The Generation Gap During the 1960's

During the 1960s the black society began to revolt to fight for its rights. This was caused by the change in the mentality of the younger generation of the American society. The young generation considered the blacks to hold an equal position to the whites in the society, and narrow the racial gap. Flannery O’Connor successfully portrays the generation gap in America during the 1960s in her short story “Everything That Rises Must Converge”. Julian represents the young generation of that time, trying to make his mother realize the equality between the whites and the blacks, while his mother denies this fact, thus representing the old mentality.

The blacks were able to afford what the whites could afford. For instance the black woman wore the same hat as Julian’s mother. Julian wants his mother to realize this fact. As a result, Julian is glad when the black woman comes in to the bus wearing the same hat as his mother hinting the equality. “She seemed unable to bear looking at him and to find the woman preferable…His mother’s mouth began to twitch at one corner. (190). Julian’s mother is embarrassed to have the same hat as the black woman, hinted out by her twitching her lips. Her embarrassment asserts that she is unwilling accept the blacks as being equal to the whites in the society.

Julian also reflects the young generation when he tells his mother that times have changed, but his mother does not want to let go of the past. Julian’s mother-“Your grandfather was a prosperous landowner…” Julian-“Will you look around you…and see where you are now?”...Julian’s mother-“You remain what you are…Your great-grandfather had a plantation and two hundred slaves” (183). This quotes shows that Julian wants to get out of the neighborhood in which his ancestors had lived for generations and start a new way of life. This reflects the modern way of thinking because ideas of personal freedom.

Concepts of social classes had been developed by the old generation of the 1960s and Julian’s mother reflects the old generation with her implications to social classes. “He suddenly unloosened his tie and pulled it off”…Julian’s mother-“Why must you deliberately embarrass me...You look like a thug”… “Rolling his eyes upward, he put his tie back on”. Julian-“Restored to my class” (185). Although Julian’s mother does not directly say that she wants Julian to put the tie back on because it does not suit his class of the “white people”, it can be implied that she does. Julian’s mother embarrassment to Julian not wearing a tie shows that she believes in social classes and that the white people dress smart and wear ties to distinguish themselves from the