This paper relates that "The Gilded Six-Bits" evolves almost like a fairy tale, beginning with a paradise, climaxing with
an apparently hopeless wish for wealth, and ending with a twist upon the fulfillment of that hope. The author points out that, for the first few pages of the story, the central romantic
protagonists, Missie May and Joe, seem united in a happy household, poor yet well provided for in terms of food, clothing, and love. The paper explains that, although the romantic protagonists remain together at the end and are wealthier, the wealth of the gold becomes a symbol of their division.