A Negro's Lot in Life

Joe uses an old Testament verse to describe the situation Missie May has introduced into their happy, simple lives. The story of Lot, his wife, and his daughters fleeing the city of Sodom during it's destruction by fire and brimstone.

When she turned from the stove and bent to set the cup beside Joe's plate, she saw the yellow coin on the table between them. She slumped into her seat and wept into her arms. Presently Joe said calmly, "Missie May, you cry too much. Don't look back lak Lot's wife and turn to salt" (993).  

This parable has so many controversial themes that I was unprepared for it's use by Joe. Sodomy comes to mind first. But I think Joe reflects on the virtues of Lot who was steadfast under the temptation to watch Sodom fall. Essentially, I concluded that Joe comes to the revelation that his humble, Negro life is comparable to the Rockefellers, Fords, and Slemmons in the world. Joe urges his wife "not to look back" and he means she should not dwell on the past and more importantly not to envy others lives. He realizes there may be severe repercussions to envy from a distance and that he and Missie Mae don't have to look at others to determine the value of their lives.

Why does Joe eventually use Slemmon's gold piece to purchase his wife candy?

"Big Pimpin" - Jay Z (again)

“Good Lawd, Missie! You womens sho is hard to sense into things. He’s got a five-dollar gold piece for a stick-pin and he got a ten-dollar gold piece on his watch chain and his mouf is jes’ crammed full of gold teethes. Sho wisht it wuz mine. And whut make it so cool, he got money ‘cummulated. And womens give it all to ‘im” (989).

            When a new man comes to town, Joe is fascinated with his wealth. Joe adamantly wishes to have the same wealth as Slemmons; even though Missie tells him, “Ah’m satisfied wid you jes’ lak you is, baby” (988). However, this does not suppress Joe’s desire for riches, and he devises a plan to get it, Missie. In the 1930’s, African Americans faced inequality in every way, and Joe sees Missie as a way for obtaining the wealth he longed for. During dinner one Saturday, Joe and Missie are discussing Slemmons’s liking for pretty women, and Joe tells Missie, “Go ‘head on now, honey and put on yo’ clothes. He talkin’ ‘bout his pritty womens – Ah want ‘im to see mine” (989). Joe hopes that Missie will entice Slemmons so that he will want to give her “gold money” to sleep with him. Joe comes home from work early one night and finds Slemmons in his bed with Missie. There is an altercation in which Joe knocks Slemmons to the floor breaking Slemmons watch off its chain in the process. After Slemmons runs out the door, Joe does not seem too upset, and “he put Slemmons’ watch charm in his pants pocket and took a good laugh and went to bed” (992). Missie is frantic and says, “Oh Joe, honey, he said he wuz gointer give me dat gold money and he jes’ kept on after me.” Joe replies with, “Well, don’t cry no mo’, Missie May. Ah got yo’ gold piece for you” (992). Joe is a poor black man in the 1930’s who desperately seeks wealth; however, with no opportunities of achieving his dream, he resorts to using his wife.

So, do you think Joe used Missie?

The Significance of Slemmons' Money

"Before morning, youth triumphed and Missie exulted. But the next day, as she joyfully made up their bed, beneath her pillow she found the piece of money with the bit of chain attached.

Alone to herself, she looked at the thing with loathing, but look she must. She took it into her hands with trembling and saw first thing that it was no gold piece. It was a gilded half dollar."

At this point in the story, Missie feels foolish for sleeping with Slemmons for his money when his money was fake all along. Its curious that, after Missie and Joe each have a clear understanding that the money was fake, things end happily ever after as far as the reader can tell. Joe seems contented to find that his wife slept with a man who was rich in counterfeit money instead of real money. This suggests that Joe is less worried about the fidelity (or prostitution, essentially) of his wife than he is about his financial standing compared to the man who slept with his wife.

After researching the story a bit, I learned that, to a certain extent, it was a comment on America's abandonment of the gold standard, but I believe there is the significance of Slemmons' money apart from being a critique on America's currency. What difference does the legitimacy of Slemmons' money make in the situation? Why do Missie and Joe both seem to feel more contented knowing that it is counterfeit?

