Where do you think the bad blood between George and Juke started?

Where do you think the bad blood between George and Juke started? It seemed that at one point George looked at Juke in an almost fatherly way, but by the end of the book George was trying to have him killed. What do you think caused this change?

When Juke and String were childhood friends, George accepted him. When String died in war, George relied on Juke to help manage the gin operation. Also, Juke helped provide women for the two men's debauchery. Then Juke tried to force George to have Freddie marry Elma. When Juke instigated the lynching and then blamed Freddie to the law, George turned totally against him.

So building on Marcia's comment, did it all turn sour when Juke tried to step out of his social circle and become equals to the Wilson family? Was that the event that triggered all else? If that's the case, then Juke implicated Freddie in the lynching out of revenge, escalating the argument (tit for tat). Or do you think this mutual dislike started earlier?

I think George Wilson resents Juke for being alive while George's son String is dead. George also blames Juke for talking String into joining the war.

I think George only pretended (and claimed) to have a fatherly regard for Juke. He was always aware of and protective of his financial and social superiority. He was willing to tolerate String's friendship with Juke, up to a point -- he'd already made Juke persona non grata, after his family's move to town, after one youthful prank. And I agree with MarieA, he resented Juke for being alive while String was dead.

George's pretense of a friendly relationship with Juke was entirely due to his self-interest in having Juke live on the farm as a cover for the gin operation, the real source of his income -- someone beholden to him, who could not cross him, and who also provided him with women. He wasn't about to have his grandson marry Juke's daughter, so Juke's visit to their home to "demand" that was definitely the event that triggered George's intention to do away with him one way or another. Juke thought he was a "made man" but he had crossed the line; George was rather like a Mafia boss, buying himself protection from the law and getting even the local doctor to provide abortions to cover up his indiscretions, as he used and discarded women. George was a master manipulator, appearing to be a friend by posting bail for Juke, pretending sympathy for Sterling while trying to use him to murder Juke (and take the heat for it, most likely).

I think it started when Juke was younger and wanted to move up and away from his farm life. Juke wanted more and George felt Juke should stay in his place.

I wondered about what difference it would have made if Juke had joined up with String and if both had survived, especially if they were both local heroes. I think String's death was the catalyst for many of Juke's later woes and George's animosity.

George could not get over the fact his son died and Juke did not. George did not like the fact that Juke was pressuring George into to his grand son marry the daughter.

I also have to agree that it all started when String died. That's when George really showed his true colors.

I think it started when Juke blamed Freddie for the hanging of Genus. There was already bad blood on Georges side for the death of String, while Juke lived. But to shine a bad light on Freddie, was the last straw. George not only had lost String to death, now he had lost Freddie to distance. George had had enough.