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Janie in their eyes were watching god
Janie in their eyes were watching god
Janie in their eyes were watching god
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When the Woman within Breaks Out
Marriage is a beautiful thing. There is something special about two people who love each other dearly, promising to hopefully spend the rest of their lives together. Marriage plays an important role in Janie’s life in the novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God. The book is about Janie Crawford, a beautiful, young black woman, as she tells her life story including her three marriages and how they helped her discover her true self. The author, Zora Neale Hurston, seems to characterize marriage as a relationship that does not always involve love, but can be a form of self-discovery. Hurston uses her definition of marriage to convey that relationships, some lacking love, can lead a person to become more conscious
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and understanding of who they truly are. Although her marriages with Logan and Joe did not make her happy, Janie discovered how naïve her idea of love was through those relationships. Her marriage with Logan revealed to Janie that she could not be told how to love someone. When Janie first marries Logan, she said that she’d start loving him because they were married, but later on asked Nanny to tell her how to do so because she still did not love him. This revealed how little Janie had experienced when it came to love. She was roughly seventeen and had this idea that she could fall in love with whoever she married. Janie was so used to Nanny drilling into her that the purpose of marriage was to ensure stability, so when she married Logan and did not love him, it made Janie realize how unrealistic her perception of love was taking away some of Janie’s innocence. When Janie left Logan for Joe, she learned something from that relationship as well. With Joe, she learned that she needs to think of her own happiness and that the two people joined in marriage should treat each other as equals. After twenty years of marriage, Joe was on his deathbed and Janie wanted to tell him how she felt before he died. Janie expressed to Joe how she felt by saying, “Mah own mind had tuh be squeezed and crowded out tuh make room for yours in me.” She also told him, “you got tuh pacify somebody besides yo’self if you want any love and any sympathy in dis world.” This revealed how Hurston was developing Janie’s character into a confident, outspoken woman. After so many years of being silent and obedient because Joe was so controlling and domineering, Janie had finally found her voice and was using it. She grew up in a dysfunctional household, so she had never seen how two people were to treat each other when married. Janie discovered that she deserved to be happy and have a say in how she lived her life. This demonstrated how mature and Janie had become. Both of her marriages with Logan and Joe taught Janie what she wanted out of her next relationship. Janie’s marriage with Tea Cake had a very positive impact on her that would last a lifetime.
With Tea Cake, Janie realized that true love did exist. While in the Everglades, many people were leaving because of a hurricane was coming. At the time, Janie and Tea Cake did not believe it to be true, so when it started to flood, Tea Cake was feeling guilty for Janie having to endure the disaster. Janie explained to him that even if she die, she would not regret anything she had done with him. Loving him made life worthwhile and satisfying. Janie even described him as being the sunlight in her life. This revealed how genuinely happy Janie was with Tea Cake. He meant so much to Janie because he treated her as his equal, let her express herself however she chose to, and loved her dearly and always wanted her to be happy. Janie had never experienced that in a relationship before so the feeling of being in love was fairly foreign yet they excited her and made her happy. Just like Janie discovered that true love did exist, she learned how to be content by herself. Janie’s relationship with Tea Cake helped her become comfortable continuing on her own after he died. She explains this to Phoebe saying, “Ah’m back home agin and Ah’m satisfied to bee heah. Ah done been tuh de horizon and back and now Ah kin set heah in mah house and live by comparison.” This reveals how much Janie has evolved as a character. She went from being a young, naïve girl with an unrealistic idea of love to a confident woman who was strong enough to return to a place where people heavily judge her. Janie believed she had done everything she wanted to do and was ready to settle down. She didn’t worry about what others said as long as she and the people she cared about knew the truth. Janie’s relationship with Tea Cake not only restored her belief in love, but also helped her evolve into self-assured
lady. Relationships can be complicated. There are multiple ups and downs that either help the couple grow stronger or leads them to separate. Through these obstacles people are able to learn more about themselves. Janie’s relationship with Logan was one without love, but it taught her that she could not just fall in love with someone right away. Her marriage with Joe helped her realize that she deserved to be happy and speak up for herself. The most important relationship in her life was with Tea Cake. He aided Janie with recognizing that true love did exist. Although their marriage only lasted two short years, it allowed Janie to blossom into a confident woman and made her feel as though she had fulfilled her destiny. Hurston uses Janie’s story to demonstrate that there is more to marriage than being in love. People tend to forget that it is a learning and growing experience as well.
