Self-Righteousness

Many characters in O’Connor’s stories suffer from feelings of self-righteousness. For instance, Julian in “Everything That Rises Must Converge” thinks that he is more moral and better educated than his mother. Another character that feels superior is Mrs. Turpin. While in the doctor’s waiting room, she weighs her personal ideologies against those of another woman, and she believes she is more tolerant than the racist woman. However, all these characters realize their personalities are lacking; the situations show them their self-righteousness is unwarranted.

Discrimination

Because these stories were set in the South during the 1960s, many of the characters held deep discriminations against other classes, races, and ages. Thomas from “The Comforts of Home” despises Sarah because of her lower stature; he thinks her presence is an embarrassment to his family. In “Judgment Day,” Tanner is discriminatory toward black people, although he doesn’t think...