Spunk by Zara Neale Hurston takes place in a small town in the South. It begins as a struggle over a woman and evolves into the struggle between the strong nd the weak. The reader is left to decide which character is brave and in turn, the stronger of the two. Is it Spunk, the more powerful man who takes the girl away from Joe, or is it Joe who strands tall and fights for Lena despite his fear of Spunk. Even though Joeis killed by Spunk, he is deamed braver for facing his fear. Many of the town folk praise him for this.

Spunk continues as if nothing has happened. Then Joe reappears. Returned from the dead, so to speak, to finish his fight. Spunk ends up dead, killed by a saw mill blade. It is assumed that Joe pushed him into it. Was is brave Joe taking a stand or a clumsy old southern boy slipping up? Joefaced his fear and died. Spunk feared nothing. Was it nothing that killed him?