The Gilded Six-Bits, Essay Example

One of the most impressive literary masterpieces that is very-well written by Zora Neale Hurston. The Gilded Six-Bits short story was written in 1933. She is considered one of the most talented writers of the 20^th century. This classic short story depicts true love, betrayal, sex, marriage, cheating, dreams, and relationships that are shared through the eyes and experiences of Zora Hurston. She elegantly tells the story while reflecting on life’s symbolic disillusionments. The short story literary setting was set during the Great Depressions and stock market crash that impacted rich and poor. In the midst of the Great Depression Missie May and Joe banks were a Negro couple that was living happily in some desperate times. They lived in a Negro settlement, where everyone worked for the G. & G. Fertilizer Company. The couple took walks together in front of the house while playing together with playful love. They would play a game where Missie would search Joe’s pocket for treats like candy. This coin signified a better life outside the confines of the Negro establishment. The coin is the key to the short story because Joe would come home throwing silver coins on the floor. Missie would pretend she was made but enjoyed the moments of grandeur by Joe.

The couple was living a beautiful life until the charismatic, sophisticated and wealthy Oits D. Slemmons, opened an ice cream parlor in the local town. Mr. Slemmons was a rich and wealthy owner that walked tall with pride and cockiness. Mr. Slemmons exuded successful with fine clothes, gold teeth, gold stick pin, and a gold coin jewelry to ensure everyone knew his was very rich. He was everything Joe was not but represented a lifestyle that Missie wanted for Joe. The town was burning with the news of his wealth, which Missie thought it bother Joe so she tried to explain to Joe that he was equal to Mr. Slemmons. Joe wanted to show Mr. Slemmons and the town that he was rich in life because he had the most beautiful wife. This event was the beginning of Missie and Joe’s lack of confidence about self and their marriage. This was the start of Missie and Joe having mixed feelings about Mr. Slemmons. In Joes mind, Mr. Slemmons represented everything we wanted in life including a gold coins that represented Joes dream and aspirations in life.

Joe could not forget the town’s excitement about a wealthy black man that opened a new ice cream parlor in town. At dinner that evening, Joe placed the silver dollar in plain sight for Missie. Joe discusses how a man from out town can get some much respect for fancy clothes, gold coins, and wealth beyond their dreams. Missie tried to console Joe, indicating Mr. Slemmons wealth was probably an exaggeration and she was not impressed. Joe wants to show himself, the town, and Mr. Slemmons, he is the better man because he is the one with a beautiful wife. One evening Joe takes Missie to the new ice cream parlor establishment in the Negro town. Joe became jealous and uncomfortable being around Mr. Slemmons, because he represented everything that Joe was not. He had on nice suits, gold, stick pins, fancy shoes with a way with words. Mr. Slemmons was smart, flamboyant, educated, and eager to shove his success in anyone’s face. Missie felt bad for Joe because she wanted him to have the wealth and gold coins that represented a happy marriage. The author does an excellent job of representing the gold coin as fake to represent the character of Mr. Slemmons. His education represented something Joe did not have in his life. His wealth represented the allure for Missie. Missie wanted those riches but needed to see Joe gain the same respect. The plot thickens when Joe is heading home early from work. Joe was shocked to find Missie in bed with Mr. Slemmons.

Missie is distraught because she feels she is going to lose her husband. The one thing Missie knows about a man is betrayal will lead to divorce. The author does an excellent job of explaining that Missie slept with Mr. Slemmons for her husband because she thought it would get Joe one of those gold coins. Joe was very angry because he attacked Mr. Slemmons but the anger only last one day. This short story shows how a man can love a women so much that he overlooks his pain and betrayal to remain in love with Missie. Mary is confused because she does not understand why Joe is not mad the next day. He acts as it never happen. However, Joe walks around with that golden coin he took from Slemmons to remind Missie of her infidelity. The author coin represents more than the infidelity, it represents how life can be good and bad just like the two sides of a coin.

The coin represents something fake because everything that glitters is not good, which means the flashy Mr. Slemmons was just a phony. It was discovered by Joe and Missie that the gold piece was not authentic. It was nothing more than a fifty cent piece layered in gilded gold. This is where the name of the short story came to life “Gilded Six-Bits. The fake coin represented how there is two sides to everything, which they learned the love they had was the true authentic gold coin. The fake gold piece represents the fake appearances Slemmons presents to Negro town. The fake gold coin was an illusion that Missie and Joe learned was not real and Slemmons was not worth losing a marriage.

One day Joe finds out that Missie is pregnant. At this point, it would appear the marriage would be doomed. However, the baby is born with Joe having some ill feelings about raising another man’s baby as his own. The strength of Joe mother is clearly a big part of his life. The mother has a heart to heart talk with Joe. Joe realizes that he loves Missie and she should not have to pay the rest of her life for one mistake. In the end Joe accepts the baby as his own flesh and blood. Missie would never be sure that Joe was truly happy. However, the next day Joe takes a gilded coin and a box of chocolates for his wife. In the same tradition when they were happy, Joe tosses the silver half dollar to signify happiness has return to their home.