When they are caught in the storm, Janie does not question Tea Cake’s decision to stay, but instead watches attentively as to what he decides to do next. Her love for him rids her of powerlessness, and she regards him as God, because she loves him and is ready to leave at his command. After Tea Cake’s death, Janie still clings to her love for him, which empowers her.
All over the world, marriage is one of the main things that define a woman’s life. In fact, for women, marriage goes a long way to determine much in their lives including happiness, overall quality of life whether or not they are able to set and achieve their life goals. Some women go into marriages that allow them to follow the paths they have chosen and achieve their goals while for other women, marriage could mean the end of their life goals. For Janie, the lead character in Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, who was married twice first to Joe sparks, and to Vergile Tea Cake, her two marriages to these men greatly affected her happiness, quality of life and pursuit of her life goals in various ways, based on the personality of each of the men. Although both men were very different from each other, they were also similar in some ways.
All over the world, marriage is one of the main things that define a woman’s life. In fact, for women, marriage goes a long way to determine much in their lives, including happiness, overall quality of life, whether or not they are able to set and achieve their life goals. Some women go into marriages that allow them to follow the paths they have chosen and achieve their goals while for other women, marriage could mean the end of their life goals. For Janie, the lead character in Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, who was married twice, first to Joe sparks, and to Vergil Tea Cake, her two marriages to these men greatly affected her happiness, quality of life and the pursuit of her life goals in various ways, based on the personality of each of the men. Although both men were very different from each other, they were also similar in some ways.
If Ah ever gits tuh messin’ round another woman it won’t be on account of her age. It’ll be because she got me in de same way you got me—so Ah can’t help mahself." Tea Cake professes his love to Janie by saying that she is the only woman he thought of marrying. Tea Cake knows that he will be loyal to Janie, but can not control other women's urges to flirt with him. When Tea Cake tells Janie that he is the man in her life he says:"You don’t have tuh say, if it wuzn’t fuh me, baby, cause Ah’m heah, and then Ah want yuh tuh know it’s uh man heah." (Ch.18). Tea Cake wants Janie to know that he is nothing like her other husbands, but is perfect for her. Tea Cake is essentially perfect for Janie because he helped her accomplish her her ultimate dream of love. Janie and Tea Cake’s marriage is the key to a good marriage because they treat each other with equality and
The book, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston is about Janie Crawford and her quest for self-independence and real love. She finds herself in three marriages, one she escapes from, and the other two end tragically. And throughout her journey, she learns a lot about love, and herself. Janie’s three marriages were all different, each one brought her in for a different reason, and each one had something different to teach her, she was forced into marrying Logan Killicks and hated it. So, she left him for Joe Starks who promised to treat her the way a lady should be treated, but he also made her the way he thought a lady should be. After Joe died she found Tea Cake, a romantic man who loved Janie the way she was, and worked hard to provide for her.
In conclusion, Janie is an outgoing and caring person who wants to meet and have fun with other people. Most of the people in her life made her avoid being able to fit in with the crowd. Janie could not overcome the control others had over her. People always continued the gossip throughout the community because she was different. After Janie met Tea Cake, she was determined to do as she wanted without anyone’s say so. Janie will always be known as the
Janie’s character undergoes a major change after Joe’s death. She has freedom. While the town goes to watch a ball game Janie meets Tea Cake. Tea Cake teaches Janie how to play checkers, hunt, and fish. That made Janie happy. “Somebody wanted her to play. Somebody thought it natural for her to play. That was even nice. She looked him over and got little thrills from every one of his good points” (Hurston 96). Tea Cake gave her the comfort of feeling wanted. Janie realizes Tea Cake’s difference from her prior relationships because he wants her to become happy and cares about what she likes to do. Janie tells Pheoby about moving away with Tea Cake and Pheoby tells her that people disapprove of the way she behaves right after the death of her husband. Janie says she controls her life and it has become time for her to live it her way. “Dis ain’t no business proposition, and no race after property and titles. Dis is uh love game. Ah done lived Grandma’s way, now Ah means tuh live mine” (Hurston 114). Janie becomes stronger as she dates Tea Cake because she no longer does for everyone else. Janie and Tea Cake decided to move to the Everglades, the muck. One afternoon, a hurricane came. The hurricane symbolizes disaster and another change in Janie’s life. “Capricious but impersonal, it is a concrete example of the destructive power found in nature. Janie, Tea Cake, and their friends can only look on in terror as the hurricane destroys the
