Story Analysis Notes
Title of short story Everything that Rises Must Converge
Author’s Name (Year) Flannery O'Connor
Very brief summary Main Characters: Julian and his mother.
Who are the main characters? What happens: Julian escorts his prejudiced mother on a newly integrated bus to
What happens in the story? her reducing class. Their tense, ideological arguments come to a head when a
black woman wearing an identical hat boards the bus. Julian’s mother offers the
woman's son a penny as a condescending gesture, and the woman strikes her with
a pocketbook. The shock of the confrontation causes Julian's mother to suffer a
massive stroke or heart attack, leaving Julian in a desperate state of guilt and
sorrow.
Device Key Quotes, Details & Analysis
Physical (Place & Time) Place: Primarily on a bus in an American city, heading downtown.
Where and when is the story Time: Wednesday nights , during the early Civil Rights/integration era in the
set on a micro and macro
level
American South.
Setting
Social Context Social Context: The bus is integrated. Julian represents a self-professed
Age, gender, race, progressive intellectual class, while his mother represents a clinging, traditional
background, beliefs, family, Southern gentility and racial prejudice.
friends, status, etc.
Limitation: The social change limits Julian's mother by challenging the racial
How does this limit the
character? hierarchy that defines her self-worth. Julian is limited by his own arrogance,
which prevents him from showing his mother compassion.
Characters & character Julian: Protagonist, Round, Dynamic (changes from cruel to anguished).
type Julian's Mother: Antagonist/Foil, Round, Static (her beliefs remain rigid).
Protagonist/antagonist,
round/flat, static/dynamic,
Main character(s)
stereotypical, sympathetic,
hero/anti-hero, etc.
Direct characterizations Direct Characterization: Julian's mother is on a diet for her blood pressure.
What are you told about the
characters that needs no
interpretation?
Indirect characterizations Indirect Characterization: Julian is self-pitying, seeing himself "waiting like
What are you shown/can you Saint Sebastian for the arrows to begin piercing him". His mother's obsession
deduce about a character
from their speech, thoughts,
with her "hideous hat" reveals her desperate attempt to cling to superficial status.
effect on others, actions &
looks (STEAL)?
Conflict Type: External (Julian vs. Mother, Mother vs. Society/Integration) and Internal
Identify the type and explain the (Julian vs. Self/Guilt).
major conflicts in the story – Driver: The conflict between Julian and his mother drives the plot as Julian
internal: person vs. self / external: hopes to force her into a humiliating "lesson".
person vs. person/nature/society/
fate. Resolution: The conflict is tragically resolved with the mother's death, which
Which conflict drives the plot? stops the fighting but instantly replaces Julian's self-righteousness with
To what extent is it resolved? Why? paralyzing "guilt and sorrow"
Plot Exposition: Julian and his mother's strained relationship and the integrated bus
setting are established.
,Identify the stages of Freytag’s Inciting Incident: They board the bus.
pyramid (Exposition, Inciting
Incident, Rising Action, Climax,
Rising Action: The argument over Julian's mother's prejudice continues. The
Falling Action, Resolution) in the black woman with the identical hat boards.
story. If stages are missing, list this. Climax: The black woman hits Julian's mother for her patronizing gesture.
Keep in mind that some stages may
Falling Action: Julian, oblivious to his mother's condition, lectures her. She
be in a different order, missing, or
be present more than once. suffers a stroke and collapses.
Resolution: Julian is left crying over her body, facing a "world of guilt and
sorrow".
Theme Topics: Pride, Race/Racism, Social Change, Filial Relationship.
List the topics covered then turn Theme: Self-delusion and pride—whether based on intellectual superiority or a
this into a theme by expressing belief in obsolete social hierarchy—lead to tragic isolation and a total failure of
what message the story conveys compassion.
about the key topic(s).
Explanation: Julian’s intellectual pride over his mother blinds him to his own
Explain in several sentences how
your theme is supported by the dependent cruelty. The "convergence" of the white and black women through the
story & other literary devices. identical hats symbolizes the inevitable clash of two worlds, which Julian is
hoping for, but the reality is violence and death, proving that the lesson taught is
fatal for his mother and devastating for him.
Point of view P.O.V: Third-person limited omniscient (focused on Julian).
What point of view is used and give Quotes: "Julian did not like to consider all she did for him, but every Wednesday
examples of how you could night he braced himself and took her".
determine this from the story.
