The Gilded Six-Bits Essay Example

spoken normally.

Furthermore, the lack of seriousness from Hurston’s diction gives an impression of a carefree or problem less situation. When Missie May threatens Joe that she will tear his clothes off finds itself, perhaps, a better example of humor. Joe counters with “Go on tear ‘em. You de one dat pushes de needles round heah”(Hurston 883). Whether or not Missie May would tear Joe’s clothes or not is unknown, but the fact that Joe points out that she would have to fix his clothes is fairly humorous. More importantly, the way Joe speaks to Missie May makes this scene truly funny and entertaining.

The speech exchange between Joe and Missie May is a remarkable example of how Hurston presents the audience with the image of two African Americans in America who are able to laugh and joke with each other without worry. Through the language they use, a free environment where Joe and Missie May do as they please is depicted. Before “The New Negro” era, African Americans were not particularly happy or comfortable in America, but the way the characters speak in “The Gilded Six-Bits” exemplifies a model of a happy, African American couple in America.

Hurston uses the characters diction to show how the quality of life is enhancing for the African American people. Through Hurston’s use of humor and her knowledge of the vernacular, she displays a novel image of what life for an African American in America truly is. Works Cited "Bedford/St. Martin's: The Bedford Anthology of American Literature, Volume Two First Edition by Susan Belasco; Linck Johnson. " Bedford/St. Martin's. Web. 12 Feb. 2012.