In “All That Rises Must Converge,” Flannery O'Connor compares the robustness of different methods of maintaining identity. The two identity schemas compared are those of Julian, the very individualistic and cerebral main character, and his mother, a condescending Southern woman clinging to her declining social status. By focusing on the ongoing conflict between these characters' self-identification styles, O'Connor shows that they are mutually destructive towards each other, but that Julian's is more robust because it is built on a internal self-concept rather than a need for reference. external concepts like social class and family history. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned"? Get the original essay Julian's mother reveals her methods of constructing identity by constantly orienting herself in relation to culture and history that surrounds her, something she takes completely for granted. She blindly assumes the racial stereotypes she deems appropriate for her perceived place in society, even going so far as to suggest that ancient methods of slavery were a preferable state to current racial realities. This shows that her identity is tied to the culture of the "old South" and therefore she is unable to respond appropriately to changes in that culture. Her comments to Julian reflect her preoccupation with the past, in her speech about "going to Grandpa's when [she] was a little girl" and the glory of the Godhigh family. Julian's critical thoughts are directly opposed to her self-image, and her reminders that the Godhigh mansion is now inhabited by "niggers" and that their neighborhood has long since lost its reputation give the reader insight into the extent to which his mother's identity. is illusory and outdated. His tacit comments about his flashy hat, a symbol of his deceptive conception of his own importance, function in the same way. So when Julian's mother sees the same hat on a black woman, O'Connor uses that moment as a trigger point for Julian to launch an attack on his mother's self-concept in order to take her down a notch in instead using reality as a reference. constructions of culture and family history. This attack comes in the form of what he says and tells her in no uncertain terms: “You are not who you think you are.” This idea literally destroys her, because it completely destroys her self-concept by invalidating the constructs on which it is based. O'Connor allows Julian to prevail in the final confrontation in order to show that his view that "true culture is in the mind" results in a more resilient self-concept. Julian realizes that it It is despite his upbringing, his race, his heritage and his mother that he is who he is, not because of them. His independent self-concept allows him to evaluate reality without being blinded by tradition and beliefs. cultural assumptions, and so he has no difficulty adapting to the societal change in his identity that his mother must face. Nevertheless, even Julian's self-concept is robust enough to survive the final shock of the. story, he is not spared from his mother's opposing means of identity formation Even before the final shock, we experience a deep-seated sense of guilt for feeling such condescension towards his mother, which is why. “everything that gave him pleasure was small and depressed him.” This depression he feels is born from the guilt he feels every time he pulls a small piece of the rug out from under his mother's self-esteem..