Janie leaves Logan Killicks to marry a self-important man named Joe Starks, who becomes mayor of the small town they move to. During the ceremony for the start of his term as mayor, the townspeople ask to hear from his wife, but he says “Thank yuh fuh yo’ compliments, but mah wife don’t know nothin’ ’bout no speech-makin.'” Even though Janie “had never thought of making a speech, and didn’t know if she cared to make one at all,” this incident still “took the bloom off of things” between her and Joe. This scene can be contrasted with her grandmother’s wish for a pulpit, from which it would be possible for her to “preach a great sermon.”
Their Eyes Were Watching God: 10
Invisible Man: 2
At the start of the novel, the protagonist is “considered an example of desirable conduct” and he delivers a speech on the day of his graduation from high school that emphasizes the idea that “humility was the secret.” This speech and this behavior can be associated with Booker T. Washington, who is regarded as encouraging black people to accept their inferior status in American society in order to gain the right to do menial work and physical labor for white people.