1. Spunk
Zora Neale Hurston
Ms. Ramirez-Cruz

2. Spunk Characterization
• “…big as life an‟ brassy as tacks.”
• “he ain‟t skeered of nothin…‟”
• “…it‟s cause Spunk wants Lena….He‟d go
after anything he wanted the same
way….”
• Spunk is confident, arrogant, selfish, cold
and embodies the ideals of masculinity

3. Joe Characterization
• “…came nervously in the door..”
• “He swallowed several times painfully and his lips
trembled..”
• “One could actually see the pain he was
suffering, his eyes, his face, his hands and even
the dejected slump of his shoulders.”
• “…and his Adam‟s apple was galloping up and
down his neck like a race horse.”
• Joe is fearful, apparently a coward
• Unable to make Lena happy – we don‟t know why

4. The Men in the Store
• Elijah is really our narrator
• The men are the community – they
represent the society
• They speak in the vernacular
• They make judgments about
Spunk, Joe, and Lena
• They are the conscience of the community
and discuss the “laws” and how these
characters have broken them

5. The Initial Confrontation
• Joe makes a whiney plea – he is fearful and
with good reason
• Spunk is ruthless – “Lena youse mine….let
no other man git outa his place wid you!”
• Spunk has complete control
• Sees Lena as a possession
• Lena is surprisingly outspoken – “‟Thass mah
house…‟” – demonstrates she choses Spunk

6. The Initial Confrontation
• Spunk‟s complete control is reflective of the
masculine values of the time especially in the
south
• Lena‟s look of “love” demonstrates her choice
of Spunk over Joe
• This could be considered a
stereotypical, dangerous image of women
• However, she is outspoken and is willing to
break the rules of society to be with the man
she “loves”
• A great deal of “passion” in this scene

7. Spunk‟s Character Changes
• Dynamic character – changes throughout the
course of the text
• Wants to marry Lena to stop folks “…talkin‟
„bout her…”
• “Joe done sneaked back from Hell!”
• “…he claimed somebody pushed‟im”
• He has become more human
• He has lost his confidence and has become
fearful

8. Spunk Changes
• Changes begin when he decides to marry
Lena
• The “black bob-cat” makes his appearance
under their bedroom at night
• The “black bob-cat” is symbolic of Spunk‟s
guilt
• He loses his confidence and believes he is
pushed to his death

9. Theme
• The theme is masculinity
• However what is the message?
• Spunk embodies all the aspects of
masculinity and he gets what he wants but
it brings about his demise
• His guilt becomes his weakness

10. Women
• Lena genuinely mourns for Spunk
• “The women…wondered who would be
Lena‟s next.”
• The women know the reality
• They understand Lena‟s character and the
situation of women at the time
• Although she may fit one type of
stereotype she dares to follow her passion