Comparing and Contrasting The Gilded Six-Bits by Zora Neale and Long Black Song by Richard Wright - Book Report/Review Example

?Compare and Contrasting Two Short Stories Introduction Literature is often perceived to be the reflection of life as it evolves and narrates the course of life. The ephemeral effect of life and society did not spare the two contemporary short stories “The Gilded Six-Bits” by Zora Neale and “Long Black Song” by Richard Wright. The Gilded Six-Bits is a story that captivates the issues of love, betrayal and forgiveness and their importance in the human relation and society. Archetypal to the fiction of Hurston, the story projects an affirmative vision of Afro-American life through the portrayal of their happy domesticity of two newly-wed couples whose life are set to turmoil and tremor after the intrusion of an alien to the community. Black Long Song by Richard Wright is a tragic story violent in nature that narrates a meltdown of a married couple followed by a sudden death of a strong Afro-American character. At the same time, the story also embraces the affinity of the author for the basic Marxist ideologies that were greatly incorporated into the 20th century racial relationships, especially in the South. Thesis Statement The Gilded Six-Bits and Black Long Song are primarily the stories of marital infidelity. But this mundane fact about the stories does not culminate the conclusion. The stories have distinct outcomes culminated from different socio-economic backdrop. The essay intends to examine and explore the differences against which the stories were woven to meet their distinguished predicaments. Comparison of the Backdrop that Makes a Pertinent Distinction Before delving deep into the fact that both the stories The Gilded Six-Bits and The Long Black Song are very straightforward narrations of Afro-American culture and intricacies of human relationships that meet some different conclusion, it is better to understand the social context of the stories against which they have been framed. Both the stories are written to depict the condition of the Afro-American women in the depression era in the South where the reported allegations of extramarital affairs were very common place. Both these stories therefore in a very straightforward way explore the guilt of women over the sin which they have committed. But the intricacy of the matter lies in the fact that each story differently and with its respective unique ways met its finale with different intentions and motifs of the writers very pertinently. In The Gilded Sic-Bits, the economy plays a vital role in manipulating the man - woman relationship or rather at a greater realm that of any relationship, “She heard men's voices in the distance and glanced at the dollar clock on the dresser. Humph! Ah'm way behind time t'day! Joe gointer be heah 'fore Ah git mah clothes on if Ah don't make haste” (Hurtson, Z. N. “The Gilded Six-Bits”). On the other hand in the story Long Black Song, the image of an African-American woman was that of an iconoclast. Since ages, the images of Negro women in the history of American literature have been either of a working class or of a seductive slave. But at the heart of this seductress, lies a very strong and powerful self restrained image that holds and nurtures her family with less resources compared to the white woman who was paved in the short story by Wright. Sarah is married to Silas and therefore the problem Sarah is facing ought to be best understood by Silas. But here the African American notion of a man evolves out distinctly that provides a justification to the external dependence of Sarah and indicates her strong ego and existence geared by power play operating quite distinctively in this story. On the other hand, Silas considers his wife to be a piece of property by the virtue of African institution of slavery and does not tolerate a bit of intrusion in his property. The man-woman relationship is very critical and the stories, “Long Black Song” and “The Gilded-Six Bits” present it in a very subtle way. Sarah, the protagonist of the “Long Black Song” is not satisfied with the material pursuit. Her husband brings for her red fabric and a home where she can spend a carefree life with her daughter and she did not need to work in the fields either. But her situation in the story is paralleled with her daughter, baby girl Ruth. As Ruth is not consoled with any care and allurement, in a similar fashion no material pursuit from Sarah’s husband’s end could satisfy her soul and she continues to think the possibilities and charm of her life with Tom. Red beads and food could not solace Ruth and red fabric and house could not satisfy Sarah. “Yo ma cant help yuh less she knows whut yuh wan,” these lines are implicit indication to the confused and dissatisfactory self of Sarah who is very much concerned and proud of her entity (University of Illinois, “Home Work”). In the story, “The Gilded Six –Bits”, the story at its outset only captivates the theme of appearance versus reality, “It was a Negro yard around a Negro house in a Negro settlement that looked to the payroll of the G. and G. Fertilizer works for its support. But there was something happy about the place” (Hurtson, Z. N. “The Gilded Six-Bits”). Therefore, the conclusion of the story ought to be guided by the fact that within the bosom of appearance there is a crude, naked and black reality that ought to evolve out with the due course of time. This reality guided the story of Joe and Missie May. Hurston wanted to show that beneath the playful teasing and affection of the couple, there is a rich overflow of love and emotion which is seated far above their modest and meagre appearance. Yet the character of Slemmons is more symbolic here in the story. He stands for the threats and challenges that the cocooned couple was sharing. He has seen and experienced the myriad colours of life and his intrusion to the life of Joe and Missie May shattered their small hut and household made of love and affection. But this transition, threat and fret are not long lasting. Hurston wanted to depict that the carefree life of the Afro-American community is somewhere responsible for accepting the transitions in life easily. For them, the defeat and the strength to overcome that defeat in life both are very susceptible because they have the strength to take the complicacies of life, “Joe got his candy and left the store. The clerk turned to the next customer. "Wisht I could be like these darkies. Laughin' all the time. Nothin' worries 'em.” (Hurtson, Z. N. “The Gilded Six-Bits”). But in the story “Long Black Song” the ending is different as the delineation of the Afro-American community is handled differently in the story. Wright particularly tired to explore the issue of masculinity and racial ego in the story operating very subtly throughout. Joe is happy to return back with sweet candy for the new born. Therefore, from the attitude of the characters, their motifs and different ways by which they have been transformed as instruments of showing the subtle aspects of human relations ought to indicate their difference in conception and perception. The stories, “Long Black Song “ and “ The Gilded Six-Bits” both are drawn from the Afro-American life and their transitions during the depression era but a vast difference in the character delineation distinguishes the plot of the stories and thereby their ending as well. The Gilded Six-Bits displays the threat and the intrusion of an alien culture and phenomena in the lives of the Negro couple, who overcame this threat by their instinct and virtue of simplicity. Meagre and mundane lives of Joe and Missie May falls heavy in front of the riches and extravagant life which came as a threat and illusion before the couple, mesmerising Missie and tempting her for the marital infidelity. Yet the relationship in between Joe and Missie was found intact till the end of the story with a new hope i.e. their child for the simple nature and life style of the couple. On the other hand, an intricacy of relationships pervades the relationship in the story “Long Black Song” but a dissatisfied overtone eclipse the entire plot. Sarah is dissatisfied with her husband despite of the fact that he has tried to provide every comfort within his potentials to Sarah but Sarah is mad in the pursuit of a carefree wild life without any shackles and commitments. Conclusion The stories, “The Gilded Six-Bits” and “Long Black Song” are representatives of Afro-American society and hinges on the subtleties of intricate and fragile relationship of man and woman tied into nuptial knot. But far from being narrations merely about marital infidelity, these stories take the challenge and plunge to break the stereotypes of the Afro-American society crafting out individual virtue, nature and characteristics that make the stories distinct from each other and to logically meet different end as well due to different characters and socio-economic backgrounds. Works Cited University of Illinois, “Home Work”. September 19, 2011. Handouts. No Date. Hurtson, Z. N. “The Gilded Six-Bits”. September 19, 2011. Berkley High School. No Date. Bibliography Gates, H. L. & McKay, N. Y. The Norton Anthology of African American Literature. W. W. Norton & Co, 2004. Read More