Unlock your FREE SparkNotes PLUS trial! Unlock your FREE Trial! Sign up and get instant access. She had been encouraged to come to New York City by Charles S. Zora Neale Hurston declares in her memoir, Dust Tracks on a Road, that she is a child of the first incorporated African–American community, incorporated by 27 African–American males on August 18, 1887. SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4. Her whimsical and fictional novels have touched many readers and explore themes such as racism, sexism, poverty, and empowerment. Hurston opens her autobiography with an account of the founding of Eatonville, Florida, her hometown, by three white men who bought up the land that had been opened up to white settlers in the aftermath of the Seminole Wars of the 1850s. As with Their. Boyd herself. File:Zora Neale Hurston - Spunk. Zora Neale is best known for her works, Their Eyes Were Watching God and Dust Tracks on a. Hurston went to Howard University and progressed on to Barnard College. Being one of the first in her field to study this religion, Hurston hoped to expand. Valerie Levy’s chapter explores Hurston’s unique. 24, 2017 Sweat Zora Neale Hurston is a prolific writer famed for numerous award winning plays, novels and short stories. Zora Neale Hurston in the Classroom Zora Neale Hurston in the Classroom SHEA and WILCHEK National Council of Teachers of English 1111 W. Published in 1924 by Opportunity: A Journal of Negro Life. The bulk of Zora Neale Hurston ’s (1891 –1960) short fiction is set in her native Florida, as are most of her novels. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. Hurston was a vital figure who composed stories and played during the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s and 1930s. Delia has been married to Sykes for fifteen years. The theme of race and class, although it is not a central part of the story’s plot, inevitably comes into play in such a setting. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. Summary: “How It Feels to Be Colored Me”. Ask and answer questions about the novel or view Study Guides, Literature Essays and more. Zora Neale Hurston Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960) was an author, folklorist, journalist, dramatist, and influential member of the Harlem Renaissance. 1101 Words5 Pages. Open Document. org. Zora Hurston is a vital figure who composed stories and plays during the Harlem. Part 1, Chapter 1 Summary. Zora Neale Hurston uses symbolism to introduce the reader to the world of voodoo. Perez. Lena’s actions throughout this conflict dictate which man has the upper hand. SPUNK, by George C. Description. Enhance your understanding of “Spunk” by learning more about Zora Neale Hurston and historical context related to Eatonville. Coloring Struck (1926) was published in Zapora Neale Hurston. . Most of Hurston's work involved her "Negro. Nevertheless, Hurston’s novel is an important work that. The short story “Sweat,” by Zora Neale Hurston, seems to exemplify the epitome of a bad marriage. Important quotes by Joe Kanty in Spunk. Next, Zora used setting to help the reader get an illustration of what is happening in the story. Joe and Spunk compete for Lena throughout the story, but her voice is markedly absent throughout. Spunk is having relations with Lena, Joe’s wife. Zora Neale Hurston, born January 7th, 1891, was an African-American author, widely known for her classic novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God. Hurston went to Howard University and progressed on to Barnard College. He is a small, round-shouldered man with ill-fitting clothes and a nervous disposition. Spunk: Brief Summary of Action. ”. The story of “Spunk” by Zora Neale Hurston is a story that examines a complicated love triangle between the three main characters Spunk, Joe, and Lena. Zora Neale Hurston. 24, 2017 Sweat Zora Neale Hurston is a prolific writer famed for numerous award winning plays, novels and short stories. Summary: “The Gilded Six-Bits”. Hurston collected folklore and songs from the South, including the area of rural Florida where she grew up, which serves as the model for the setting of “Spunk. As Lena mourns for Spunk with “lamentations [that] were deep and loud,” the rest of the community discuss who will “be Lena’s next. 70/week. Toggle navigation. Zora Neale Hurston Sweat. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Spunk Zora Neale Hurston Analysis. 