The Eatonville Anthology

Originally published in a 1926 edition of The Messenger magazine, The Eatonville Anthology is a 14-part short story written by African-American author Zora Neale Hurston. Set in central Florida during the first decades of the twentieth century, the story is comprised of sketches, character profiles, and anecdotes of various people living in an African-American community outside of Orlando. Certain characters such as Joe Clarke and Elijah Moseley appear in multiple stories. Published during a time when African-Americans were subjugated by the dominant white culture, the collective voices in Hurston’s vignettes offer a profound and influential depiction of black culture in the American south. The title refers to the trailblazing Edgar Lee Masters’ Spoon River Anthology, published in 1915.

In the first tale, “The Pleading Woman,” Mrs. Tony Roberts pleads for food for her family. She first begs Joe Clarke for meat. Clarke becomes irritated because he knows she doesn’t need to beg, as Tony provides well for her. Mrs. Roberts tours various homes nearby until she’s gathered everything she desires for the day. However, Mrs. Roberts is insatiable no matter what she is given. The next day, she resumes her begging.

“Turpentine Love” revolves around Jim Merchant, who continues to love his wife after all of her teeth have been pulled out. Jim doesn’t even mind the “fits” his wife has thrown since their days courting each other. One Sunday, Mrs. Merchant’s mother arrives to treat one of her daughter’s fits with turpentine. The turpentine leaks into her daughter’s eye and miraculously cures her fits forever.



The unnamed third tale follows Becky Moore, who has eleven children of various colors and sizes. The narrator blames Becky’s fatherless children on the men who slept with her, noting that Becky has never stood in the way of the men from proposing marriage.

“Tippy” concerns the titular canine belonging to Sykes Jones, which is referred to as “the most interesting member of the family.” Tippy has been given multiple death sentences for stealing food in a variety of ways. Despite the sentences, Tippy remains alive, gaunt, and kindhearted.

“The Way of a Man with a Train” revolves around Old Man Anderson, who lives in the woods with no desire to view a train. Eventually, “patronage and ridicule” cause Anderson to lead his horse and wagon through the woods to wait for a train at a nearby railway. After securing his horse far from the tracks, Anderson is startled by the smoking, thundering train as it nears. Anderson becomes so terrified that he flees in haste, damaging his wagon in the process.



“Coon Taylor” is a petty thief who allegedly only steals chickens, watermelons, and muskmelons. Nobody has ever managed to catch Coon red-handed, but Joe Clarke decides to make an attempt. In his first attempt, Joe falls asleep and Coon accidentally busts a melon on Joe’s head. When Joe eventually catches Coon stealing sugarcane, he makes the thief eat every last stalk he’s stolen. Afterwards, Joe evicts Coon from town for three months.

“Village Fiction” follows Joe Lindsay, Lum Boger, and Brazzle as they compete for the dishonor of town liar. During Exhibit A, an anonymous storyteller speaks of witnessing a doctor in Orlando hacking up the body of a woman, removing her organs, cleaning them, and returning them into her body. The identity of the fibbing storyteller remains a mystery.
The untitled eighth tale focuses on a man named Sewell. Per another character in town named Elijah Moseley, Sewell changes residences so often that every time he enters his backyards, his chickens anticipate another move. As a result, the chickens lie down and prepare to be “tied up again.”

The untitled ninth tale follows Joe Clarke’s wife, Mrs. Clarke, who works in Joe’s country store. Joe beats and berates his wife every time she makes a mistake while working. During Sunday church service, Mrs. Clarke closes her eyes and shakes the hands of all of the people in the congregation except for Joe’s.



The untitled tenth tale follows another female churchgoer, Mrs. McDuffy, whose husbands beats her at home for being too loud in church. Mrs. McDuffy informs Elijah Moseley that she cannot stop yelling in church, but Mr. McDuffy explains to Moseley that his wife only screams in spite of him, because she knows he hates it.

“Double-Shuffle” focuses on the pre-foxtrot type of dancing people enjoyed in Eatonville during the bygone era prior to WWI. The grand march of Eatonville is made cooler and more rhythmic than the grand march performed by whites.

“The Head of the Nail” centers on the town flirt, Daisy Taylor. Daisy taunts the shy Laura Crooms about the so-called affair Daisy is having with Laura’s husband, Mr. Crooms. While gathering at the post-office one Saturday evening “to tell stories and treat the ladies,” the torment continues. Laura shocks the townies by battering Daisy with an axe-handle for refusing to stop her teasing. Daisy is beaten so badly that she plunges into a ditch. Afterwards, Daisy departs Eatonville for Orlando in defeat.



“Pants and Cal’line” follows a man named Mitchell Potts, who is unfaithful to his wife, Cal’line, and buys footwear for his mistress, Miss Pheeny. While Laura Crooms was a timid person before her violent outburst, Cal’line is known for doing “anything she had a mind to.” As Mitchell passes through town en route to visit Miss Pheeny, Cal’line “silently, unsmilingly” follows closely behind with an axe in her hand.

The untitled fourteenth and final story revises the classic children’s story The Br’er Rabbit. In this version, Mr. Dog and Mr. Rabbit are best friends who both happen to be in love with Miss Nancy Coons. Nancy likes both animals, but is leaning toward choosing Mr. Dog because of his pretty singing voice. Mr. Rabbit, who is unable to sing, ensures that he will help Mr. Dog sing even better if he sticks his tongue out. When Mr. Dog sticks out his tongue, Mr. Rabbit slices it with a knife. “The dog has been mad at the rabbit ever since.”