Everything That Rises Must Converge | The Penny and the Nickel in "Everything That Rises Must Converge"
In the following essay, Ower comments on the significance of the penny that Julian’s mother gives
the young black boy and the nickel she would ordinarily have given, arguing that ‘‘the designs of
these pieces suggest a nexus of meanings relating to the social, racial and religious themes’’ of the story.
In O’Connor’s story, the violent climactic ‘‘convergence’’ of black and white races is precipitated by Julian’s mother offering a coin to a little Negro boy. Her customary gift to black children is a nickel, but she has been able to find only a cent in her pocketbook. That the fateful coin is a penny, and that it is newly minted, are both emphasized by O’Connor through being twice mentioned. The author thereby hints the significance with regard to ‘‘Everything that Rises . . .’’ of the Lincoln cent and Jefferson nickel (the two coins current in 1961 when...
[The entire page is 1667 words long]
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