Explanation: The limited P.O.V. allows the reader to be trapped in Julian's
How does this affect what
judgmental mind, making the final moment of anguish a shocking and immediate
information the reader gets, when,
and how they experience the story? reversal of the reader's and Julian's expectations
Irony Situational Irony: Julian desperately wants his mother to be humbled and
taught a lesson ("imagine various unlikely ways by which he could teach
Identify and explain any major
sources of irony in the story –
her a lesson"). The lesson comes, but it kills her and forces Julian into the
verbal/ dramatic/ situational/ very guilt and sorrow he sought to avoid.
structural
Symbols Symbols: The Hat: Represents social status that has become meaningless, as it is
What symbols are presented worn identically by two women of radically different classes/races.
and what do they represent?
The Bus: The literal vehicle of social change.
What figurative language is
used to describe the Figurative Language: Julian describes his mother's eyes as "sky-blue... as
symbols? What does this innocent and untouched by experience", which reveals her willful, self-protective
reveal? blindness.
Symbolism
How does each symbol return
& develop in the story?
Imagery Simile/Metaphor: The feeling of impending doom and grief is captured as "A
Simile tide of darkness seemed to be sweeping her from him".
Metaphor
Personification
Onomatopoeia
Identify and explain key
examples of rhetorical
devices used in the story.
What is the significance of
the figurative language?
Other The story is often viewed as a grim piece of Southern Gothic, exploring the decay
How did this story make you feel? of Southern aristocracy and the painful transition of the Civil Rights era.
, Anything that you have found
interesting… have you looked into
the author or history connected
with the story? How does this
impact your understanding and
experience of the story?
In the South
Title of short story
Author’s Name (Year) Salman Rushdie
Very brief summary Main Characters: Senior and Junior, two elderly, neighboring friends.
Who are the main characters? What happens: The story depicts the ritualistic daily life of the two old men in
What happens in the story? South India, focusing on their "call-and-response" dialogue about the superiority
of the South. The narrative centers on the day "that Junior fell down". The end
reveals that Junior and their friend D'Mello were killed by a tsunami, while
Senior, who had been struggling with a desire for death, was spared.
Device Key Quotes, Details & Analysis
Physical (Place & Time) Place: A sea-green building on a leafy lane in South India, near Elliot's Beach.
Where and when is the story Time: Modern day (2009) , spanning a day.
set on a micro and macro
level
Setting
Social Context Social Context: The story contrasts the rigid, traditional world of the two old
Age, gender, race, men with the youthful, changing, globalized world.
background, beliefs, family,
friends, status, etc.
Limitation: The men's adherence to their daily ritual separates them from the
outside world, making them all the more vulnerable to the chaotic force of nature.
How does this limit the
character?
Characters & character Senior: Protagonist, Round, Dynamic (goes from a man of ritual to one
type questioning all meaning).
Protagonist/antagonist,
round/flat, static/dynamic,
Junior: Foil, Flat, Static (exists mostly to perform the dialogue ritual).
Main character(s)
stereotypical, sympathetic,
hero/anti-hero, etc.
Direct characterizations Direct Characterization: They are two "very old men".
What are you told about the
characters that needs no
interpretation?
Indirect characterizations indirect Characterization: They emerge onto their verandas "like characters in
What are you shown/can you an ancient tale", highlighting their sense of fated existence. Senior concludes,
deduce about a character
from their speech, thoughts,
"The world was meaningless. There was no meaning to be found in it".
effect on others, actions &
looks (STEAL)?
Conflict Type: External (Person vs. Nature—the men vs. the tsunami) and Internal (Senior
Identify the type and explain the vs. Self—his struggle for meaning and his desire for death).
major conflicts in the story – Driver: The external conflict of Person vs. Nature shatters the men's lives and
internal: person vs. self / external: drives Senior's final realization.
person vs. person/nature/society/
fate. Resolution: Junior and D'Mello are dead, ending their physical lives. Senior's
Which conflict drives the plot? internal conflict is left unresolved; he is alive against his will, staring at Junior's
To what extent is it resolved? Why? shadow, concluding that "Death and life were just adjacent verandas".
