Throughout “Everything That Rises Must Converge,” O’Connor makes liberal use of irony to highlight the contradictions of Southern graciousness and manners and to illustrate the complexities of integration. Julian’s sense of superiority over his mother comes primarily from his belief that he doesn’t share her bigotry and racism. However, he reveals his own prejudices when he only tries to make friends with Black people who look well-to-do, and he secretly longs for his family’s former wealth and prestige, which was built on the labor of enslaved people. His sense of superiority is also undermined by the irony that he has no money or prospects and believes he is “too intelligent to be a success” (189). There is also a good deal of irony associated with Julian’s mother. Despite her blatant racism and sense of superiority, Carver’s mother owns the same luxurious hat as her, and her well-intentioned gift to Carver leads to her getting injured.

The characters that converge on the bus in this story come from various walks of life, which is reflected in their dialogue. Following their level of education and illusions of superiority,