Passage-Page 83
She cried often in the weeks that followed. Joe got too weak to look after things and tok to his bed. But he relentlessly refused to admit her to his sick room. People came and went in the house. This one and that one came into her house with covered plates of broth and other sick-room dishes without taking the least notice of her as Joe's wife. People who never had known what it was to enter the gate of the Mayor's yard unless it were to do some menial job now paraded in and out as his confidants. Ther came to the store and ostentatiously looked over whatever she was doing and went back to report to him at the houes. Said things like "Mr. Starks need somebod tuh sorta look out for 'im till he kin git on his feet again and look for hisself"
The paragraph starts off with the statement that Janie had been crying for weeks showing that she is sad about Joeys condition but towards the end she goes on about how Joey is still watching over her and controling her. This creates almost conflicting ideas because of how Janie doesn't like Joeys controling demeanor but she still "loves" him regardless. The use of ostentatiously in the paragraph really shows how much people looked up to Joey as sort of a parental figure or godly figure. The tone Hurston creates with this paragraph is one of power. Even on his death bed Joey has the town in the palm of his hand, controling what goes on outside of his bed room. This creates Joey to be a god like figure or someone who controls everything.
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