Janie In Their Eyes Were Watching God

A woman is a goddess, a raging storm, and a powerful figure. A woman also is supposed to be kind, gracious, reserved, and respectful, especially in previous centuries. People had to act their class once upon a time. Why is that? In this time, it does not matter what someone’s social class, financial standing, or family name is. However, in the early nineteen hundreds, it meant everything. Janie, from the novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, was considered much higher than the rest of the town of Eatonville due to her husband’s stature as the mayor. While many would have appreciated the prosperity, Jody being mayor caused Janie more strife than happiness. She is unwilling to allow herself to be, “classed off,” from the townsfolk she knows and loves. However, what does, “ Janie is a free-spirit, an important social figure, and a courageous goddess of a woman who knows no boundary whether it be social or personal.

Mrs. Janie Starks is a name everyone in Eatonville is to know; however, none are supposed to know the person. She is to present herself as holy, uppity, and somewhat pompous. She is above them, correct? In Janie’s eyes, she is just like everyone else although her husband, Jody Starks,

believes much differently. Janie cannot allow herself to live if she is everything her husband wants her to be. For example, when Eatonville had its first town meeting, Janie was asked to make a speech by Tony Taylor. However, Jody quickly shuts that down saying, “Thank yuh fuh yo’ compliments, but mah wife don’t know nothin’a’bout no speech-makin’. Ah never married her for nothin’ lak dat. She’s uh woman and her place is in de home” (Hurston p.43). Janie did not know if she wanted to speak; however, she would have liked to have had a choice. She was hurt, angry, and confused as to why Jody was so controlling. He promised her a life of happiness, luxury even. In spite of that, Janie was unhappy, working like a dog in the shop, and being physically, emotionally, and mentally abused.
While she once loved Joe (Jody), everything had changed. He forced Janie to quit associating herself with the townsfolk. “You’se Mrs. Mayor Starks, Janie. I god, Ah can’t see what uh woman uh yo’ stability would want tuh be treasurin’ all dat gum-grease from folks dat don’t even own de house dey sleep in” (Hurston p.54). Joe in this passage is basically saying that he doesn’t understand why Janie, as a mayor’s wife, associates herself with people much below her. He is telling her that she needs to associate herself with people who matter, people of social standing, and people who are the same level as herself. Janie is not a woman who excludes. Janie is an open heart, she loves social gathering, she loves the feeling she gets when she is surrounded by people she loves. However, Joe is a strong hand. Joe will not allow Janie any longer to be in cahoots with these people. Joe forbids her to joke with the townsfolk, forces her to wear a head rag, and work in the store.
Why does Janie allow this? If she is so unhappy, why does she not leave Jody? She feels as if he is her only option. She puts up with his emotional blackmail because she knows she has too. Janie does not want to become her mother. She wants to be friendly. She wants to be herself; however, she cannot allow herself to slip into everything her Nanny warned her of. So, Janie dealt with him until the day he died. Even when he scoffed at her for even asking to wear common clothes to a mule’s funeral. “But you ain’t goin’ off in all dat mess uh commonness. Ah’m surprised at yuh fuh askin” (Hurston p.60). What man makes his wife dress in high clothing for a mule’s funeral? Jody Starks does, because he will not allow Janie to bring herself down to the level of the other people of Eatonville.
Sadly, it does not stop with Jody’s death either.

After Janie ran off with Tea Cake to the Everglades things remained the same. When they arrived in the Everglades, they met a woman named Mrs. Turner. This woman prided every bit of the white features she had on her body, and loved Janie’s as well. However, she attempted to class Janie off from the very man she loved. Mrs. Turner even had the audacity to say, “She didn’t forgive her for marrying a man as dark as Tea Cake, but she felt that she could remedy that. That was what her brother was born for” (Hurston 140). Janie loves Tea Cake, but the forces are against them due to their difference in social standing. While it may be a tough fight, Janie continues to fight to be free of the social

stigma.
Being free is not as easy as it seems. While visibly one may be free, he or she could be incarcerated by the life that person was born into. Janie Starks lived a full life, but she had to put in a tough fight. She did not allow herself to be classed off. She was a person just like everyone else, and was determined to show the world she felt that way. Janie Starks: a woman of pride, graciousness, and a true believer in equality for all.