The gilded coin in Hurston’s “The Gilded Six-Bits” symbolizes status, more specifically, false status. In the story, Joe and Missie May go to visit a Odis D. Slemmon’s ice cream parlor he had just opened. To most people, Slemmon seemed like a wealthy and successful man. Missie May is interested by Slemmons’ economic status and later caught in bed with him by her husband. She apologizes and claims to have only done it for the gold coins that Slemmons has. However, she later finds out the the gold coins were only quarters wrapped in gold, and she becomes embarrassed for what she had done. Although the gold coins were representative of Slemmons’ wealth, it was later apparent that the coins were just a hoax, basically.
6 thoughts on “Consider the symbolism (or various symbolisms or meanings or emotional or psychological values) of the gilded coin in the story.”
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I agree that the “gilded coin” is a symbol of status that Missie May is initially drawn to. In the beginning, we can see that Missie May promises Joe that Slemmons has nothing on her and her love for Joe could never be faltered by anything. However, it is very telling that when Missie May sleeps with Slemmons, wealth and status are the things that Missie May still values above her marriage. She is willing to sacrifice her marriage with Joe to have a taste of what it “seems like” to be wealthy.
Hi Cassandra,
I agree with the point that you make in your blog post of how the gilded coin represents the deceiving surface that many people are drawn to. In the short story, Missie May almost destroys her marriage with Joe because of her desire for something that she did not have. However, once Slemmons is revealed as a fraud, the audience learns of the gold coin’s meaning and purpose in the short story. Like you mentioned, the coin initially represented the temptation for wealth and status. Yet, these things are proven to be insignificant in the grand scheme of life, since the most genuine and valuable treasure in a marriage is the love between husband and wife.
That’s an interesting take on the symbolism of the coin. I definitely agree that the coin could symbolize Missie’s yearn for wealth and the finer things in life. At the same time, I believe the coin could also symbolize Missie and Joe’s marriage. As I mentioned in my analysis, their marriage first appeared to be strong and very loving (just as a gilded coin appears shiny and beautiful). As the story progressed we began to peel back the gold and see the inside of the coin. Missie cheating on Joe was a dark juxtaposition compared to the initial view of their relationship.
I agree with you that the gilded coin symbolizes a false status. In Hurston’s story, Joe and Missie May’s marriage is like an unpretentious coin, but they mistakenly believe that money can bring happiness and thus made a mistake. What they are pursuing is like a gilded coin that very ornamental on the surface, but actually worthless. I think the author wants to tell us through this gilded coin that the good looks may not real, the most real thing is what we feel in life.
Hi Cassandra,
This is Shufen, I accidentally logged in my friend’ Blogs and made a comment. Could you delete this comment? Thank you and sorry for any inconvenience.
I agree with you that the gilded coin symbolizes a false status. In Hurston’s story, Joe and Missie May’s marriage is like an unpretentious coin, but they mistakenly believe that money can bring happiness and thus made a mistake. What they are pursuing is like a gilded coin that very ornamental on the surface, but actually worthless. I think the author wants to tell us through this gilded coin that the good looks may not real, the most real thing is what we feel in life.