The Gilded Six Bits

The Gilded Six Bits

The Gilded Six-Bits is a 1933 short story written by Zora Neale Hurston, who is considered one of the pre-eminent writers of 20th-century African-American history. Hurston was a relative newcomer on the literary scene when this short story was published, but eventually had greater success with her highly acclaimed novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God. The Gilded Six-Bits is now published in Hurston's compilation of short stories entitled Spunk in which it is now considered one of her best stories. The Gilded Six-Bits is a story full of love, betrayal, and forgiveness. It portrays the life of two happy newlyweds who both test their relationship and their love for one another when a charismatic outsider comes into their community and into their home. The story embodies Hurston's typical writing style in which it focuses on the common African-American lifestyle, represented by dialect and metaphors, and is set in her native town Eatonville, FL where it reflects the traditions of the community. The Gilded Six-Bits symbolizes the meaning of a true marriage and the truth that lies underneath its meaning.