99/year as selected above. Hurston’s work reflected the use of African American legends in her short stories. However, she was quite capable of managing her husband, as. Zora Neale Hurston and Their Eyes Were Watching God Background Please wait while we process your payment. She is best known for her novels, particularly Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937). By Zora Neale Hurston. ”. 24. Johnson, the editor of the National Urban League's influential magazine, Opportunity: A Journal of Negro Life, because Johnson had published her second story, "Drenched in Light," and recognized her talent. Spunk: Setting. The Gilded Six Bits. Sykes, surprised and somewhat cowed, slinks away with a parting insult to spend the night somewhere that Delia “knew too well. A Deadly Love Triangle 712 Words3 Pages. Cite this Quote. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “Mules and Men” by Zora Neale Hurston. She was raised in Eatonville, Florida. She was raised in Eatonville, Florida. Zora Neale Hurston 1925. “Sweat” is not generic but distinctly a story about the lives of Black men and women in rural Florida in this time period. When Published: 1937. This guide is based on the 1996 Harper Perennial edition of her original text. 99/month or $24. Telling the tale of a deadly love triangle, this short, accessible story is a great choice for discussing themes of masculinity and femininity, gossip and norms, murder and revenge, and bravery. " How It Feels To Be Colored Me " (1928) is an essay by Zora Neale Hurston published in World Tomorrow as a "white journal sympathetic to Harlem Renaissance writers", [1] illustrating her circumstance as an African-American woman in the early 20th century in America. In this way, Joe becomes a character foil for. Authors Zora Neal Hurston and Langston Hughes both drastically effected peoples’ views on African American people. Zora Neale Hurston was born in 1901. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “Spunk” by Zora Neale Hurston. Open Document. Zora Neale Hurston ’s ‘Barracoon’ is comprised mainly of dialogue from Kossula (Cudjo Lewis’ African name), which Hurston dauntlessly decided to render in vernacular, writing. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. situation. Summary: “How It Feels to Be Colored Me”. Read a summary of the short story, find its in-depth analysis, and discover its themes and literary elements. In a new collection of her short. " This assertion introduces the idea that being colored is not the same thing as being born with dark skin; instead, it is a result of social training. Get all the key plot points of Zora Neale Hurston's Spunk on one page. ) Through this ordeal, Spunk is forever changed for this is the moment that caused him to open. 168,891 literary resources ;. 1. Joe is out with friends and they bring up his troubles with his wife Lena. Spunk. 99/month or $24. Hurston’s work reflected the use of African American legends in her short stories. Delia abandons her meek posture and stands to defend herself. Get all the key plot points of Zora Neale Hurston's Spunk on one page. She also wrote over 50 short stories, plays, and. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. A firsthand account of the weird mysteries and horrors of voodoo. First, some background: Sweat is a short story published in 1926 that focuses on the lives of a poor black couple in the 1920s. In particular, the African American culture of the rural South, where. SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4. 99/year as selected above. Spunk Zora Neale Hurston 44 minutes read Zora Neale Hurston Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1925 A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes,. Read an in-depth analysis of Lena Kanty. 00Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “Spunk” by Zora Neale Hurston. Critical Overview. “Spunk” by Zora Neale Hurston — full text. At a meticulously tidy, cheerful-looking home, Missie May is bathing after spending Saturday cleaning the house. Zora Neale Hurston spent decades as a student of hoodoo and voodoo. Austene Van and T. Hurston’s emphasis on the garden foreshadows the end of the story, when Delia finds sanctuary among her plants after fleeing the snake Sykes has put in the house. “Spunk,” by Zora Neale Hurston, is a short story about a man who appears masculine and fearless claiming another man’s wife, but the tables turn by the end of the story. for only $0. From the creators of SparkNotes. He might turn him up an' spank him fur gettin' in the way, but Spunk wouldn't shoot no unarmed man. The story Sweat by Zora Neale Hurston tells the story of Delia who overcame her abusive husband, Sykes through her development of becoming a strong woman. “Spunk” revolves around two main characters: Spunk Banks and Joe Kanty, who develop hatred between themselves due to a quarrel over a woman named. She portrayed racial struggles in the early-1900s American South and published research on hoodoo. Story takes place in a town that closley resembles Hurston's. 509 Words3 Pages. Open Document. Hurston went to Howard University and progressed on to Barnard College. Hurston was a vital figure who composed stories and played during the Harlem. 1. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “Drenched in Light” by Zora Neale Hurston. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of Their Eyes Were Watching God and what it means. Illustration of the African-American Experience. Throughout the story, Hurston portrays Sykes as an embodiment of the sin of pride. Summary: “Drenched in Light”. Hurston’s “How It Feels to Be Colored Me” can best be understood in its historical and cultural context, namely the 1920s and the Harlem Renaissance. 45. Lena Kanty Character Analysis. Known for her involvement in the Harlem Renaissance, Hurston was a writer, anthropologist,. She was raised in Eatonville, Florida. Not only does he rely on Delia to pay for the house and living expenses, but he also undermines her work at every opportunity. Transcribing the tales she heard on her travels in the American South and West Indies, she published her findings in the anthropological folklore collections Mules and Men (1935) and Go Tell My Horse (1938). Zora went to Howard University and progressed on to Barnard College. Hurston was a vital figure who composed stories and played during the Harlem. Joe is publically shamed and humiliated when a group of village folk witness Spunk arm in arm with Lena Kanty, Joe’s wife. Liza Schmid How to write an essay? Order on the website - HelpWriting. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of select short stories by Zora Neale Hurston. Further Reading “Spunk” was only the third short story Zora Neale Hurston published, and it was immediately successful. The story explores themes of Sex, Physical Desire, and Marriage, The Function and Morality of Money, and Appearance Versus Reality. Hurston had visited Haiti and Jamaica in the 1930s and had become very interested in the practice of voodoo. Her family relocated to Eatonville, Florida when Hurston was very young. By. The word “spunk” is literally defined as a noun used to describe someone who has “informal courage or spirit” (****). Complete summary of Zora Neale Hurston's Spunk. Thompson, Thompson informs the reader about how Hurston gives genders certain characteristics (737 - 763). After hearing from the group of people gossiping that Spunk. 99/month or $24. After being married to Sykes for 15 years, Delia has lost all hope in the marriage. She introduced readers to hoodoo, folktales, lying contests, spirituals, the blues, sermons, children’s games, riddles, playing the dozens, and, in general, a highly metaphoric folk. Spunk Zora Neale Hurston. 21. Hurston interrogates the misogyny surrounding women’s reputations through the story’s ending. Like much of Zora Neale Hurston’s work, “Spunk” is set in a thinly fictionalized version of her hometown of Eatonville, Florida. Climbing up to the porch, she finds him eating breakfast alongside another man and addresses him by his African name, Kossula. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. Edited by scholar Genevieve West, the book collects 21 short stories written by Hurston, a seminal figure in the Harlem Renaissance literary movement and the author of Their Eyes Were Watching God, a classic. Zora Neale Hurston, (born January 7, 1891, Notasulga, Alabama, U. 4. Hurston’s work reflected the use of African American legends in her short stories. Zora attended the town’s school, where. The Power of Collective Perception. He’d go after anything he wanted the same way. Dive deep into Zora Neale Hurston's Sweat with extended analysis, commentary, and discussion. She left home at the age of 17, finished high school in Baltimore, and went on to study at Howard University, Barnard College, and Columbia University before. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “How It Feels To Be Colored Me” by Zora Neale Hurston. 1,038 ratings84 reviews. Last Updated on May 8, 2015, by eNotes Editorial. Hurston, in addition to being a noted African. Netdimes. Her most famous work was her novel “Their Eyes were Watching God. The concepts of courage consisting of its meaning, types, and characteristics are used to support the contextual literary analysis. Plot Summary. 