Their Eyes Were Watching God Janie's Voice

789 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Janie's self discovery

In Their Eyes were Watching God, Janie’s voice develops through the ability to speak truthfully to her husband, whoever that may be, and because of these changes, she shapes into a very strong, independent woman who can freely speak her mind no matter the circumstances. Janie’s courage and fierceness that she possesses at the end of her story is far from the scared, shy, and hidden girl during her first marriage. Her voice is so small at this time that she could not even tell Nanny of her dislike for Logan Killicks. Although “the vision of Logan Killicks [is] desecrating the pear tree,” Janie does not “know how to tell Nanny that” (14). Janie does not have the ability to express her thoughts yet, stopping her from telling the …show more content…

After Janie moves to Eatonville with Jody and they establish the town together, she learns that Joe wants to be the white man or boss of this all black town, and he will not let anyone speak above him. Janie has “[to press] her teeth together and [learn] to hush” (71). Restricting the truth to her mind proves to be increasingly hard for Janie, who is discovering more everyday about the strength she has. Janie honestly wants to speak her mind and prove her intellect, but she is held back by not only Joe but also by fear of losing everything. As she and Jody aged together, Janie becomes closer to exploding with the truth she has been hiding. Janie finds “a host of thoughts she [has] never expressed to him, and numerous emotions she [has] never let Jody know about” (72). This realization leads to Janie’s speech to Jody on his deathbed which releases all of the honest, truthful thoughts that have been locked in her mind for so long. Janie finally reaches the day that she is free from the chains holding her from the truth that is her voice and longing to be heard and listened to. At this time in her life, Janie feels that no one can truly ever give her that horizon moment where she can be herself with no persecution. She loses hope of the horizon until she meets Tea

Show More
Related

  • Janie in Their Eyes Were Watching God and Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye

    1018 Words  | 3 Pages

     After a year of pampering, Logan becomes demanding and rude, he went as far to try to force Janie to do farm work. It was when this happened that Janie decided to take a stand and run away with Joe. At this time, Janie appears to have found a part of her voice and strong will. In a way, she gains a sense of independence and realizes she has the power to walk away from an unhealthy situation and does not have to be a slave to her own husband. After moving to Eatonville and marrying Joe, Janie discovers that people are not always who they seem to be.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God

    1296 Words  | 3 Pages

    Zora Neale Hurston’s, Their Eyes Were Watching God tells about the life of Janie Crawford. Janie’s mother, who suffers a tragic moment in her life, resulting in a mental breakdown, is left for her grandmother to take care of her. Throughout Janie’s life, she comes across several different men, all of which end in a horrible way. All the men that Janie married had a different perception of marriage. After the third husband, Janie finally returns to her home. It is at a belief that Janie is seeking someone who she can truly love, and not someone her grandmother chooses for her. Although Janie eventually lives a humble life, Janie’s quest is questionable.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Janie's Role In Their Eyes Were Watching God

    1052 Words  | 3 Pages

    that they can spend more time together because she missed him when he was at work and he missed her when he was away from home.

    Read More

  • Janie Crawford’s Quest in Their Eyes Were Watching God

    550 Words  | 2 Pages

    Janie Crawford’s Quest in Their Eyes Were Watching God Janie Crawford, the main character of Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God, strives to find her own voice throughout the novel and, in my opinion, she succeeds even though it takes her over thirty years to do it.   Each one of her husbands has a different effect on her ability to find that voice. Janie discovers her will to find her voice when she is living with Logan. Since she did not marry him for love, tensions arise as time moves on and Logan begins to order her around.  

    Read More

  • The Ambiguity Of Janie's Voice In Their Eyes Were Watching God

    1197 Words  | 3 Pages

    Janie does so by choosing her new found love with Joe of the security that Logan provides. Hurston demonstrates Janie's new found ‘independence’ by the immediate marriage of Joe and Janie. Janie mistakenly chooses the pursuit of love over her pursuit of happiness and by doing so gave her independence to Joe, a man who believes a woman is a mere object; a doll. By choosing love over her own happiness Janie silences her voice. The realization of Janie's new reality is first realized when Joe states, “...nah wife don’t know nothin’ ‘bout no speech-makin’. Ah never married her for nothin’ lak dat. She’s uh woman and her place is in de home()" Joe is undermining Janie, cutting short any chance for Janie to make herself heard. Joe continues to hide Janie away from society keeping her dependent and voiceless. As Janie matures, she continues to be submissive to her husband, “He wanted her submission and he’d keep on fighting until he felt he had it. So gradually, she pressed her teeth together and learned to hush (71).” Though Janie ‘learned to hush’, and suppress herself, Janie still urges for her voice. When the opportunity came for Janie to reclaim her voice, "But Ah ain’t goin’ outa here and Ah ain’t gointuh hush. Naw, you gointuh listen tuh me one time befo’ you die. Have yo’ way all yo’ life, trample and mash down and then die ruther than tuh let yo’self heah ‘bout

