Zora Neale Hurston's story “The Gilded Six-Bits,” like many of her other stories set in Eatonville or about things she witnessed or experienced when as she got older, she resembles her in some ways. The town Missie May and Joe lived in resembled the town of Eatonville in that it was a black community, the same society Hurston experienced as a child. In this tale, Zora Neale Hurston's short story "The Gilded Six-Bits" reveals the theme, through multiple excerpts, as English lyricist William S. Gilbert is quoted as saying that "things are rarely what they seem." The theme of "things are rarely what they seem" ("Gilbert") is introduced in the first two paragraphs of the story. This story opens by describing the yard and home of a Negro couple, Missie May and Joe, in a Negro community as one that appears lean and poor. There are quart bottles used as edging on the sidewalk and flowers planted without a plan. Contrary to the poor painted depiction of this black couple's environment, their home is still full of love and affection at the beginning of this story. Later in the story Missie May is found in bed with the seemingly rich new man in town, by Joe. After the accident Missie May and Joe were much more distant from each other. The affection they showed each other every Saturday has disappeared. At the end of the story it is shown that Missie May and Joe could restore their marriage and share the same affection shown at the beginning of the story. Missie May and Joe's relationship is not what it seems after Slemmons and Missie May meet, but it ends with them trying to return to their loving relationship. This is evident in the conversation this couple engages in over lunch... middle of paper... are assumed to be substances that appeared or were said to be one thing but resulted in another. The love and affection that Missie May and Joe shared became a vibrant and loving couple before Otis arrived and after the birth of their son. Otis D. Slemmons being exposed as an impostor after claiming to be a wealthy rich man is convincing but also misleading. Missie May takes an interest in Slemmons after expressing some negative thoughts about Otis and the employee who perceives blacks as not caring, all of which depict the theme of "things are rarely what they seem" ("Gilbert"). Works CitedFamousQuotes.com. First Last. Interlution, 2011. Web. 9 October 2011. Hurston, Zora Neale. "The six golden pieces". Making Literature Matter: An Anthology for Readers and Writers. 4th edition. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin, 2010. 685-693. Press.