What commentary on forgiveness, reconciliation, and/or acceptance does the story contain? Does Hurston have a commentary on the role of any of these within an intimate relationship such as a marriage?

According to Hurston, forgiveness is something that does not happen instantly, but rather takes time if it does occur. Joe and Missy May lived their lives pretty distantly for a while that it appeared as they were not even in a romantic relationship together with Missy May not even considering them to be man and wife anymore. Joe asking Missy May to rub home down for his back pain and later having Missy May find the piece of money with the bit of chain attached was his way of reconciling with her. Rather than talking about the situation directly, which is something that had been avoided since it happened, Joe was leaving clues. Acceptance is tricky because it’s often assumed that it also means forgiveness, which is not true. Accepting a situation is pertinent to one own’s ability to move on. Considering the love that Joe had for Missy May, and the son that he very much wanted, Joe chose to accept what had happened and moved on. He never brought up the subject and instead chose to resume living their lives together as it was in the beginning. Joe showed his ability to move on from what had happened by using that four-bit piece to buy Missy May candy, something that she loved.

The way that Hurston describes the roles of forgiveness, reconciliation, and/or acceptance fits that of a Catholic marriage perfectly. Catholicism is big on forgiveness and moving on from whatever issues may arise during a marriage, no matter its’ gravity. It appears to me as though she describes how these roles should occur in an ideal relationship when presented with such a grave situation like cheating.