“Joe Starks realized all the meanings and his vanity bled like a flood. Janie had robbed him of his illusion of irresistible maleness that all men cherish, [...] she had cast down his empty armor before men and they had laughed” (79).
The image Hurston paints here really shows her talent with words. I could feel the moment Joe felt his purpose for living drain out of him. Janie’s insult had torn down his carefully constructed facade, exposing him to everyone. In that one moment, all of his hidden insecurities rushed out of him in a hurry, and he felt humiliated and weak. As the mayor, everyone in town viewed him as the strong unbreakable leader that no one would dare to challenge. “They bowed down to him rather, because he was all of these things, and then again he was all of these things because the town bowed down” (50). Finally, with just a few words, Janie had dared to challenge him. In doing so, she took away the pride that was his blood, his being. Without the pride that defined him, he felt like “there was nothing to do in life anymore. Ambition was useless” (80).
I feel like there are many people who are defined by their pride. They can’t stand anyone defying them or criticizing them because it takes away from their feelings of superiority. Pride is all they have to cover up their insecurities and put on a brave face for the world. For so many, a challenge to their pride is like a stab to their heart because they need their pride to keep everything together. They can’t move on with life without the feeling that they are superior, that they are great.
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