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Julian's identity is conveyed throughout the story as someone who wishes to escape his mother, but in fact they are more alike than not. Julian may think he is far more progressive than his mother and knows much more than her about modern society, but in the end racism is as much a part of him as it is her. We see this when he fails to befriend black people, and overall treats them differently because of their skin color. His identity is also revealed in the end of the story when he is drawn back to his mother after her fall. "The tide of darkness seemed to sweep him back to her, postponing from moment to moment his entry into the

world of guilt and sorrow." Him being swept back to his mother shows how he is always going to be tied to her and her beliefs. Julian's identity is so tied to his mother that without her as someone to compare himself to and to make him feel better about himself, he is lost to realize his own flaws and feel guilty for the way he has turned out, the way he treats his mother, and the way he treats other people. No matter how hard he tries Julian cannot escape his mother's racist and narcissistic identity as becoming a part of his own.

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Julian's mother's identity is shown throughout the story as one that is based on racist ideals and selfish ideology. As the story continues, the reader learns more about how Julian's mother's identity has been formed. She has very dated ideas when it comes to social and racial equality. These ideas form her identity which decides how she reacts in all situations. It causes her to be condescending and patronizing without understanding the impact she makes. She has grown up around racist ideals which has made it difficult for her to understand the full extent of her actions. She sees her actions as acceptable and just a part of southern charm because of the people and ideas she has grown up around. Throughout the story, Julian tries to help his mother understand the changing times and tries to change his mother's identity and core values, but instead he only strengthens them. At the end of the story, she is pushed so far back into the past that she calls for her father and nurse from her childhood. Ironically, her identity is reinforced by her son despite his efforts to weaken it.

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When Julian and his mother are discussing culture, Julian said that "“True culture is in the mind, the mind,”” and his mother says that “It's in the heart, and in how you do things and how you do things is because of who you are.”" Julian thinks that it has to do with knowledge due to his proper education. His mother thinks that culture has to do with good deeds and manners which are her strengths. Both of them do not understand the concept of culture at all. They view culture as what they think makes them better than others. Culture, in reality, is about beliefs and characteristics that are shared among people. Both Julian and his mother view their culture as better than that of black people and this quote reveals that about their characters. They are struggling as poor people in America and want to find something that they think makes them better than black people who are actually very similar to them.

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The time that the story takes place plays a large part in the cultures that are represented throughout the story. The story is set in the early 1960s which is during the Civil Rights Movement and desegregation. The opposing views of the Civil Rights Movement are illustrated throughout this story. Julian, though he thinks otherwise, and his mother are white people who definitely aren't comfortable with integration. Julian's mother explicitly states that she believes that black people were better off during the times of slavery. This ideal is formed through her culture. She grew up with a grandfather who was a plantation owner and who took pride in owning many slaves. Julian's mother's culture is built off of the situations that only took place during the time period that she grew up in. During desegregation, there were very skewed perceptions of the world depending on how you were raised, your social status, and most importantly your race. All of these things, played a very large role in the formation of culture in Julian, Julian's mother, Carver's mother, and the other characters in the story.

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We can transform our own worlds to make ourselves feel better about our flaws and mistakes. Julian's mother is willing to transform the world around her so that she does not have to transform herself. Instead of addressing her racism she chooses to convince herself that her mistreatment of black people is justified and that she is a good person. Julian says that his mother "lived according to the laws of her own fantasy world outside of which he had never seen her set foot." in regards to her thinking that she has shaped Julian into a great, successful person. Julian thinks that the only benefits his mother has given him are just to make up for her mistakes. Both are transforming their realities to paint themselves as better people. Julian's mother has made mistakes, but she has also done her best to raise Julian. Julian has had to deal with the consequences of his mothers mistakes, but he also refuses to believe she has done anything helpful for him or that he could change his future himself. Both characters have transformed their reality to fit their own beliefs and misconceptions instead of changing themselves for the better.

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The open ended nature of the end of the story causes the reader to be creative when thinking about what really happened and the final message the story conveys. There is evidence in the last paragraph, like Julian calling for help, that could indicate his mother is dead. However, it could be that she is only injured and is still alive. Aside from just if she has died or not the ending of the story can creatively be interpreted in many ways. In the line at the end "The tide of darkness seemed to sweep him back to her, postponing from moment to moment his entry into the world of guilt and sorrow." one could infer this means that Julian tries to escape his mother and her racist ideals but fails and is always drawn back to her. Another interpretation could be literal in that he simply runs away from her to search for help. A third take away from the story could be that his guilt and sorrow comes from him feeling responsible for his mothers distress. There are many other ways one could interpret the end of the story, but it takes creativity to imagine what the ending could mean. This creativity is important and allows for further discussion about the story.

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In order to communicate with someone one must respect them. In the story we see that Julian cannot communicate with black people because he does not respect them. He tries to talk to a black man sitting next to him, but only for the purpose of spiting his mother, and he has no idea how to communicate with him. Flannery O'Connor writes that "There was no way for Julian to convey his sympathy." when he tries to talk to the man. The word 'sympathy' shows how Julian only felt pity for this man and had no clue how to communicate with him. Julian views black people as lesser than himself and he only tries to make conversation with "some of the better types" which shows how racism is deeply rooted in his character. Communication is necessary to build a real relationship with someone and in order to communicate effectively you must view the other person as an equal. Julian's obvious disregard for black people shows how he does not view them as equals and thus struggles to form relationships or communicate with them. It is no wonder that the black man on the bus hides behind his newspaper to avoid the disrespect and racism that he receives from Julian's lack of proper communication.