Plot Exposition: The men's daily ritual, their familiar environment, and their
Identify the stages of Freytag’s dialogues about the South are established.
pyramid (Exposition, Inciting
Title of short story Everything that Rises Must Converge
Author’s Name (Year) Flannery O'Connor
Very brief summary Main Characters: Julian and his mother.
Who are the main characters? What happens: Julian escorts his prejudiced mother on a newly integrated bus to
What happens in the story? her reducing class. Their tense, ideological arguments come to a head when a
black woman wearing an identical hat boards the bus. Julian’s mother offers the
woman's son a penny as a condescending gesture, and the woman strikes her with
a pocketbook. The shock of the confrontation causes Julian's mother to suffer a
massive stroke or heart attack, leaving Julian in a desperate state of guilt and
sorrow.
Device Key Quotes, Details & Analysis
Physical (Place & Time) Place: Primarily on a bus in an American city, heading downtown.
Where and when is the story Time: Wednesday nights , during the early Civil Rights/integration era in the
set on a micro and macro
level
American South.
Setting
Social Context Social Context: The bus is integrated. Julian represents a self-professed
Age, gender, race, progressive intellectual class, while his mother represents a clinging, traditional
background, beliefs, family, Southern gentility and racial prejudice.
friends, status, etc.
Limitation: The social change limits Julian's mother by challenging the racial
How does this limit the
character? hierarchy that defines her self-worth. Julian is limited by his own arrogance,
which prevents him from showing his mother compassion.
Characters & character Julian: Protagonist, Round, Dynamic (changes from cruel to anguished).
type Julian's Mother: Antagonist/Foil, Round, Static (her beliefs remain rigid).
Protagonist/antagonist,
round/flat, static/dynamic,
Main character(s)
stereotypical, sympathetic,
hero/anti-hero, etc.
Direct characterizations Direct Characterization: Julian's mother is on a diet for her blood pressure.
What are you told about the
characters that needs no
interpretation?
Indirect characterizations Indirect Characterization: Julian is self-pitying, seeing himself "waiting like
What are you shown/can you Saint Sebastian for the arrows to begin piercing him". His mother's obsession
deduce about a character
from their speech, thoughts,
with her "hideous hat" reveals her desperate attempt to cling to superficial status.
effect on others, actions &
looks (STEAL)?
Conflict Type: External (Julian vs. Mother, Mother vs. Society/Integration) and Internal
Identify the type and explain the (Julian vs. Self/Guilt).
major conflicts in the story – Driver: The conflict between Julian and his mother drives the plot as Julian
internal: person vs. self / external: hopes to force her into a humiliating "lesson".
person vs. person/nature/society/
fate. Resolution: The conflict is tragically resolved with the mother's death, which
Which conflict drives the plot? stops the fighting but instantly replaces Julian's self-righteousness with
To what extent is it resolved? Why? paralyzing "guilt and sorrow"
Plot Exposition: Julian and his mother's strained relationship and the integrated bus
setting are established.
,Identify the stages of Freytag’s Inciting Incident: They board the bus.
pyramid (Exposition, Inciting
Incident, Rising Action, Climax,
Rising Action: The argument over Julian's mother's prejudice continues. The
Falling Action, Resolution) in the black woman with the identical hat boards.
story. If stages are missing, list this. Climax: The black woman hits Julian's mother for her patronizing gesture.
Keep in mind that some stages may
Falling Action: Julian, oblivious to his mother's condition, lectures her. She
be in a different order, missing, or
be present more than once. suffers a stroke and collapses.
Resolution: Julian is left crying over her body, facing a "world of guilt and
sorrow".
Theme Topics: Pride, Race/Racism, Social Change, Filial Relationship.
List the topics covered then turn Theme: Self-delusion and pride—whether based on intellectual superiority or a
this into a theme by expressing belief in obsolete social hierarchy—lead to tragic isolation and a total failure of
what message the story conveys compassion.
about the key topic(s).
Explanation: Julian’s intellectual pride over his mother blinds him to his own
Explain in several sentences how
your theme is supported by the dependent cruelty. The "convergence" of the white and black women through the
story & other literary devices. identical hats symbolizes the inevitable clash of two worlds, which Julian is
hoping for, but the reality is violence and death, proving that the lesson taught is
fatal for his mother and devastating for him.
Point of view P.O.V: Third-person limited omniscient (focused on Julian).
What point of view is used and give Quotes: "Julian did not like to consider all she did for him, but every Wednesday
examples of how you could night he braced himself and took her".
determine this from the story.
