The Gilded Six Bits Analysis

All That Glitters Isn’t Gold As humans, we all have a desire to have things that are beyond what we can afford. As a result, we start to have strong feelings of envy and jealousy towards that people who possess what it is that we cannot have. In the short story “The Gilded Six Bits” by Zora Neale Hurston, Joe quickly became fascinated with a big talker from Chicago named Otis D. Slemmons. Otis claimed that women gave him money and adored him. This interest that Joe had with the gold accessories that Otis owned lead to problems in Joe’s marriage with Missy May. Joe and Missy May will realize that everything that glitters isn’t gold, and that they should be content with what they already possessed. When Joes tells his wife Missy May about all the
Joe’s punishment towards Missy May was silent treatment. Missy May suffered from great depression for months, but she refused to leave Joe because she loved him too much. She no longer found it necessary to get out of bed to cook Joe breakfast or even wash his clothes anymore. Missy May would not even get out of bed to get dressed until Joe was gone. Joe still felt the need to punish Missy May by leaving the gold piece under her pillow, to show that he can pay just as well as Otis can for her love. After, carefully observing the coin, Missy Mae realized that it was not genuine. She had thrown away her happiness for a man who was a liar and a cheater. Joe was a merciful man, and allowed the trust between his wife and himself to rebuild again. When Missy Mae founds out that she is pregnant, Joe shows honest concern for her and the baby when he comes home and sees her chopping wood. Knowing what Missy May have done with Otis, he was aware that there was a possibility that the baby could not be his. After Missy May has the baby, Joe’s mother confirms that the baby is his by saying “You oughter be mighty proud cause he sho is de spittin' image of yuh,