J.D. and the Great Barber Battle

The terms of the barber competition demonstrate that J.D. thinks like an adult in some ways and like a child in others. The competition itself is a solid way for both J.D. and Henry Jr. to show off their respective skills and talents, and making it a public event allows for accountability and outside perspectives. Likewise, the rules that J.D. sets reflect both his community and his intelligence. He knows that football is a major event in his town, and because games draw a crowd, he understands that he would be better served by making sure that the competition does not conflict with any type of football game. This measure ensures that he will draw a decent crowd for his own event. By decreeing that the victor will be the person who wins two out of three timed bouts, he ensures that the contest will both give both competitors a chance to show off while also ensuring that the event does not drag on too long. Because the judges are impartial, neither J.D. nor Henry Jr. has an advantage, and the fact the judges are from the local beauty school means they understand haircuts well enough to make informed judgments. However, even with all of J.D.’s planning, not everything goes the way he wants, supporting the idea of Facing New Challenges as They Come. The judges bringing in their own models shows how plans don’t always go as expected and sends a message to J.D. that he needs to be prepared for anything, not just what he wants to be prepared for.

The changes in J.D.’s mindset throughout these chapters demonstrate the interpersonal issues involved in The Tension between Confidence and Arrogance. Prior to Henry Jr.’s threats, J.D. was content to help his friends and make a modest amount of money, but now, with his reputation and business on the line, J.D. starts to realize how the competition might benefit him, and the issue strengthens his negative feelings toward Henry Jr. These thoughts make J.D. angry, and the stronger his anger grows, the more he fantasizes about destroying Henry Jr. in the competition in order to gain popularity and steal Henry Jr.’s clients. Rather than simply feeling confident in his ability, J.D. becomes fixated upon winning at all costs, and he starts imagining the benefits of his victory before the competition has even begun. He is sure that his victory will make the entire town realize that his skills are greater than Henry Jr.’s ever were, and these thoughts reveal that J.D.’s initial confidence in his abilities is now tainted by arrogance. His over-the-top imaginings also reinforce the fact that he is still a child and has unrealistic views and expectations about life. The note he leaves Henry Jr. about the competition is akin to the notes that children pass to each other in class. His puerile approach to the competition shows that he does not yet realize the event’s long-term implications.

As the competition approaches, the events of Chapter 18 become another turning point for J.D. In previous chapters, he allowed his arrogance to get the better of him, as when he distributes fliers about the competition and urges the entire town to come and witness his moment of triumph over Henry Jr. However, on the day of the contest, the reality of the situation hits J.D. for the first time, and he finally faces the possibility that he might not win. He starts to question what he has agreed to and asks himself what would happen if he lost, and he is forced to face a more realistic version of life when he dislikes the answers to these internal questions. J.D. also begins to acknowledge the extent of his own hubris, realizing that although he has been successful in styling his friends’ hair, Henry Jr. is an adult and a well-established barber. In this moment, J.D. realizes that he has miscalculated, believing that his own understanding of current styles puts him on the same level as an experienced barber and a successful businessman. Now, faced with Henry Jr., who has years of experience and professional tools, J.D. realizes how little he has done by comparison. This sudden sense of doubt represents his first inkling of the difference between adult-level problems and childish pursuits, and the moment also foreshadows the more complex issues that J.D. will later face at home. He has thus far only concerned himself with the positive aspects of winning the contest, and he has barely given any thought to the consequences of losing this particular gambit.