1 Hurston, who both mastered and toyed with generic conventions, was interested in aZora Neale Hurston is most famous for her novel Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937). All the loungers at the village store watch as Spunk and Lena come walking down the street. The short story “Spunk” was written in 1925. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of select short stories by Zora Neale Hurston. In 1925 during the Harlem Renaissance, Zora wrote a story called “Spunk”. Joe Kanty is the opposite of Spunk Banks in every way. If there is a SparkNotes, Shmoop, or Cliff Notes guide, we will have it listed here. “That hour began my wanderings,” she later wrote. The Harlem Renaissance. PDF Cite Share In a small town in central Florida that is populated exclusively by African Americans, Walter Thomas and Elijah Mosley are sitting on the porch of a store. In utilizing the supernatural within the short story “Spunk,” specifically the character of Joe returning from the dead as a bobcat, Zora Neale Hurston illustrates the strong desire for. K. The text is a short story by Zora Neale Hurston describing a little girl filled with joy and is constantly doing things that she wants without letting the color of her skin hold her back from living her childhood days to the fullest. • “The Fire and the Cloud,” Zora Neale Hurston • “Petrified Man,” Eudora Welty • “The Day I Sprouted Wings,” J. Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Zora Neale Hurston's Spunk. 18. Dat razor he carried outa heah ain't gonna run Spunk down an' cut him, an' Joe ain't got the nerve to go up to Spunk with it knowing he totes that Army . They. for only $0. ”. Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick (2020) is a collection of short fiction by American author Zora Neale Hurston. [H]is lip started to tremblin’ and his Adam’s apple was galloping up and down his neck like a racehorse. short story titled “Spunk” by Zora Neale Hurston about two men fighting for the woman that they love. The story opens with Spunk walking boldly past a crowd of villagers, arm in arm with Lena Kanty. Description. When Hurston tells the locals of her plan to collect folklore, they are uncertain if anyone would ever want to read them but agree. 20, 2020. The short story “Spunk” by Zora Neale Hurston is about a man who steals another man’s wife from him, and shoot and kills the husband then dies from being in an accident at the mill. Zora Neale Hurston was born in Notasulga, Alabama in 1891 to two working class parents. Hurston is known to write about the people in her Florida community, and make stories out of them. First, some background: Sweat is a short story published in 1926 that focuses on the lives of a poor black couple in the 1920s. 41–50, 70–73,. Joe, Lena’s husband, knows about the affair, but is too timid to. Spunk Zora Neale Hurston - Download as a PDF or view online for free. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston. Hurston was a vital figure who composed stories and played during the Harlem. She studied folklore and voodoo practices in New Orleans and Floridafrom 1927 to 1931. The men in the general store, who admire and revere Spunk, continually accuse Joe of weakness. Hurston was the fifth of eight children, and while she was still a toddler, her family moved to Eatonville, Florida, the first all-Black incorporated town in the United States. eNotes critical analyses help you gain a deeper understanding of Spunk so you can excel on your essay or test. Historical Context. Word Count: 1889. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “How It Feels To Be Colored Me” by Zora Neale Hurston. Zora Neale Hurston states that she is “colored” and does so without any apology or “extenuating circumstances. According to Hurston, the town was an unusual place, one in which white. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. Compton English 2202-001 Date: April. Zora Neale Hurston tends to change her tone in the writing of “Books and Things”. In Spunk, the story takes place in a rural small black city in Central Florida. 100% Success rate. Even when the setting is not Florida, however, the stories are informed by the life, habits, beliefs, and idioms of the people whom Hurston knew so well, the inhabitants of. As Lena mourns for Spunk with “lamentations [that] were deep and loud,” the rest of the community discuss who will “be Lena’s next. 70/week. