Analysis Of Cogito Ergo Sum

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Recommended: The topic on self identity

Cogito Ergo Sum (“I think therefore I am.”) Quoted by French Philosopher Descartes. This is the overall message I get from O’Connor when I read “Everything that Rises Must Converge.” The two points that I wanted to focus on throughout my paper are the idea of self-identification and racism. The idea of self-identity and who we are screams very loud in this story. Are we defined by who we think we are or how other people view us? Are we truly able to form this idea of “self” without having the viewpoint of others? The idea of self is that we are able to look within and define ourselves. The way we talk, socialize, eat, work and play all defines us as an individual from our own selfish point of view, but if the way others view us contradict our own opinion, then which definition should we use to define ourselves? O’ Connor was inspired to title this book from French Philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. His work “Omega Point” stated:
“Remain true to yourself, but move ever upward toward greater consciousness and greater love! At the summit you will find yourselves united with all those who, from every direction, have made the same ascent. For everything that rises must converge.”

Julian, one of the main characters of the story, struggles with his identity tremendously. He viewed himself as an upright scholar that graduated from college and was not racist in any way. “True culture is in the mind, the mind, the mind…” (O’Connor, 1965). Julian believed that if he could make nice with and/or become friends with African-American people that he was not racist. On the contrary, he did not have any friends of the African-American descent nor could he engage in a meaningful conversation with an African-American person. O’Connor sets a p...

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...ican-American woman who was outraged she offered her son a penny.
In “The Lame Shall Enter First,” Sheppard indirectly ignored his son Norton with the hopes of saving another young boy Rufus. He put so much time and attention in trying to “help” Rufus and make Rufus love him that he was shunning out his own son and not seeing the damage he was truly causing. It was not until Rufus made it very clear that he would never love Sheppard that Sheppard saw that he had a son who he did not love enough all along. Once he received his “moment of grace” it was too late, Norton had hung himself.
On a final note, all of these ideas circle back to the title “Everything that Rises Must Converge.” No matter where we go in life or what we do, we will always have that moment of grace that brings us to realize who we are and that we all serve a purpose in life for a greater good.

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