The Gilded Six-Bits Repentance/Forgiveness Quotes

This is what Joe says to Missie when they're in bed together after she sleeps with Slemmons. She can't stop crying and thinks Joe will leave her because of her infidelity. Her crying shows that she feels bad, and Joe's ambiguous response to whether he loves her anymore or not ups the tension.

We see a glimmer of hope that Joe may forgive Missie when he asks for breakfast the next day. She, like us, doesn't expect him to stick around so when he asks for breakfast it seems like a good sign. 

It's pretty obvious that Missie is feeling pretty darn low. All of a sudden the couple has been separated into bad and good, faithful and unfaithful and she doesn't feel worthy enough to make Joe breakfast…but since he's "letting" her cook for him, she jumps at the chance. Anything to get back in good standing with her hubby.

This is during breakfast, the day after the affair between Missie and Slemmons. As part of her repentance, Missie refuses to eat the food she cooks for Joe, demonstrating her devotion to him. Compared to how she eats at the beginning of the story (voraciously and with gusto) we know this truly is a sacrifice for her.

Again, Missie's thoughts reveal the anguish she's going through. She feels like she deserves nothing from Joe and is grateful for any attention from him. Under the guise of a massage she's able to ease his physical pain and somewhat ease her guilt.

Here, Missie finds Slemmons' gold piece and realizes for the first time that it is actually a gilded half dollar. Adding insult to injury, this means she slept with Slemmons for a paltry fee. Her first thought when she sees it on her bed? That it's a peace offering from Joe. Right, in a perfect world.

After going through hell, feeling guilty and horrible, Missie comes to the conclusion that she must stay with Joe no matter what. In her view, it's better to appear happily married than being alone for the rest of her life. The question is, will Joe leave her?

A brand new baby, a brand new family, and a brand new start. With the birth of Missie and Joe's child, everything seems to go back to normal. Not only are they parents now, they've been through bad and good times and have learned an important lesson about what's really important in life: love. And forgiveness, of course. 

Joe's mother reassures him that Missie's kid is his and not Slemmons', which was a scary and very real possibility. This is the point where Joe finally forgives Missie and decides to let the past go, and to take his own advice about not looking back like Lot's wife.

This is the last line of the story, ending on a happy note. Once again Joe will spoil Missie by giving her money and gifts. He's chosen the path of forgiveness and because of that Missie no longer has to be a meek version of herself.