    Read More

  • Facing Inner Conflict in Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

    690 Words  | 2 Pages

    The beginning of Janie’s marriage to Joe shows promise and adventure, something that young Janie is quickly attracted to. She longs to get out of her loveless marriage to Logan Killicks and Joe’s big dreams captivate Janie. Once again she hopes to find the true love she’s always dreamed of. Joe and Janie’s life is first blissful. He gives her whatever she wants and after he becomes the mayor of a small African American town called Eatonville, they are the most respected couple in town. Joe uses his newfound power to control Janie. When she is asked to make a speech at a town event, she can’t even get out a word before Joe denies her the privilege. He starts making her work in the store he opens and punishes her for any mistakes she makes. He enjoys the power and respect her gets when o...

    Read More

  • Janie's Search for Identity in Their Eyes Were Watching God

    993 Words  | 2 Pages

    Janie were pretty well off and had the privilege to live in the yard of white

    Read More

  • Free Essays - Janie's Metamorphosis in Their Eyes Were Watching God

    912 Words  | 2 Pages

    Their Eyes Were Watching God is a story about identity and reality to say the least. Each stage in Janie's life was a shaping moment. Her exact metamorphosis, while ambiguous was quite significant. Janie's psychological identification was molded by many people, foremost, Nanny, her grandmother and her established companions. Reality, identity, and experience go hand in hand in philosophy, identity is shaped by experience and with experience you accept reality. Life is irrefutably the search for identity and the shaping of it through the acceptance of reality and the experiences in life.

    Read More

  • Finding Her Voice in Their Eyes Were Watching God

    2081 Words  | 5 Pages

    Janie Crawford, the main character of Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, strives to find her own voice throughout the novel and, in my opinion, she succeeds even though it takes her over thirty years to do it. Each one of her husband’s has a different effect on her ability to find that voice.

    Read More

  • Janie’s Courageous Voice in Their Eyes Were Watching God

    1409 Words  | 3 Pages

    Through her three marriages, the death of her one true love, and proving her innocence in Tea Cake’s death, Janie learns to look within herself to find her hidden voice. Growing as a person from the many obstacles she has overcome during her forty years of life, Janie finally speaks her thoughts, feelings and opinions. From this, she finds what she has been searching for her whole life, happiness.

    Read More

  • Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay

    642 Words  | 2 Pages

    Their Eyes Were Watching God is a novel that presents a happy ending through the moral development of Janie, the protagonist. The novel divulges Janie’s reflection on her life’s adventures, by narrating the novel in flashback form. Her story is disclosed to Janie’s best friend Phoebe who comes to learn the motive for Janie’s return to Eatonville. By writing the novel in this style they witness Janie’s childhood, marriages, and present life, to observe Janie’s growth into a dynamic character and achievement of her quest to discover identity and spirit.

    Read More

  • Janie's Wardrobe in Their Eyes Were Watching God

    489 Words  | 1 Pages

    In Their Eyes Were Watching God Janie goes through several marriages in her journey to seek love. As Janie's husbands change so does her wardrobe. Janie's different marriages are symbolized by her very different wardrobes.

    Read More

  • Their Eyes Were Watching God: Silence is Something to Be Valued

    1189 Words  | 3 Pages

    On Janie's journey towards self discovery and expression, progress is suddenly halted when she encounters controlling men. In respect for Nanny, Janie attempts to live her life through her nanny's expectations and desires. Nanny has taken the hard road in life, and tries her best to help Janie avoid life's unnecessary turmoils: “Yo' Nanny wouldn't harm a hair uh yo' head. She don't want nobody else to do it neither if she kin help it” (Hurston 14). Nanny has all the best intentions by setting Janie up with Logan Killicks, an older man who owns sixty acres of land. The man of Nanny's dreams does not match up with Janie's expectations, for Janie wants to be in a blossoming relationship that she is comfortable being a part of. Logan turns out to be a man of labor and “refuses to hear the real meaning behind [Janie'...

    Read More

  • Janie In Their Eyes Were Watching God

    830 Words  | 2 Pages

    The book I read was Their Eyes were Watching God. The genre of this story was a coming-of-age novel,with an American Southern spiritual journey. The general setting of this story is the early twentieth century, presumably the 1920s or 1930s, in the Rural area of Florida. The main character is Janie. She is sixteen years old and is pursuing passion as she goes through three different marriages. She is an independent individual that never gives up on her dreams and is willing to defy social norms. I can relate to the main character, Janie, because just like her I am also independent.

    Read More

  • Essay Comparing Their Eyes Were Watching God And The Great Gatsby

    963 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie searches for her voice. After being forced and convinced to marrying domineering husbands, she finds the one. With enduring the hardship of finding love, and happiness, she realizes who she is, and once she found her voice, she was never silent again. In this novel,

    Read More

More about Their Eyes Were Watching God Janie's Voice

Open Document