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Worksheet 4.1. Answers: Hurston’s Writing Techniques
The following are some possible answers to the worksheet. Students may find other, equally acceptable
answers.
How does Hurston give the reader a sense of the community in which the story takes place?
• Dialect writing (Students should give examples.)
• Characters Walter and Elijah are among “loungers at the store,” a community gathering place for
the folk group.
• Shared values of the folk group: condemnation of Spunk for taking another man’s wife, even
though they respect his strength and courage. (“Ah like him fine but ‘tain’t right the way he
carries on wid Lena Kanty, jus’ cause Joe’s timid ‘bout fightin’.”)
Describe how Hurston delineates the character traits of each main character in the story. (Cite
examples of folk speech; figurative language; symbolism; and other literary devices)
Spunk
• Confident and something of a show-off (“big black Stetson set at the same rakish angle” which
distinguishes him from the common dress of the folk group)
• Courageous (willing to ride the dangerous log-carriage at the sawmill; “he ain’t skeered of
nothin‘ on God’s green footstool.”)
• Braggart (“See mah back? Mah cloes cut clear through. He sneaked up an‘ tried to kill me from
the back, but Ah got him, an’ got him good, first shot,” Spunk said.)
• Superstitious, susceptible to folklore about ghosts (afraid of black bobcat; blames Joe’s ghost for
pushing him)
Joe
• Timid about fighting
• Weak in appearance (“A round-shouldered figure in overalls much too large;” “shambled
woodward”)
• Sensitive to teasing (goes after Spunk with only a razor because of comments from Elijah,
indicating importance to Joe of being respected by the folk group)
• Sad (“One could actually see the pain he was suffering, his eyes, his face, his hands and even the
dejected slump of his shoulders.”)
Lena
• Defies the conventional behavior of the folk group (“Theah they go, big as life an' brassy as
tacks.”)
• Hardhearted (Doesn’t seem to mourn Joe’s death; moves in with Spunk shortly afterwards; “Joe
ain’t had time to git cold yit.”)
• May or may not sincerely mourn Spunk (“Lena’s lamentations were deep and loud. She had
filled the room with magnolia blossoms that gave off a heavy sweet odor.” Student opinions will
vary.)
