Zora Neale Hurston’s Short Stories of Love and Betrayal -- ep. by Kenton Rambsy

A brief take on how Zora Neale Hurston’s short stories use infidelity and community gossip to transform private conflicts into public spectacles, blending humor and tension to depict Southern Black life.

Script by Kenton Rambsy

Read by Kassandra Timm

Transcript

Zora Neale Hurston had a gift for showing how relationships can turn into public events in small communities. Her short fiction often centers on couples whose private disputes spill into the open, where neighbors watch, comment, and sometimes add to the tension. In several of her most anthologized works, affairs and romantic betrayals trigger the rising action, allowing her to mix humor and conflict, creating rich portrayals of Southern Black life.

You’re listening to Remarkable Receptions — a podcast about the reach and circulation of African American literary art and more.

In Hurston’s story “Sweat,” Bertha is not the main character, yet her affair with Sykes fuels the story’s central conflict. The community notices both her and Delia, mocking Bertha’s appearance while showing sympathy for Delia. From the porch of a local store, townspeople share jokes at Bertha’s expense and comment on Delia’s struggles. These moments add humor, but they also reveal an all-Black Florida town where public opinion sides with the wronged wife and treats the other woman as an outsider.

In “The Gilded Six-Bits,” Missie May sleeps with newcomer Otis Slemmons, believing his gold will bring her wealth. When the money turns out to be fake, her marriage to Joe Banks reaches a turning point. Hurston stages the drama inside the couple’s home, showing the distance and eventual reconciliation that follows betrayal.

In Hurston’s story “Spunk,” Lena never speaks, but her presence drives the rivalry between her husband, Joe, and Spunk. The two men fight, resulting in death for both and leaving the townspeople to speculate about who Lena will be with next. Hurston filters the story through these neighborly voices, revealing local attitudes toward love, competition, and survival.

Across these short stories, Hurston uses infidelity to set stories in motion, even when the women at the center of the gossip are not the main speakers. The recurring inclusion of these stories in anthologies reflects the remarkable reception of Hurston’s portrayals of love, betrayal, and community life.

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This episode was written by Kenton Rambsy. The episode was edited by Elizabeth Cali and Howard Rambsy, and read by me, Kassandra Timm.

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