Consider the role(s) of betrayal and infidelity in the story. 10/14

The story opens up to a happily married couple of Joe and Missie May. Hurston pulls up a plot twist for her audience to show how money can change people. The betrayal was on Missie May’s part when she slept with Mister Otis D. Slemmons of the ice cream shop for a cold coin. Even after knowing the fact that his wife had committed infidelity, he still stayed. Though he stayed, there was no longer any fun banters they had in the evenings, no running through his trousers for the fear of finding the gold coin. He doubted that the baby was his as well. But slowly and surely, they rekindled their marriage and had a baby boy. Hurston wanted to portray Missie May as the one committing the adultery instead of Joe to break this stereotype between gender roles.