# Joe Clark — The Mule-Bone character guide

> Joe Clark in The Mule-Bone by Langston Hughes.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Mayor Joe Clark, Clark, Mayor, Mayor Clark, Mr. Clark, Clark Aw gwan

**First appearance:** 0002-act-i

## Snapshot

Mayor, storekeeper, and postmaster of Eatonville, Joe Clark presides over his porch like a fat, self-satisfied king over a kingdom of soap boxes.

## Who they are

Joe Clark runs the general store and post office that serve as the town's stage, and his porch is where every rumor, trade, and tall tale gets its hearing. Arrogant, ignorant, and powerful in a self-assertive way, he is a large man who mistakes volume for authority and enjoys being the one who names the week's mule. His store is the play's social engine: whoever wants to be seen, heard, or hired must pass his steps, which makes his favor and his mockery a currency the younger men cannot ignore.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mule_bone_se/characters/joe_clark
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- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mule_bone_se/characters