Character Analysis in Zora Neale Hurston’s Spunk In life certain incidents can reveal the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual, showing their true character. In the short story “Spunk,” written by Zora Neale Hurston a story that takes place in the village store of a rural, small all-black town. It is the story of a confident man who steals a weaker man’s wife, and how the husband gets his revenge after death. Throughout “Spunk” Hurston uses literary techniques as organizing around a central character, character development, and central incidents to reveal the meaning of her story. She uses her characters to reveal her meaning.
In “Spunk” Hurston organizes the story around its centralized character by the name of Spunk …show more content…
From the start of the story the narrator explains Elijah Mosley to be the gossiper. He is type that loves to tell stories but stretches the truth to make it more interesting. With certain incidents Hurston lets the reader discover that Elijah isn’t the best judge of character and is unreliable. During the event when Joe Kanty was in the store Elijah watches Joe rub his thumb over the razor, but read the gesture incorrectly. His prediction is that “He makes that break outa heah to bluff us. He’s gonna hide that razor behind the first palmetto root an’ sneak back home to bed. Don’t tell me nothin” bout that rabbit-foot colored man.”(709) of course, he is wrong about what Joe means to do. His character is also to be judged when he sees Joe in the store and questions him about his wife knowing his wife went off with Spunk. While you can characterize Elijah with the incidents that happened in the story incidents reveal the characteristics of Spunk and Joe as well. When reading Hurston’s “Spunk” the central incident with Spunk taking Lena from Joe. It brought out the courage in Joe. The Incident also shows the characters selfishness and the inability to sacrifice. For instance Spunk want for Lena enticed him to still pursue a married woman instead of waiting for a divorce. Joe’s didn’t have the ability to just let Lena go. The lack of sacrifice and inability to let go this incident brought both men to their death. Hurston has shown how incidents bring out the natural characteristics and how it serves to explain what a character may
In “Spunk” Hurston organizes the story around its centralized character by the name of Spunk …show more content…
From the start of the story the narrator explains Elijah Mosley to be the gossiper. He is type that loves to tell stories but stretches the truth to make it more interesting. With certain incidents Hurston lets the reader discover that Elijah isn’t the best judge of character and is unreliable. During the event when Joe Kanty was in the store Elijah watches Joe rub his thumb over the razor, but read the gesture incorrectly. His prediction is that “He makes that break outa heah to bluff us. He’s gonna hide that razor behind the first palmetto root an’ sneak back home to bed. Don’t tell me nothin” bout that rabbit-foot colored man.”(709) of course, he is wrong about what Joe means to do. His character is also to be judged when he sees Joe in the store and questions him about his wife knowing his wife went off with Spunk. While you can characterize Elijah with the incidents that happened in the story incidents reveal the characteristics of Spunk and Joe as well. When reading Hurston’s “Spunk” the central incident with Spunk taking Lena from Joe. It brought out the courage in Joe. The Incident also shows the characters selfishness and the inability to sacrifice. For instance Spunk want for Lena enticed him to still pursue a married woman instead of waiting for a divorce. Joe’s didn’t have the ability to just let Lena go. The lack of sacrifice and inability to let go this incident brought both men to their death. Hurston has shown how incidents bring out the natural characteristics and how it serves to explain what a character may