Julian's mother reminds him that they come from a "good" family—one that was once respected for its wealth and social standing. Her family name is central to her identity, reinforcing her belief in her value as a human being and her superiority to those around her.
Yet Julian and his mother now live in a rundown neighborhood that "had been fashionable forty years ago." She has sacrificed everything for her son and continues to support him even though he has graduated from college. As a consequence, she has to worry about spending $7.50 on a hat and must ride the bus along with African Americans, which she considers degrading.
Julian finds his mother's preoccupation about the family name ridiculous, but he secretly believes that he has the aristocratic qualities that she claims to.....
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