In "Everything that Rises Must Converge," Julian's mother is a racist woman who has high blood pressure. As she is heading to the YMCA to exercise, she puts on a purple hat that makes her feel elegant and superior. Julian goes with her because she does not like travelling on the bus on her own. As they are on their way, a very large black woman gets on, and she sits in front of Julian's mother. The black woman is wearing the same purple hat, which causes the mother terrible embarrassment. This is a lesson for her on not giving outward appearance so much importance.
The excerpt says:
"The vision of the two hats, identical, broke upon him with the radiance of a brilliant sunrise. His face was suddenly lit with joy. He could not believe that Fate had thrust upon his mother such a lesson. He gave a loud chuckle so that she would look at him and see that he saw. She turned her eyes on him slowly. The blue in them seemed to have turned a bruised purple. For a moment he had an uncomfortable sense of her innocence, but it lasted only a second before principle rescued him. Justice entitled him to laugh. His grin hardened until it said to her as plainly as if he were saying aloud: Your punishment exactly fits your pettiness. This should teach you a permanent lesson."