J.D. and the Great Barber Battle

The continued support that J.D. receives over his stylish haircut builds his confidence even more, and because of his focus on Taking Pride in Personal Accomplishments, he is inspired to help Jordan with a better haircut in Chapter 8. This incident becomes the catalyst for J.D.’s new ambition to go into business for himself, and this path will eventually lead to the dramatic barber battle in the final portion of the book. Fixing Jordan’s poorly done haircut also supports Taking Pride in Personal Accomplishments. The design that J.D. cuts into Jordan’s hair makes him realize that he can combine his talents for art and haircuts into something uniquely his and share it with others. When he puts this plan into action and reaps the benefits of his new popularity, J.D. feels pride in his unique skills and is pleased by the knowledge that he has helped both himself and his friends to feel good about their appearance. 

However, the three dollars that Jordan gives J.D. for the haircut also symbolizes the beginning of J.D.’s slide toward arrogance. When J.D. first decided to cut his own hair, he did so because he wanted to improve his appearance and avoid his peers’ incessant teasing. The moment that money exchanges hands, though, Jordan’s skill at giving haircuts takes on a new dimension. His focus is no longer on simply helping a friend; instead, he begins to focus on interactions of a more transactional nature and tries to devise ways to enrich himself through this new skill. This internal shift prompts J.D. to start charging all of his friends for haircuts, and this accelerating dynamic tips the balance and creates a negative version of The Tension between Confidence and Arrogance.

As J.D. embarks upon his fledgling business opportunity, his initial efforts reveal his childish mindset. His naïve belief that a mere three dollars makes him rich indicates that he does not yet have the life experience to take an informed and practical approach to the lure of making money. However, his perspective also hints at the difficulties of his family’s financial situation, for despite his relative inexperience, J.D. understands how far money can go, and he realizes what he can now buy and how he might save up money to afford more costly items. Thus, his intensifying fixation on making money has a practical basis, and this dynamic helps to explain the shifts in his attitude as he deals with Henry Jr.’s threats.

When Jessyka comes to see his new barbershop in Chapter 9, J.D. learns valuable lessons about his business, and he also navigates new aspects of dealing with his friends’ whims and moments of misbehavior. The boys don’t want Jessyka there, because they want the barbershop to remain a hangout just for them, but J.D. immediately recognizes that excluding people to please his customers is a poor business decision. By allowing Jessyka to stay, J.D. sends the message that he is open to cutting anyone’s hair; he also establishes the fact that he is in charge of how he runs his barbershop. However, the rift between Jessyka and the boys ultimately foreshadows the events of the final chapter, in which Jessyka and J.D.’s sister start their own business together.

The introduction of Henry Jr. as an antagonist symbolizes the idea of Facing New Challenges as They Come. Up until Chapter 11, J.D.’s biggest struggle with his barbershop has been proving that he is in charge and deciding what to buy with his money. As a proven businessman and an adult, Henry Jr. represents a new level of threat, and his decision to push back against J.D.’s fledgling business demonstrates that access to adult resources gives him far more power than J.D. The visit from the health inspector in Chapter 12 reveals just how far Henry Jr. is willing to go to safeguard his position as the town’s only barber, and by taking such drastic measures against a child, Henry Jr. essentially displays the depths of his own insecurities. Instead of admitting how he feels about his own barbering skills in the wake of J.D.’s instant popularity, Henry Jr. hides behind legal action to protect his own ego. In reality, Henry Jr. feels threatened because he doesn’t understand children’s current preferences or popular hairstyles, and he knows that he cannot compete with J.D. in this area. 

However, instead of beginning a civil discourse about how the two might work together or complement each other’s skills, Henry Jr. views his dwindling child-aged clientele with alarm and embarks upon a series of desperate actions that set the stage for the external conflicts that dominate the rest of the book. J.D.’s reaction to Henry Jr.’s threats in Chapter 12 also shows the protagonist’s resilience and his refusal to let other people dictate his actions or decisions. As when he decided to cut his own hair, J.D. resolves to deal with the obstacle that Henry Jr. represents, and his determination shows that he believes in himself and his skills. He knows that he is good at what he does and that his peers prefer his services to Henry Jr.’s. In addition, the money that he has made so far has allowed him to buy things that he wants, and J.D. doesn’t want to go back to how things were before. Altogether, these factors motivate him to push back against Henry Jr.’s actions.