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Missie May is a vivacious young wife who throws her otherwise happy marriage into chaos when she chooses to be unfaithful to her husband, Joe. At the beginning of the story, Missie May is seemingly devoted to her husband as she spends her time preparing Joe’s food and clothing and keeping their home tidy and welcoming. The joyful play-fighting in which Missie May raids Joe’s pockets for treats illustrates her happiness within the relationship and points to what appears to be an idyllic life. Missie May’s initial criticism of Slemmons is juxtaposed with praise for her husband and portrays her as a supportive and adoring wife.
 
While outwardly Missie May rejects Slemmons’s arrogance, she is ultimately fooled by his facade of wealth and desirability. By going to bed with the duplicitous Slemmons, Missie May reveals she is not as discerning as she initially appears. Missie May also proves herself to be proud to a fault when she remains in her marriage partly to spite her disapproving mother-in-law. Her mother-in-law’s admission that she initially thought Missie May would not be a good wife because of the rumored promiscuity of Missie May’s mother is ironic in its truth. The admission reinforces Missie May’s flawed morality and weakness of character. Missie May’s guilt over causing Joe pain and her determination to repair her marriage by giving Joe the child he desires reveals that her remorse over the infidelity is genuine. Whether or not Missie May is deserving of Joe’s forgiveness and redemption is left ambiguous.

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