Matt Bonner's yellow mule was the talk of the town of Eatonville. Janie enjoyed the conversations and wanted to participate, but "Joe had forbidden her to indulge." (Hurston 53) Here Jody is trying to silence Janie. She had no say in the conversation. This shows that she was not allowed to do the things that men could do. She found alternative ways to keep her busy. . As Karla Holloway states, “He [Jody] sets out to curb what he sees as the “wildness” in Janie's spirit. (Holloway 65) The talk about mules turned into “mule-baiting.” Janie expressed her disapproval: “They should be ashamed of themselves! They make fun of what a poor brute beast he is! I worked until I died; done, his character has been ruined by the abuse, and now they have finished tormenting him until he dies. (Hurston 56) Here Janie sympathizes with the mule because she identifies with it. Janie feels objectified by society, especially in her marriage. Although Jody buys the mule from Bonner, it was just another way to declare his power. He “buys the animal and grazes it just outside his shop, as a gesture of generosity, but we realize that this, ironically, creates more of a demonstration of power. (Lowe 170-171) Jody has the power to free the mule and could have freed Janie but instead he enslaved his wife. Add conclusion