I want to do something worthy of a strong man. I have done nothing so far but look to you and Papa for everything. Let me learn to strive and think—in short, be a man.”
-- John Redding (“John Redding Goes to Sea”)

Importance: John Redding’s quote highlights Hurston’s depiction and scrutiny of masculinity in society. In this quote specifically, John defines manhood as being “strong” and taking action on his own. In order to grow into the man he believes he should be, he must take his life into his own hands. Thus, masculinity is defined as the agency and capability to “strive and think” to make difficult choices for one’s life. Throughout the short stories, manhood is defined in terms of what men do with their agency. The men of the anthology are not inherently masculine because of their gender. Instead, they must exhibit the behavior expected of a man—hard work, honest...