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.

From the very beginning of The Gilded Six-Bits by Zora Neale Hurston, we can already see how wealth and poverty are a vibrant theme in this short story. The story starts with a depiction of the house that Missie May and Joe live in. They put on a facade of a wealthy and happy lifestyle through the lines, “the fence and house were whitewashed. The porch and steps scrubbed white.” The description of the house shows how they work hard to make the appearance of their house seem nice and clean, which is another symbol of wealth. We can tell that Missie May and Joe might not be as well off as they are perceived to be. Although it seems that Missie May and Joe have a happy marriage, with their constant games and laughter, we see how money plays an underlying role in the story and taint their marriage. Missie May’s willingness to risk her marriage to receive gold from Slemmons demonstrates how money and a higher class play an impactful role in influencing her decisions. She is overcome with her desire for wealth that she is willing to sleep with another man, even though she claims her immense love for her husband. Soon, the positive symbol of the coin for wealth and happiness turns the coin to a symbol of the infidelity and betrayal that Missie May brought upon Joe. However, towards the end, we see how Missie May and Joe realize that money and the power of wealth can no longer put a strain on their marriage.