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Flannery O'Connor uses symbols to communicate ideas to the audience. One symbol she uses is Julian's mother's hat. O'Connor uses the hat to communicate Julian's mother's thoughts of superiority to the audience and later in the piece, the hat is used to show the similarities between Julian's mother and Carver's mother. The hat symbolizes Julian's mother's need to be at the top of the social ladder and to be respected as one who is. As the reader analyzes the hat and why Julian's mother wears it throughout the story, one can realize that the hat is purple symbolizing royalty. This idea fits in with Julian's mother's need for societal respect. The hat is used to communicate this need to the reader. When Carver's mother is introduced into the story, the reader can see the substantial amount of similarities between Julian's mother and Carver's mother. A key similarity is the hat that they both wear. Now the hat has somewhat changed its meaning. Though it is still being worn by both women as a symbol of wanting to be respected, it now represents the similarities that can even be present between two people who believe they are polar opposites. Through the symbol of that hat, the author communicates both the idea of superiority and the idea of unexpected similarities to the reader.

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In the story when Julian's mother tries to give a penny to the child on the bus we can see how differing perspectives in a situation can cause conflict. From her perspective, Julian's mother is being kind to a child and being gracious towards people she views as in need. In reality her reasons for gifting the penny are racially motivated. The reason why she sees the child as in need is because he is black and her penny is only given in pity towards him. From the perspective of the mother of the boy, this is especially true. She does not want her son to grow up thinking that he needs charity from white people. She views the penny as a pitiful gift that belittles her and her son. These two perspectives cause anger and confusion among the two mothers. The differing perspectives create a divide between them and leave both feeling unpleasant. Julian's mother needs to understand that her perspective towards black people is different and move towards changing that, but she is too stuck in the past to realize that she is in the wrong. Julian concludes the interaction by saying to his mother: “You aren’t who you think you are,” which shows how her perspective of herself is warped and her racism affects all of her interactions with black people.

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Perspectives are very important throughout this story. In Julian's perspective, he sees his mother's ideas as racist and wrong. He tries, throughout the whole story, to prove to his mother that black people should be treated equally and that they have the right to the same life as Julian and his mother live. Though he holds strong beliefs surrounding racial and social equality, he is still influenced by his mother's worldview. He doesn't recognize this from his perspective but the reader definitely can pick up on it. In Julian's mother's perspective, she is in the right. She believes that she is doing what is best for the community around her. She has grown up in a time period where racial and social equality has been everchanging. Julian tries to prove that her perspective is wrong but he really has adopted many pieces of her perspective. He has inherited much of his mother's perspective but carries an unrealistic view of black people to paint himself as selfless and intelligent. He doesn't truly want to be around black people unless they are high up in society. His perspective gives him a false sense of empathy that he doesn't actually hold.

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In the story, the hat that Julian's mother wears represents change in society. With desegregation black and white people were coming closer together and becoming more similar. The hat shows how two people who used to be separated by skin color were now so similar that even their clothes were the same. Both women have sons and are riding the same bus to the same place. There is nothing that Julian's mother can find that makes her better than this woman, they are the same. The hat also represents how ridiculous and unjustified racism was. It shows that people are all similar and any discrimination is a construct created to put others down. Additionally, the hat is purple which represents royalty. Julian's mother sees herself as being higher and better than black people but they both share the same royal purple colored hat. Through representation the hat conveys a deeper meaning in the story that all people are equal and deserve to be treated that way.

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The plantation house is represented as a symbol of a prosperous life. The representation of the house is interpreted differently through Julian's mother's perspective versus Julian's perspective. Julian's mother remembers the plantation house with a lot of nostalgia and it reinforces her ideas of superiority based on her family history. On the otherhand, Julian has only seen the plantation house in ruins but states that the house appears in his dreams and that he should have been the one to experience staying in it at its peak, not his mother. The representation of the plantation house from Julian's point of view, supports the idea that Julian is far from the upstander for social equality that he believes he is. He dreams about a life where he is at the top of the social ladder and is ungrateful for the resources his mother has given him throughout his life. His representation of the plantation house reveals that he believes that life would be better if he was at the top of the societal hierarchy which connects him with his mother's views more than his own, once again.

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The transformation from segregated to integrated in the country is deeply explored throughout this piece. The entire story is surrounded around the feelings that come with desegregation. As the world transforms from a segregated society to an integrated society, Julian's mother is unwilling to transform along with it. The transformation of society was a very big change in Julian's mother's life because it redirected her idea for what the world should be. Her unwillingness to adapt to the transformation of society was driven directly by her ambitious plans for her son. Julian's mother always wanted to push Julian towards the top of the social ladder. She wanted Julian to make up for the fact that she failed to make it to the top of the social ladder. Julian's mother believed that desegregation threatened her son's chances of being respected as a high society figure. She couldn't comprehend how integration could do her any good. The only thought she had on her mind was herself and her legacy rather than the lives of a large population of people who had been discriminated against forever. As the story explores this transformation, selfish and racist ideals are highlighted.

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The author shows creativity throughout the imagery that is utilized throughout the story. One example of the imagery used is the caricature-like language that Julian uses to describe his mother. In the text, it states, "he saw his mother across the aisle, purple-faced, shrunken to the dwarf-like proportions of her moral nature, sitting like a mummy beneath the ridiculous banner of her hat." The creative imagery used to describe Julian's mother helps to show the reader the true hostility that Julian held for his mother. He speaks of his mother like she is an ugly caricature of a person. This caricature-like language that Julian uses emphasizes the ugliness of his mother's beliefs towards other people. It highlights Julian's disgust with his mother which is carried throughout the book as Julian tries to change his mother's beliefs, ultimately failing.