"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?
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