The Money Monster

"There were no more Saturday romps. No pockets to rifle. In fact the yellow coin in his trousers was like a monster hiding in the cave of his pockets to destroy her." It can be argued that Missie May and Joe’s marriage thrived on the delight created by Joe’s weekly treats. In turn, this led Missie May to the assumption that the source of happiness was indeed monetary and because of this she slept with Mr. Slemmons in hopes of receiving some of the gold he claimed to have. She is painted as a simple and naïve woman and thus her actions do not appear to be done with ill intentions. This is one of the many moments in which she realizes that the loving relationship she shared with her husband is forever tarnished. It also shows that she finally acknowledges that money isn’t everything. How do Missie May and Joe’s perception of money differ?

Empty Bellies

"Joe looked down at his own abdomen and said wistfully 'Wisht Ah had a build on me lak he got. He ain't puzzle-gutted, honey. He jus' got a corperation. Dat make 'm look lak a rich white man. All rich mens is got some belly on 'em."

The Gilded Six Bits seems to be a cautionary tale against dissatisfaction. Joe and Missie May are poor but content before a supposedly wealthy man comes to town and spoils their harmony. Joe wants to be like Slemmons, envying his gold teeth and fine clothes, and especially the belly that suggests an easy, prosperous life. Slemmons himself is imitating rich, white men, claiming that all his money was given to him by "white womens." Missie May claims to be completely happy with Joe and their modest life until the first night at the ice cream parlor, when she gets a glimpse of more. There is a question of worth in the story- how much are things, people, relationships worth? With the conclusion, Hurston seems to be saying that 50 cents is worth more when exchanged for candy kisses and the hope of renewed contentment than as a kept reminder of envy and betrayal.

Is this story more about race relations or socioeconomic ones? Could this story have been cast with characters of a different race and still be valid?

Gold Piece

"Alone to herself, she looked at the thing with loathing,but look she must. She took it into her hands with trembling and saw first thing that it was no gold piece. It was a gilded half dollar. Then she knew why Slemmons had forbidden anyone to touch his gold. He trusted village eyes at a distance not to recognize his stick-pin as a gilded quarter, and his watch as a four-bit piece." pg.994

 As Slemmons comes into town wearing his fancy suit and glittering gold teeth, Joe reveres him to be one notch lower than a rich white man. As Missie May sees Joe's desire for wealth and respect, she sleeps with Slemmons in order to try to get some gold. However, the plan backfires on her when she sees that the gold Slemmons has is all fake. The situation came out to be extremely ironic, because as she tries to secure her husbands happiness, she ends up losing it and her self respect for an imitation. This comes to show how the African Americans had to deal with social success, or lack of, at the time. For as hard as they tried, and for as much money they made, wealth was all an illusion. They were still stuck at the bottom, dealing with preconceived notions of wealth and success through the lens of white Americans. The only thing they could count on in the end, Joe realizes, was each other.

Do you think it would have made a difference if Slemmons was portrayed as a white man? What if Joe and Missie had been or a different race?

"go on brush your shoulders off" - Jay-Z :)

"Wisht I could be like these darkies. Laughin' all the time. Nothin' worries 'em" (996).

            The store clerk utters these words without a true understanding of human character. Traditionally, a consumer does not divulge personal information to a store clerk. Instead, the consumer remains detached for the duration of the encounter. Not only is Joe's disengagement in this instance indicative of standard impersonal interaction, it is also characteristic of black culture during this time period.  The 1930's were a time where many African Americans couldn't catch a break with regard to racism and inequality. Instead of obsessing over troublesome situations in which they had no power to singularly overcome, one brushed it off. To say that Joe was unaffected by Missie's infidelity is misguided. I'm sure it bothered/worried him to no end. Nevertheless, he eventually "laughed" it off and continued his day-to-day like because for African Americans existence itself was a constant battle and decisions were made regarding which battles were worth forgetting. He chose to leave behind the memory of Missie and Slemmons because he felt their love benefitted him in the long run.

Question: Why else would Joe choose to stay with Missie despite her infidelity?