The Gilded Six-Bits

The candy kisses Joe gives Missie May as part of their weekly “mock battle,” when he hides the kisses in his pocket, function as a symbol of his affection for her: “‘Lemme git dat paper sack out yo’ pocket. Ah bet it’s candy kisses.’ […] Joe smiled indulgently and let his wife go through all of his pockets” (87-88). The doubly sensual implications of the candy—pleasurable taste combined with an allusion to sexual intimacy—suggest the importance of physicality in the couple’s relationship, developing the theme of Sex, Physical Desire, and Marriage.

At the end of the short story, Joe’s use of Slemmons’s half-dollar to purchase Missie May candy kisses once more represents his forgiveness of her, his affection for his newborn son, and a return to a happy marriage, with the expectation of real kisses to follow.

The gilded six-bits have a dual function, symbolizing both Otis D. Slemmons’s greed and falseness, as well as Missie May’s infidelity; in both cases, they develop themes of The Function and Morality of Money and Appearance Versus Reality. When Slemmons first arrives in town, his wealth is literally on display in the form of gold $5 and $10 dollar pieces on his person; when