Paper 3 – The Almighty Dollar

Paper 3 – The Almighty Dollar

         Zora Neale Hurston was born in 1891 and died in 1960. During her sixty-nine years, she witnessed several dramatic changes in the American cultural landscape. Further, she took part in two literary periods. The first was “the era of the Talented Tenth” (Wiley 1). The second was the Negro Renaissance. These were the second and third parts, respectively, of the Harlem Renaissance. She is often cited as a seminal literary figure of that time. This is chiefly due to her unique talent in capturing the daily lives of blacks as they interact with other blacks. At times, however, her writing regarding blacks as they interact with whites was asynchronistic with the predominant views held by black cultural leaders of the 20’s and 30’s. Some may theorize that her choice of less inflammatory discussions stem from denial or an overly optimistic view. However, analyses of some of her more popular works indicate that is not likely. From the arch of her literary choices and her experiences, her selection of discussions likely results from her conscious decision to appeal to active patrons of the arts. Consequently, as her sources of patronage evolve, so do her literary choices.
         In 1933, Hurston wrote “The Gilded Six-Bits.” It is a singular tale that focuses on the relationship between a husband and wife where the wife has willfully committed adultery and the adulterous partner was another black male. Although the wife claims to love the husband as he is, the lure of the “gold” compels her to cheat. In spite of its shift in grammar (the juxtaposition of the folk dialect she uses for dialogue against the urbane style she uses for narrative), it is a fluid piece of writing. However, the comments of the white men at the end of the work stand out. Although the men do not seem to have any overt malice towards blacks, Hurston illustrates that they clearly underestimate the challenges that blacks face. “Wisht I could be like these darkies. Laughin’ all the time. Nothin’ worries ‘em” (Hurston “Gilded,” 133). This makes sense since the work was written in 1933 during the Negro Renaissance, the final act of the Harlem Renaissance. At this point, writers like Hurston focused on appealing to black audiences. “No longer looking for approval from whites, they only considered whether their works pleased African-Americans…” (Wiley 5). In part, this was possible due to increased patronage from blacks.
         This was a departure from “the era of the Talented Tenth”, where black artists were guided by white humanitarians ('Negrotarian' whites) and black authority figures (NUL and NAACP) to produce works for patronage. During this period, black authority figures encouraged black artists to write about the capabilities of blacks to overcome. Since these authorities had found a way to rise, they feel it was better to focus on the possibilities rather than to dwell on the past. Further, since they recognized that moneys for black empowerment came from white liberals, they were not as acerbic regarding whites as disenfranchised blacks may have been.
         Not surprisingly, Hurston wrote “Sweat” during the era of the Talented Tenth. Ironically, this iconic work was published in the one and only issue of Hurston’s own magazine Fire!! in 1926. “Sweat” deals with the uncomfortable, but all too common, subject of a husband using, abusing, and betraying his wife. Although the black folk in town are aware of Sykes’s misdeeds, one can almost hear the white men from “The Gilded Six-Bits” making the same comments about black life and underestimating the difficulties that blacks faced. In this case, an honest black woman barely escapes her marriage with her life.
         However, in “Sweat” there are no visible white folk. Their soiled laundry marks their presence. The overt symbolism is two-fold. First, Delia has to deal with the mess left by the white folk. Second, Delia earns a living by doing the work that whites have relegated to her. It is the same for Hurston.

According to W.E.B. Du Bois, white people, who suggested that blacks quit complaining about not having recognition and start showing what they could do, helped create the second period of the Harlem Renaissance. (Wiley)

In a sense, white writers and white philanthropists allow Hurston to make a living by writing in a white dominated society. This was aptly evidenced by her academic career. From 1919 to 1924, Hurston went to Howard University and repeatedly dropped out so that she could work. Over those five years, she only advanced to the level of sophomore. However, after she received a scholarship to Barnard College in 1925, she completed her BA in three years.
         Two years after “Sweat”, Hurston released “How It Feels to Be Colored Me.” In this autobiographical short story, the author reveals her innermost thoughts on her racial identity. Here, there are multiple interactions with white folk. However, she implies that racial differences only impact her in two ways. First is the way that blacks and whites appreciate music. Second is how blacks and whites play the game. For Hurston, whites play “the game of keeping what one has,” whereas the “brown specter” plays “the game of getting” (Hurston “Sweat” 8). As an artist, Hurston plays the game by utilizing her literary talents to get what she wants.
         From the mid-20’s, when whites were economic masters, to the mid-30’s, when blacks enfranchised (or disenfranchised) artists on their own, Hurston has always paid heed to the dollar. In “Sweat,” she acknowledged that whites were her source of income and livelihood. As she indicated in “How It Feels to Be Colored Me” she was about “the game of getting [money]”. In “The Gilded Six-Bits,” money was a major factor for the characters as well. However, the significant exchange of money occurred between blacks and other blacks. Small amounts of currency are part of Joe and Missie May’s courtship rituals. The desire for larger amounts of currency leads to Missie May’s betrayal of her husband. Even when forgiveness is achieved, Joe reverts to throwing silver dollars to her. The pursuit of money seemed to be a major theme in both Hurston’s works and her life. Since she was born, raised, and died in a capitalist society, that predilection was only natural.

Works Cited

Bridwell Beckham, Sue. "Zora Neale Hurston." Research Guide to Biography & Criticism. Vol. 1, p607-610, 4p. Washington, DC: Research Pub, 1985. Literary Reference Center. EBSCO. Web. 7 Nov. 2010.
Bloom, Harold. "Biography of Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960)." Bloom's Notes: Their Eyes Were Watching God (1999): 11-12. Literary Reference Center. EBSCO. Web. 7 Nov. 2010.
Hurston, Zora Neale. How It Feels to Be Colored Me. American Literature Research and Analysis Web Site. Web. 7 Nov 2010. http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ma01/grand-jean/Hurston/Chapters/how.html
Hurston, Zora Neale. Sweat. American Literature Research and Analysis Web Site. Web. 5 Nov 2010. http://itech.fgcu.edu/faculty/wohlpart/alra/hurston.htm
Hurston, Zora Neal. The Gilded Six-Bits. Making Literature Matter: An Anthology of Readers and Writers. Fourth Edition. Ed. John Schilb and John Clifford. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2009. 685-693. Print.
Kibble, Matt. "Hurston, Zora Neale." Literature Online biography. Literary Online. Web. 6 Nov. 2010.
Wiley, Angela. The Harlem Renaissance: The Development of a New African-American Consciousness. American Literature Research and Analysis Web Site. Web. 5 Nov 2010. http://itech.fgcu.edu/faculty/wohlpart/alra/hurston.htm