For this blog post, I wanted to discuss the role that Joe Starks plays and becomes in these chapters. Joe is introduced in the first few pages of chapter 4. His intentions are very clear in what his future is going to look like; "Kept hearin' 'bout them buildin' a new state down heah in Floridy and sort of wanted to come... But when he heard all about 'em makin' a town outta colored folks, he knowed dat was de place he wanted to be. He has always wanted to be a big voice, but de white folks had de sayso where he come from and everywhere else, exceptin' dis place dat colored folks was buildin' theirselves" (Hurston 28). Joe describes the town of all colored folks and knows that's the place for him; he wants to lead and wants to have a "big voice". This intrigues Janie, and she wants to learn more.
After they meet in secret a few times Janie realizes that she no longer wants to be with her husband, Logan, and that she wants to run away with Joe Starks. We see her even talk to Logan about running away from him to be with someone else and he is so set that she wouldn't dare run away from him that he puts no effort into to trying to convince her to stay. One day, after Logan gives her a long speech about what kind of wife she should be to him, Janie decides to run away and get married to Joe Starks.
They move down to the town of only colored people. There they met Amos Hicks and Lee Croker. Within a few questions, Joe realizes that the town has only 50 acres of land and no Mayor, so he decides to make a change. Within a few hours of stepping foot in the town, Joe buys 200 acres of land for the town. The next night he holds a meeting to answer any questions people in the town might be having and see how he could help them. Tony, another town member, moves to make Joe Starks the new mayor of the town. Everyone was so excited they didn't even need to vote on it. Joe is gaining the respect and authority of an extremely important person to this town.
After being elected mayor, Joe decides they need a store in the town for any possible needs anyone in the town could have. He also decides that the town needs a streetlamp and creates a whole event around lighting the street lamp. While Joe is doing all of these things for the town, the people in the town are starting to get a little annoyed with him and are starting to see his true colors. However, Janie reflects on how Joe is such a respected person in the town no one would dare stand up to him to tell him he was wrong or being too bossy. So the people of the town sit and wonder about Joe Starks the man they allected mayor and if he really is the right person to be running the town.
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