Consider of money and the presence or lack of it–wealth and poverty–on the shape of the story and on the lives of the characters and their personalities.

In The Gilded Six-Bits by Zora Neale Hurston, wealth and money are viewed as the most important aspect of the characters’ ciple lives. When Joe catches his cheating on him he ends up with money, which he treasures, from Slemmons. While his wife convinces herself that he will abandon her, she prepares for the worst but is ultimately asked to go about her regular routine by making breakfast. Towards the end of story, Joe uses the money from Slemmons to buy candy for his wife and new child which represents his focus on money and lack of concern about his wife’s misdeed. In a community that lacks wealth, Joe views money the supremely important aspect of life.