Their Eyes Were Watching God Character

1 Pages 264 Words

Joe Starks

Joe Starks, Janie’s second husband in Zora Neale Hurston’s novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, had most of the common characteristics of a white individual during the late nineteen century. Joe, nicknamed Jody by Janie, proudly displays his wardrobe, which replicated that of the wealthy white bosses of the time, “[He] was a citified, stylish dressed man with his hat set at an angle that didn’t belong in these parts,” (27, Chapter 4). Other characteristics link Joe with such individuals, such as his rounded belly, his cigar, as well as his stark white home in Eatonville, Florida, where he presides as the mayor of the town. Hurston allows for these commonalities to occur in order to present Joe’s personality through his role models (the wealthy, white men) and his attitude toward his wife as well as his environment.

Joe treats his Janie with his cruelty through his sexist attitude. His actions towards Janie reflect his values and ethics, grappling any sense of power and wealth to provide a symbol of his control over his surroundings a well as Janie, “He wanted her submission and he’d keep on fighting until he felt he had it,” (71, Chapter 6). After the two move to Eatonville, Joe becomes the mayor of the black town, taking any opportunity to swank about his intelligence. Other members of the town recognize his actions as boastful and maintained that if others who were educated lived in Eatonville, he would not make such claims in front of the town members....