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At the beginning of the story, Spunk Banks has all the bravado and sexual prowess his name implies. His reputation in town is larger than life, and the loungers at the general store regard him with awe. Hurston describes him as physically imposing, a giant of a man in every way. The loungers swap tales of his daring at the sawmill, his determination in courting Lena, and his cool confidence in the face of Joe’s protestations. The moment of his return to Clarke’s after shooting Joe marks the high point of his boldness. Although the men know Joe’s razor was far from the deadly weapon Spunk describes, his sway over them is such that none of them counters his story of self-defense or musters the courage to call the sheriff. Nor does his exoneration following the brief murder trial surprise them. Spunk is a man who commands the world around him, and it molds itself to his will.

However, in the second half of the story, Spunk’s bravery and reputation wither away as he believes himself to be haunted by Joe’s ghost. The loungers are impressed with his conquest of Lena, but they see his marrying her as a loss of freedom and a concession to the black bobcat incarnation of Joe. Spunk is so spooked by the bobcat that he cannot shoot it, a marked contrast to his casual shooting of Joe. Spunk, once so fearless in the face of the sawmill’s deadly blade, becomes frightened and jumpy at work. His fearful superstitions become consuming as he twice claims that Joe’s ghost has pushed him. The loungers seem unconvinced the first time, but Elijah Mosley believes in the end that Joe’s ghost is responsible for Spunk’s death. Over the course of the story, Spunk transforms from the boldest man in town to a terrified man literally frightened to death by the ghost of the man he killed. 

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