Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Everything That RIses Must Converge
Reading just from the first few words, readers can see that the setting takes place way back when segregation was still a major problem. There are quite a few lessons that readers can see as they read through the chapter. For one, the son is trying to make his mother mad sitting next to a "negro" that just walked on the bus. To spite her even more, he thinks up plans that will make her have to come in contact with colored people and readers can see that the son and mother don't have that great of a relationship. By the end, he just screams at her and treats her like shes nothing, and when something tragic happens, he then feels the sorrow and guilt of what he did. In a way you can see the lesson is to get off your pedestal and know that you are equal to everyone around you, while the other could be watch what you say before you regret it.
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I agree with Liza because I believe people are usually competitive with each other. In showing that people are competitive Julian in the short story, Everything That Rises Must Converge, he is trying to be competitive with his mother. While on the bus a African American man gets on the bus and to make his mother mad he sits as close as he can to him by sitting across from him. While doing so he is proving that he will do whatever it takes to make his mother angry to prove that sitting next to African American on a bus is what is realistic now.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you are saying. Personally I cannot necessarily pick a side on whether the story demonstrates the idea that people are competitive or cooperative because in my view it depicts both traits. Its obvious in the text that the mother opposes to blacks, making petty comments and mentioning slavery which only causes discomfort for her son. Also Julian's mother accepts all children regardless of race. In contrast to that Julian see's blacks as normal people. Even while on the bus he has mere thoughts about blacks interacting with his mother. The mother shows competition while the son shows cooperation.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the story I also agree that the setting takes place in a different time frame. However, after reading the story it is clear to the reader that humans demonstrate more competitiveness towards one another. For instance, when the mother was on the bus and a "negro" came on the bus with the little kid she kept trying to prove that she was better than her. Even following the child afterwards to give him a penny just to prove she was better than her.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Liza is saying and I also agree with Stephanie I think people can be both competitive and cooperative. In this short story I think Julian is competitive hes constantly trying to prove to his mom that it is not because of who you are that you do things its true culture in the mind that lets you do things. He wants to make her see what is happening know and by doing that hes competing with her trying to win. In the story Julian says "True culture is in the mind, the mind", his mother replies "It's in the heart...and in how you do things and how you do things is because of who you are".
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the story I think that people can be competitive and cooperative. Julian is cooperative because escorts his mom every week. The competitive thing about this article is that when the mother was on the bus and the African American was on there with their kid, she kept trying to prove that she was better than her.
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