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. In this story Hurston uses formal English for the narration but writes the dialogue in Southern Black vernacular. Based on Zora Neale Hurston’s personal experience in Haiti and Jamaica, where she participated as an initiate rather than just an observer of voodoo practices during her visits in the 1930s, this travelogue into a dark. Joe and Spunk compete for Lena throughout the story, but her voice is markedly absent throughout. He beats Delia, cheats on her with Bertha and others, and takes pleasure in terrifying her with snakes. The Power of Collective Perception. As the two men compete, they treat Lena as a piece of property they are fighting to possess. Chapter 9 Summary: "School Again". First, Zora Neale Hurston’s “Spunk” offers this aforementioned complex message regarding the life of African Americans. ID 19673. Zora Neale Hurston’s desire to dramatize the folklore she collected in the late 1920s is well known. He beats Delia, cheats on her with Bertha and others, and takes pleasure in terrifying her with snakes. Zora Neale Hurston wrote the “Spunk” and published it in Harlem Renaissance journal in 1925. The story is set is a rural, all-black town in the South modeled on Eatonville, Florida, where Zora had grown up. Lena’s husband. Having a tone set to a piece of writing because it causes the reader to hon in on how sensitive the topic is for the writer and, helps project imagery of the subject. “Looka theah, folkses!” cried Elijah Mosley. Zora Neale Hurston applies an exceptional authentic mythology style when writing her characters' dialogue. Old Jeff Kanty, Joe ’s father, plays an important symbolic role in the story’s ending. The Long Harlem Renaissance. Johnson,. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “Mules and Men” by Zora Neale Hurston. 99/year as selected above. Joe Kanty. Zora was only 13 years old. The two male characters at the heart of the story— Spunk Banks and Joe Kanty —are positioned as foils to one another when Spunk walks boldly through the neighborhood with Joe’s wife, Lena Kanty. Ah’m goin’ tuh de white folks bout you, mah young man, de very nex’ time you lay yo’ han’s on me. It’s summer when Hurston first arrives at Cudjo ’s house. The short story “Sweat” by American author Zora Neale Hurston was first published in 1926 in Fire!!, a single-issue magazine published during the Harlem Renaissance. It concerns a man named Spunk who steals a wife, Lena, from. Zora Neale Hurston was a prideful person with undeceive beliefs for her era. Spunk Summary "Spunk" was only the third short story Zora Neale Hurston published, and it was immediately successful. The Pursuit of Happiness and The Veil. In recent times, “Spunk” has been adapted into a stage play. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of Their Eyes Were Watching God and what it means. Hurston’s emphasis on the garden foreshadows the end of the story, when Delia finds sanctuary among her plants after fleeing the snake Sykes has put in the house. In 1935, Hurston's Mules and Men was published. 2 Pages. Spunk: Brief Summary of Action. 1618 Words. By Zora Neale Hurston 252 pp. Spunk Zora Neale Hurston. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and. Just as Spunk’s strength and bravery declines, Joe’s reputation improves. However, she was quite capable of managing her husband, as well as her children. She was raised in Eatonville, Florida. ) Through this ordeal, Spunk is forever changed for this is the moment that caused him to open. Portrayals of Domestic Abuse and Passive Resistance in “Sweat”. She pushed the boundaries and writes about black life in a manner that captures the love, pain and humor in life. 00. 99/year as selected above. Elijah, Walter, and the other men believe in them, and that is enough to carry the story. Character Analysis Of Zora Neale Hurston's Spunk. Although Hurston claimed to be born in 1901 in Eatonville, Florida, she was, in fact, 10. Zora Neale Hurston has earned such an indelible place as a novelist that we sometimes forget that she was educated as an anthropologist. eNotes critical analyses help you gain a deeper understanding of Spunk so you can excel on your essay or test. Abstract. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of every. 