Chapter 8 Summary

After the big fight, Jody moves his things into a downstairs bedroom. As he grows sicker, he consults a root-doctor, but Janie's best friend, Phoeby Watson, tells her a rumor was going around that the root-doctor told Jody that Janie must have "fixed" him. For that reason, he refuses all food from her. Janie does not really think he believes it, but he does it just to hurt her. Once he is confined to bed, people parade in and out of Janie's house to bring dishes and concern to Jody, taking no notice of Janie whatsoever. Desperate, she gets a doctor to come in from Orlando, but he tells her Jody should have been treated two years ago. His kidneys are shutting down now and nothing can be done for him.

Near the end, Janie presses herself on him, trying to make him...