, right around the time the buses became integrated. The mother had come from a very prosperous family. Her great grandfather was the governor of the state; Her grandfather was a wealthy landowner with two hundred slaves. But even though her family loses all their money she still thinks she is an upper class and looks down on everyone. She is also prejudice. She doesn't like the fact that black people were allowed on the same bus as white people. She guilt's her son into taking her to a weight reducing class, which she is a member of at her doctors request to loose twenty pounds, so her blood pressure would become lower. She enjoyed the struggle and sacrifices she had to make in order to give him everything and put him through school. She always threw it into his face. But in spite of her small mindedness he turned out open minded and well rounded.

As the story progresses a Negro man enters the bus and sits down. People move away but Julian gets up and sits next to him. This irritates his mother. Then a Negro woman and her son get on the bus. The woman was wearing the same hat. Julian thought this was funny and laughed out loud. She felt so superior to these people that on leaving the bus she tries to find a nickel to give to the boy. She doesn't have a nickel so she gives him a penny. The black woman becomes very angry and exploded and punches Julian's mother. The next thing he knows she is sitting on the floor. He tells her she got exactly what she deserved and helps her up. She decides to go home and starts walking. Her breathing becomes very fast and she crumples to the floor with her son at her side she dies. Leaving him in his world of guilt, as he realizes how much he did love his mother.