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 ... 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 com...

• Word Count: 264
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Author Zora Neale Hurston's storytelling techniques convey the townspeople's disapproval of Janie's choices about the men in her life, and the empowerment that the security of the night brings them to openly judge Janie. The reader understands the judgement Janie faces throughout the novel because of trying to make choices that will make her happy, and the intricate relationship between a Janie and her environment because of her lighter skin tone, as well as the fundamental differences that exist between women and men in the novel. The imagery in this passage helps to convey the the disapprova...

• Word Count: 846
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: Undergraduate