45. Hurston’s work reflected the use of African American legends in her short stories. Hurston says she "became colored" when she was thirteen and. 1476 Words. In "Sweat", Zora Neale Hurston tells the story of a broken marriage between a hard-working. Analysis of Zora Neale Hurston’s Novels. She had been encouraged to come to New York City by Charles S. Elijah Mosley. Hurston was a vital figure who composed stories and played during the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s and 1930s. She was raised in Eatonville, Florida. Upload. Setting: A small rural town, based closely on Eatonville, Florida, where Hurston grew up. Dust Tracks on a Road is the autobiography of writer and folklorist Zora Neale Hurston, published in 1942. Sweat Summary " Sweat" is a short story by Zora Neale Hurston in which Delia refuses to be driven out of her home by her husband. This section contains 682 words. Lena’s only line of dialogue is. The story explores themes of Sex, Physical Desire, and Marriage, The Function and Morality of Money, and Appearance Versus Reality. ”. Dust Tracks on a Road is the memoir of Harlem-Renaissance-era writer Zora Neale Hurston. Zora Neale Hurston. During the late 1920’s when “Sweat” was written, women experienced serious degradation. In 1931, the last surviving captive of an American slave ship was interviewed by Zora Neale Hurston. Filter Results. Hurston went to Howard University and progressed on to Barnard College. When his wife, Lena. Joe Kanty knows about the affair, but is too timid to confront Spunk. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston. Hurston went to Howard University and progressed on to Barnard College. Her father’s name is John Hurston and her mother’s name is Lucy Ann (Potts) Hurston. Zora Neale Hurston’s “Spunk” tells the tragic tale of two men and their virulent contest for one woman’s love. The story’s publication helped establish Hurston as a significant literary voice during the Harlem Renaissance. Through close readings of Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God, students will analyze how Hurston creates a unique literary voice by combining folklore, folk language, and traditional literary techniques. A small, pretty woman who is married to Joe Kanty but in love with Spunk. “Not so much in geography, but in time. The Struggle of Finding a Home in African-American Literature. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. Hurston is described to be a very opinionated woman that stood for what she believed in; which reflected in some of her works. For much of her career, Zora Neale Hurston (1891 –1960) was dedicated to the presentation of black folk culture. August 9, 2014. spunk dies and lena is all alone. Joe Kanty. The short story begins with Spunk, the main character, walking off with Lena Kanty. $25. Analysis of Zora Neale Hurston's Spunk. Lena is also the subject of. Johnson, the editor of the National Urban League's influential magazine, Opportunity: A Journal of Negro Life, because Johnson had published her second story,. Published 1933. . A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Hurston went to Howard University and progressed on to Barnard College. “Spunk”: A brief plot summary The story is set is a rural, all-black town in the South modeled on Eatonville, Florida, where Zora had grown up. Elijah tells us in the story that Spunk sees a black bob-cat that “looked him in the eye, an’ howled. Richard Wright was one of her harshest critics and likened Hurston’s technique “to that of a minstrel show designed to appease a white audience” (the time frame, the Harlem. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “Spunk” by Zora Neale Hurston. Zora Neale Hurston (January 7, 1891: 17 : 5 – January 28, 1960) was an American author, anthropologist, and filmmaker. Missie May runs to the door and searches the yard in. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. The play takes place in Harlem during the 1920’s Renaissance in which there is an uprising in writing, poetry, and music amongst the African-American community. 00 Save 25%, free shipping Web Store price: $30. Search this site Go Start an essay Ask a. “The Gilded Six-Bits” is a short story written by Zora Neale Hurston and originally published in 1933 in Story magazine. The two male characters at the heart of the story— Spunk Banks and. Asked by iris b #344286. Herman Banning Buy the book Zora Neale Hurston: Novels & Stories Their Eyes Were Watching God • 4 other novels • 9 stories • 1,054 pages List price: $40. In “Spunk,” a man named Joe confronts a “monster” of a man named Spunk for stealing his wife. “Spunk,” by Zora Neale Hurston, is a short story about a man who appears masculine and fearless claiming another man’s wife, but the tables turn by the end of the story.