Here Joe learns one of the most painful lessons of his life: in the world in which he lives, race trumps everything. Although his logic of why Bobbie should be grateful to him is perverse and misguided (who would really be happy that someone committed murder for them?), it is also striking that the only thing Bobbie seems to care about is that Joe passed as white when in fact he was black. Note also how Joe considers stealing worse than his act of murdering McEachern—he does have some kind of code of honor, but one that justifies murder when he thinks the person deserves it.