Pheoby Characterization

One may wonder who would ever have the courage to be friends with such a bold character as Janie Starks. Fortunately, Janie Starks finds a true friend in Pheoby Watson. When the reader is first introduced to Pheoby, one cannot tell her true personality from the start. For example, the first thing Pheoby says is, "Well, nobody don't know...Me, Ah'm her best friend, and Ah don't know (3)". After reading that line, I had the impression that Pheoby would be judgemental like the other women. It seemed that Pheoby took it upon herself that she is Janie's best friend, and even as the other women are mocking Janie, Pheoby still does not stand up for Janie. By claiming that she is Janie's best friend while remaining passive to the comments the other women make about Jamie, it gave me the impression that Pheoby only made that claim to mock Janie as well. It also seemed that Pheoby claims to be Janie's best friend in order to be accepted by the other women in their scorn for Janie. However, one particular line that comes soon after changed my perspective on Pheoby. The line, "You mean, you mad 'cause she didn't stop and tell us all her business...The worst thing Ah ever knowed her to do was taking a few years offa her age and dat ain't never harmed nobody (3)", truly defines Pheoby's character. At this point, Pheoby defends Janie from the accusations the other women claim about Jamie and stands up for her friend. A true friend should be loyal and loyalty can be found within Pheoby. Unlike the other women, Pheoby does not reject Janie for her individualistic ways. When the other women scorn Janie for her bold behavior, Pheoby always has a rebuttal to their false accusations. In one instance, Mrs. Sumpkins says, "She's 'way too old for a boy like Tea Cake (3)". Pheoby backfires right away stating, "Tea Cake ain't been no boy for some time (3)". By stating this, Pheoby undermines Mrs. Sumpkins' contemptuous remark, showing that since Tea Cake is around the same age as Janie, there is nothing immoral about Janie and Tea Cake as Mrs. Sumpkins makes it out to be. Finally, as Pheoby is about to visit Janie, she makes a final impacting statement to the other women which is, "If she got anything to tell yuh, you'll hear it (4)". This quote shows that Pheoby will not go behind Janie's back and relay all the stories Janie has trusted her with to the other women. Pheoby will not attend to the curiosity of the other women, which again shows her loyalty to Janie. Instead, Pheoby respects Janie's privacy and makes the meaning clear to the other women to mind their own business. If they want to know about Janie's personal life, they can go and find out themselves. Pheoby asserts to the other women that she will not be the one to satisfy their hunger for gossip.