Power Dynamics and Gender Roles in Hurston's Works

Zora Neale Hurston, profound author of Their Eyes Were Watching God, once said, “If you are silent about your pain, they’ll kill you and say you enjoyed it”. In the novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston tells of a young girl, Janie who is simply looking for love that takes her an eternity to find because of all the malicious men she encounters. Hurston repeatedly shows the male characters in the novel having power over the women, through the vicious and violent acts men commit and how gender roles differ.

In the beginning of the novel, Hurston explains the way in which black women are viewed by society. Nanny understands the role of women in comparison to the men, she knows what she needs to do in order to survive in this sexist world.

When Mrs.Turner’s brother comes to town, tension rises between Janie and Tea Cake. “Before the week was over he had whipped Janie. Not because her behavior justified his jealousy, but it relieved that awful fear inside him. Being able to whip her reassured him in possession. No brutal beating at all. He just slapped her around a bit to show he was boss” (Hurston 147). Not only is this a horrific criminal act today but the reasoning behind it is so idiotic and foolish. Janie was being beaten by her so called loving husband so he could get his manhood back. Out of all of Janie’s relationships, her relationship with Tea Cake is the best one, which shows how “love” was back then. The kind of love Janie was receiving from Tea Cake and Joe Starks is morally wrong. Janie just let Tea Cake slap her around and did not say anything or fight back at all. Janie knew she was at the bottom of the hierarchy so when men treated like this she just accepted it. Men were not only known as the bread winners of the household but also to beat their wives. Men oppressed and demolished black women mentally and physically. To this day, there are still stories about husbands beating on their wives. Sop-de-bottom tells Tea Cake how he would love a woman like Janie, who never fights back. “Wouldn’t Ah love tuh whip uh tender woman lak Janie. Ah bet she don’t even holler. She jus’ cries, eh, Tea Cake?” (Hurston 148). Men look at women like objects that they can do whatever to. It is extremely damaging and heart-breaking for women to suffer this pain from the one’s they love. Joe Starks and Tea Cake were ruthless to Janie and always put her through tremendous amounts of