Explanation: The limited P.O.V. allows the reader to be trapped in Julian's
How does this affect what
judgmental mind, making the final moment of anguish a shocking and immediate
information the reader gets, when,
and how they experience the story? reversal of the reader's and Julian's expectations
Irony Situational Irony: Julian desperately wants his mother to be humbled and
taught a lesson ("imagine various unlikely ways by which he could teach
Identify and explain any major
sources of irony in the story –
her a lesson"). The lesson comes, but it kills her and forces Julian into the
verbal/ dramatic/ situational/ very guilt and sorrow he sought to avoid.
structural
Symbols Symbols: The Hat: Represents social status that has become meaningless, as it is
What symbols are presented worn identically by two women of radically different classes/races.
and what do they represent?
The Bus: The literal vehicle of social change.
What figurative language is
used to describe the Figurative Language: Julian describes his mother's eyes as "sky-blue... as
symbols? What does this innocent and untouched by experience", which reveals her willful, self-protective
reveal? blindness.
Symbolism
How does each symbol return
& develop in the story?
Imagery Simile/Metaphor: The feeling of impending doom and grief is captured as "A
Simile tide of darkness seemed to be sweeping her from him".
Metaphor
Personification
Onomatopoeia
Identify and explain key
examples of rhetorical
devices used in the story.
What is the significance of
the figurative language?
Other The story is often viewed as a grim piece of Southern Gothic, exploring the decay
How did this story make you feel? of Southern aristocracy and the painful transition of the Civil Rights era.
, Anything that you have found
interesting… have you looked into
the author or history connected
with the story? How does this
impact your understanding and
experience of the story?
In the South
Title of short story
Author’s Name (Year) Salman Rushdie
Very brief summary Main Characters: Senior and Junior, two elderly, neighboring friends.
Who are the main characters? What happens: The story depicts the ritualistic daily life of the two old men in
What happens in the story? South India, focusing on their "call-and-response" dialogue about the superiority
of the South. The narrative centers on the day "that Junior fell down". The end
reveals that Junior and their friend D'Mello were killed by a tsunami, while
Senior, who had been struggling with a desire for death, was spared.
Device Key Quotes, Details & Analysis
Physical (Place & Time) Place: A sea-green building on a leafy lane in South India, near Elliot's Beach.
Where and when is the story Time: Modern day (2009) , spanning a day.
set on a micro and macro
level
Setting
Social Context Social Context: The story contrasts the rigid, traditional world of the two old
Age, gender, race, men with the youthful, changing, globalized world.
background, beliefs, family,
friends, status, etc.
Limitation: The men's adherence to their daily ritual separates them from the
outside world, making them all the more vulnerable to the chaotic force of nature.
How does this limit the
character?
Characters & character Senior: Protagonist, Round, Dynamic (goes from a man of ritual to one
type questioning all meaning).
Protagonist/antagonist,
round/flat, static/dynamic,
Junior: Foil, Flat, Static (exists mostly to perform the dialogue ritual).
Main character(s)
stereotypical, sympathetic,
hero/anti-hero, etc.
Direct characterizations Direct Characterization: They are two "very old men".
What are you told about the
characters that needs no
interpretation?
Indirect characterizations indirect Characterization: They emerge onto their verandas "like characters in
What are you shown/can you an ancient tale", highlighting their sense of fated existence. Senior concludes,
deduce about a character
from their speech, thoughts,
"The world was meaningless. There was no meaning to be found in it".
effect on others, actions &
looks (STEAL)?
Conflict Type: External (Person vs. Nature—the men vs. the tsunami) and Internal (Senior
Identify the type and explain the vs. Self—his struggle for meaning and his desire for death).
major conflicts in the story – Driver: The external conflict of Person vs. Nature shatters the men's lives and
internal: person vs. self / external: drives Senior's final realization.
person vs. person/nature/society/
fate. Resolution: Junior and D'Mello are dead, ending their physical lives. Senior's
Which conflict drives the plot? internal conflict is left unresolved; he is alive against his will, staring at Junior's
To what extent is it resolved? Why? shadow, concluding that "Death and life were just adjacent verandas".
Plot Exposition: The men's daily ritual, their familiar environment, and their
Identify the stages of Freytag’s dialogues about the South are established.
pyramid (Exposition, Inciting
