Imagery In Janie's Wedding By Zora Neale Hurston

1321 Words3 Pages

A majestic horse galloping across a expansive green field. On a peaceful street with a big Colonial house two cheerful children frollecking on the wooden, newly obtained swingset. Exuberant teenagers in long, bejeweled gowns and others in rented, formal tuxedos waiting impatiently to be swept away to a magical night in a long, sleek limo. Imagery unlike many other literary devices is used to set the scene for a plot to occurs and even provides deeper meaning into the storyline. On the other hand imagery can be used to deceive the reader of the bitter reality behind the idealistic image formed in their heads on behalf the imagery employed. Excellent examples of deceptive imagery used as illusions of a alternative, unfavorable reality are seen …show more content…

The first illusion can be seen through the idealistic and extravagant imagery used to depict Janie and Logan’s wedding. The author describes the setting, describing it as, “in Nanny’s parlor of a Saturday evening with three cake and big platters of fried rabbit and chicken. Everything to eat in abundance”(21). The wedding taking place in grandma’s house represents a place of comfort on a leisurely day such as Sunday. This whole time and location of the wedding give that the marriage will be full of peace and warmth. More importantly, the large feast represents the large expectations of the marriage itself. As it is Janie’s first marriage as a young women she this feast, which must have been expensive and full of effort to make, is displaying a sort of arrogant confidence in that the …show more content…

The author depicts the day Janie meets Jody with beautiful, tranquil imagery, “The noon sun filtered through the leaves of the fine oak tree where she sat and made lacy patterns on the ground”(27). This imagery is a symbol to foreshadow a blossoming of a beautiful, growing relationship between Jody and Janie. Examining the imagery, it infers that their relationship together will be contain emotional depth like the light filtering through the leafs, and work together naturally like the leaves of a oak tree. Her new relationship provides a new opportunity for her to live a better life for herself and fills her with hope of finding her true love. These type of innocent desires of hope and love can be shown through the simplistic act of leaves on the trees. As the years pass their relationship digresses, Jody becomes arrogant and ruthless with the power of mayor and Janie is forced into a role of submissive, spineless wife. Janie reveals her discontentment about her marriage to Jody to him in his final moments,”All dis bowin’ down, all dis obedience under yo’ voice--dat ain’t whut Ah rushed off down de road tuh find out about you”(87). As their marriage ends, Jody realizes how misleading the beginning of their relationship and how the

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