Joe and Spunk act as foils for each other in the story, meaning that, when comparing these two characters to each other, readers learn more about each of them. In particular, Hurston juxtaposes the two men in order to raise questions about masculinity. While Spunk is physically large and dominating—he unabashedly publicizes his affair with Lena and also feels comfortable bossing her around—Joe is small, anxious, and weak, and therefore less “masculine.” His attempts to “reclaim” his wife from Spunk are clearly in vain, ultimately leading to his death.
In the following scene, the men in the general store gossip about Joe as he heads off to try to attack Spunk (before he dies):
The men laughed boisterously behind Joe’s back as they watched him shamble woodward.
“You oughtn’t to said whut you did to him, ’Lige—look how it worked him up,” Walter chided.
“And Ah hope it did work him up. ’Tain’t even decent for a man to take and take like he do.”
“Spunk will sho’ kill him.”
The men in the town clearly see how Joe is no match for Spunk who, they accurately predict, “will sho’ kill him.” They clearly see Joe as more of a child than a man, laughing behind his back and using condescending language like “look how it worked him up.” At the same time, it is notable that the men do not seem to respect Spunk either. In this way, Hurston encourages readers to question Spunk’s authority rather than laud him for his masculine bravado. Just because he is powerful doesn’t mean he deserves respect.
That Spunk ends up dying—and believing that Joe’s ghost was responsible—demonstrates how supposedly invincible men like Spunk will have to face justice in the end for their domineering behavior and harmful actions. Hurston therefore communicates that, though Joe seems to be weaker than Spunk, he is actually more morally righteous and “wins” in the end.
