Joe Starks
E68159
Joe Starks is an ambitious, charismatic, and controlling husband in Zora Neale Hurston’s novel "Their Eyes Were Watching God," whose rise to power in Eatonville profoundly shapes Janie Crawford’s journey toward independence.
Statements (48)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
fictional character
→
literary character → |
| action |
becomes the first mayor of Eatonville
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buys land to help establish Eatonville → forces Janie to tie up her hair while working in the store → moves with Janie to Eatonville to pursue power and status → opens a general store in Eatonville → prevents Janie from participating in public conversations on the store porch → |
| alsoKnownAs |
Jody
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|
| appearsIn |
Their Eyes Were Watching God
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|
| causeOfDeath |
kidney failure (implied illness)
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|
| characterTrait |
ambitious
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authoritarian → charismatic → controlling → materialistic → patriarchal → |
| conflictWithJanieCrawford |
publicly insults and belittles her
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tries to control her appearance and speech → |
| controls |
Eatonville’s economic life
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Eatonville’s political life → Janie Crawford’s social interactions → |
| createdBy |
Zora Neale Hurston
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|
| deathSceneSignificance |
Janie asserts her independence and speaks her truth to him
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|
| dialogueStyle |
Southern Black vernacular English
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|
| firstAppearance |
Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937)
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|
| gender |
male
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|
| influenceOnJanieCrawford |
catalyzes her eventual quest for selfhood and voice
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|
| literaryEra |
Harlem Renaissance context
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|
| narrativeFunction |
antagonist to Janie Crawford’s self-realization
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symbol of Black middle-class respectability politics → symbol of patriarchal power → |
| occupation |
landowner
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mayor of Eatonville → postmaster → store owner → |
| relationshipToJanieCrawford |
restricts her voice and autonomy
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second husband → |
| residence |
Eatonville, Florida (fictional)
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|
| roleInWork |
major character
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|
| spouse |
Janie Crawford
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|
| symbolizes |
male dominance over women
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the limits of material success → |
| themeAssociation |
gender roles in early 20th-century Black communities
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power and control in marriage → pursuit of status and respectability → silencing of women’s voices → |
| timePeriodWithinWork |
early 20th century American South
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|
Referenced by (3)
| Subject (surface form when different) | Predicate |
|---|---|
|
Their Eyes Were Watching God
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|
mainCharacter |
|
Janie Crawford
→
|
marriedTo |
|
Janie Crawford
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|
secondHusband |