The Key to “The Gilded Six-Bit” by Zora Neale Hurston Essay

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The Theme of the Story

The Gilded Six-Bits is an exciting story uncovering the theme of forgiveness, betrayal, and hope. Missie May and Joe relay the themes through the roles issued to them as the protagonist and antagonist of the story, respectively. The dilemmas in the African-American culture make the story’s significant themes, with betrayal the main issue throughout Gilded Six-Bits. In my understanding, Hurston’s text reveals the story of a newly wedded couple who undergo tests of love and unfaithfulness in their home.

Missie May’s Relationship with Otis

Missie May has an affair with Otis based on her greed for money and need for a better lifestyle. According to Hurston (12), May slept with Otis to have more money and a better house. “I wanted to do anything to keep him happy,” said May (Hurston 11). May never wanted to frustrate his husband in the early stages of marriage. Therefore, she decided to entice Otis into a cheating affair to satisfy her pleasures and make his husband’s dream alive.

Opinions About Missie May

Missie May is terrible because she betrays Joe many times despite having a conscious mind. The character is selfish and untrustworthy because she keeps provoking his husband. “Don’t you mess with my businessman!” (Hurston 8). The quote was Joe’s sentiments moments after realizing the secret relationship between his wife and Otis. If May were a good woman, she would have trusted Joe’s journey to success even in his lowest moments of life.

The Impact of the Change on the Story’s Settings

If Joe were the cheating partner, readers’ reactions, especially masculine activists, would have criminalized the protagonist. I think Missie would quit the marriage, and her family would support the decision if Joe were the cheating partner. The questions regarding the child’s originality would have never existed as it appears in Missie’s case because the woman is the unfaithful partner. Joe would have proved his love for May if he was the unfaithful partner, and never could he settle for a divorce to convince May.

Joe Forgives Missie May

The protagonist did not pardon his wife because of the child she carried. However, Joe made the decision to forgive Missie May at the end of Gilded Six-Bits based on his mother’s pieces of advice on family issues. Although he felt the pain of a cheating wife, Joe forgot his past experiences in the marriage and forgave Missie May. The main character wanted to prove his ability to gift May with material things that attracted her to Otis. Joe forgives his wife and makes her happy at the end of the story; he gives her money and other gifts to bring joy to their family.

Importance of the Dialect in the Story

The Gilded Six-Bits integrates the main ideas using the South African-American dialect. Although dialect does not change the settings or influence the outcomes of narration, the preference incorporated in Hurston’s text adds humor to the story. The language is unique because it supports the celebratory tone included in the work. Readers can understand the romance among characters based on the tickling and fun playing moments adopted from the dialect.

Works Cited

Hurston, Zora Neale. “The Gilded Six-Bits, a Short Story by Zora Neale Hurston.” Aalbc.com: African American Literature Book Club, African American Literature Book Club, 2022.

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IvyPanda. 2023. "The Key to "The Gilded Six-Bit" by Zora Neale Hurston." August 19, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-key-to-the-gilded-six-bit-by-zora-neale-hurston/.

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