Women in "The Gilded Six-Bits"

Paper Summary:

This literary analysis looks at the many ways in which the main character in this short story, Missie May, is made into an object and a possession by the male characters in the story. The writer focuses on the words that the male characters use in their dialogues with her, as well as their actions and her responses.

From the Paper:

"Throughout history it has been the job of women in society to care for the husband, the home and the children. In the role of homemaker the woman is expected to support her husband and take care of the household chores and as mother she is expected to teach important lessons and values to the children. Through the writing of "The Gilded Six-Bits" by Zora Neale Hurston, traditional views of women are shown through the portrayal of the characters of Missie May and her husband Joe. In this story the wife is portrayed as giving and nurturing, as having her place in the home, and as being the husband's "prize" to show off. She is submissive to her husband and the options made available to her are limited to the home. It is in this way that a woman's identity is defined and through the use of a feminist criticism to look at this story it becomes clear that this identity of being a woman is constructed through gender."

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• Comparison Essay # 3814 : "A Rose for Emily" and "The Gilded Six-Bits"
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