As Brant H McGill once said, “There is no love without forgiveness, and there is no forgiveness without love.” In this short story, a man and a woman learn to forgive and overcome the temptation and deception life has to offer. As a husband and wife, Missie Mae and Joe fell into a deep, young love. Although Missie Mae cheats on her husband in order to get what he desired the most, Joe doesn’t leave her. Joe, in Zora Neal Hurston’s short story, “The Gilded Six-Bits,” forgives Missy Mae because of their happiness, true love, and new family. First of all, is it quite obvious Joe and Missie Mae make each other joyful. It is a usual routine “every Saturday afternoon” for them to play together like children once she hears “the ringing sound
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Their lives together seem as an accustomed routine, adapting marriage as a habit. Every week seems the same with repetitive and predictable days. On “every Saturday afternoon” the couple has a routine cheerful wrestling and hide and seek game, and Joe brings his wife gifts, such as candy kisses, “chewing gum, [and] the cake of sweet soap” (413-414). This scene in the beginning of the short story shows their playful, young love that they share as husband and wife. Joe describes his wife’s immense beauty as a “pretty lil frail eels,” that can’t get any nicer. Missie May follows his compliments by saying Joe is “a pritty man” that she loves “jes’ lake you is, baby” (415). Joe confesses his love to Missie May saying, “[I] ain’t got nothin’ but you” (415). Moreover, Joe says “Ah’d ruther all de other womens in de world to be dead than for you to have de toothache” (416). Their love is apparent through many forms in the short story; however, her infidelity does create a challenge to keep their marriage afloat. She felt “She couldn’t” leave him because “She loved him too much”, however; “she could not understand why Joe didn’t leave her” (419). Although she was unfaithful, Joe “was polite, even kind at times,” which caused her to feel even more confused. Joe and Missy Mae’s love was inseparable and strong; despite her actions, Joe knew cheated for the sole purpose of giving him his greatest desire, gold …show more content…
With time their relationship as husband and wife was slowly mending. After Joe came home from work one night, he “complained of pains in the back” and “asked Missie to rub him down with linement” (419). Missie May was “grateful for the chance” to be intimate with her husband after “three months since Missie had touched his body” (419). Their romance continued and Joe “came home at least every ten days to be rubbed” (419). Their romantic life was sparked after some time; in conclusion, Missie Mae had a healthy baby boy. The reader first realizes this when Joe says Missie “ain’t got no business choppin’ wood” with her fragile physical state of pregnancy. Now approving his wife, Joe’s mother said his newborn “is de spitten’ image of yuh, son” (420). He is very pleased to become a father and says the baby boy will “maybe eat one them kisses hisself” when he buys his wife sweets (421). It is presumably understood that starting a family together was the last straw in forgiving Missie Mae. The baby boy signifies turning over a new leaf to start their relationship over fresh. Joe’s forgiveness was lastly motivated by the creation of a child, formed by the love him and his wife held through weak and
Their lives together seem as an accustomed routine, adapting marriage as a habit. Every week seems the same with repetitive and predictable days. On “every Saturday afternoon” the couple has a routine cheerful wrestling and hide and seek game, and Joe brings his wife gifts, such as candy kisses, “chewing gum, [and] the cake of sweet soap” (413-414). This scene in the beginning of the short story shows their playful, young love that they share as husband and wife. Joe describes his wife’s immense beauty as a “pretty lil frail eels,” that can’t get any nicer. Missie May follows his compliments by saying Joe is “a pritty man” that she loves “jes’ lake you is, baby” (415). Joe confesses his love to Missie May saying, “[I] ain’t got nothin’ but you” (415). Moreover, Joe says “Ah’d ruther all de other womens in de world to be dead than for you to have de toothache” (416). Their love is apparent through many forms in the short story; however, her infidelity does create a challenge to keep their marriage afloat. She felt “She couldn’t” leave him because “She loved him too much”, however; “she could not understand why Joe didn’t leave her” (419). Although she was unfaithful, Joe “was polite, even kind at times,” which caused her to feel even more confused. Joe and Missy Mae’s love was inseparable and strong; despite her actions, Joe knew cheated for the sole purpose of giving him his greatest desire, gold …show more content…
With time their relationship as husband and wife was slowly mending. After Joe came home from work one night, he “complained of pains in the back” and “asked Missie to rub him down with linement” (419). Missie May was “grateful for the chance” to be intimate with her husband after “three months since Missie had touched his body” (419). Their romance continued and Joe “came home at least every ten days to be rubbed” (419). Their romantic life was sparked after some time; in conclusion, Missie Mae had a healthy baby boy. The reader first realizes this when Joe says Missie “ain’t got no business choppin’ wood” with her fragile physical state of pregnancy. Now approving his wife, Joe’s mother said his newborn “is de spitten’ image of yuh, son” (420). He is very pleased to become a father and says the baby boy will “maybe eat one them kisses hisself” when he buys his wife sweets (421). It is presumably understood that starting a family together was the last straw in forgiving Missie Mae. The baby boy signifies turning over a new leaf to start their relationship over fresh. Joe’s forgiveness was lastly motivated by the creation of a child, formed by the love him and his wife held through weak and