After lunch, students rallied themselves for their final class, discussing Flannery O鈥機onnor鈥檚 Everything That Rises Must Converge, which follows the thoughts of a young man as he rides a bus with his mother. The riveting short story, in classic O鈥機onnor fashion, drew students into the narrative and shocked all with its tragic ending.
In their discussions, students considered the story鈥檚 themes of irony, prejudice, and guilt. 鈥淚t was a really frustrating story because both the mother and the son were in the wrong,鈥 noted programmer Madeline B. 鈥淓ven though Julian (the son) was intent on being contrary to his mother, he had a very similar stubbornness and his own delusional view of the world.鈥 Once the class was over, all the students received some special parting gifts from the prefects 鈥 a TAC backpack filled with goodies, a t-shirt, and a certificate of completion.
And so the Summer Program is coming to an end 鈥 but not quite yet! Be sure to check the Summer Blog tomorrow to read about the group trip to a favorite local ice-cream store, the long-awaited dance, and the inevitable goodbyes that come with the program鈥檚 end!