As much as Tea Cake had the qualities Janie was looking for she found a greater understanding of herself as a women besides her love. Janie was inexperienced at the start of her adventure, learned that love will not always come from promises, and had major reflection when she finished her first marriage with Joe that she went into with assurance. Janie was able to get a glimpse of independency after Joe died which is conveyed through the quote “Besides she liked being lonesome for a change. This freedom feeling was fine” (Hurston 90). Before meeting, Tea Cake Janie was able to understand that she was comfortable with not searching for love. However, Tea Cake was a reminder to her that her ideals of love were still out in the world. He was able to make Janie happy from doing things fun and childish and these activities like fishing during the knight, or playing chess were the things that society would not accept for a women like Janie. The first major instance when Tea Cake helped Janie go against society was when he played chess with her. While a small act to some readers, Janie found the act enormous in her eyes as it showed her that Tea Cake was a man able
When Janie is with Tea Cake she feels complete in all aspects of life, and feels no need to depend on anyone else but him. When Tea Cake passes away we see Janie almost dependent soley upon herself, but she still confides in her best friend Pheoby when she returns
When Tea Cake enters Janie's life, Janie really starts to come out of her shell. She lets down her hair that was kept up the entire time with Starks. This symbolizes Janie letting all her inhibitions out. In finding Tea Cake, Janie has "completed her voyage" of self-discovery. Tea Cake allows her to feel exhilarated and young again. She makes more friends and becomes more social. During this time in her life Janie is an excellent role model for other black women. She does not give a second look at what other people think about her, which is very admirable. This is shown when Hezekiah Potts tells Janie that Tea Cake is too low of a man for Janie yet, she stills persists on seeing him. Many people also think that Tea Cake is courting Janie for her money only. Janie pays no regard to these onlookers though.
In Their Eyes Were Watching God by Lora Neale Hurston, the main character engages in three marriages that lead her towards a development of self. Through each endeavor, Janie learns the truths of life, love, and the path to finding her identity. Though suppressed because of her race and gender, Janie has a strong will to live her life the way she wills. But throughout her life, she encounters many people who attempt to change the way that she is and her beliefs. Each marriage that she undertakes, she finds a new realization and is on a never-ending quest to find her identity and true love. Logan Killicks, Joe Starks, and Tea Cake each help Janie progress to womanhood and find her identity.
Through her use of southern black language Zora Neale Hurston illustrates how to live and learn from life’s experiences. Janie, the main character in Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, is a woman who defies what people expect of her and lives her life searching to become a better person. Not easily satisfied with material gain, Janie quickly jumps into a search to find true happiness and love in life. She finally achieves what she has searched for with her third marriage.
Perceptions of Marriage in Their Eyes Were Watching God & nbsp; For generations marriage has been accepted as a bond between two people. However, the ideals involved in marriage differ by the individuals. involved. The book, Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston. clearly demonstrates these differences. In the book a girl by the name Janie was raised by her grandmother and then married to her grandmother. Originally all Janie knew of marriage and love was her grandmother. tells her. As Janie moves on in her life and re-marries, she finds that everybody has their own idea about the role of their spouses in marriage.
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston is about a young woman that is lost in her own world. She longs to be a part of something and to have “a great journey to the horizons in search of people” (85). Janie Crawford’s journey to the horizon is told as a story to her best friend Phoebe. She experiences three marriages and three communities that “represent increasingly wide circles of experience and opportunities for expression of personal choice” (Crabtree). Their Eyes Were Watching God is an important fiction piece that explores relations throughout black communities and families. It also examines different issues such as, gender and class and these issues bring forth the theme of voice. In Janie’s attempt to find herself, she grows into a stronger woman through three marriages.
In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston portrays the journey of Janie Crawford as an African American woman who grows and matures through the hardships and struggles of three different marriages. Although Janie is an African American, the main themes of the novel discusses the oppression of women by men, disregarding race. Janie gets married to three different men, aging from a young and naive girl to a mature and hardened women near the age of 40. Throughout the novel, Janie suffers through these relationships and learns to cope with life by blaming others and escaping her past by running away from it. These relationships are a result of Janie chasing her dreams of finding and experiencing true love, which she ultimately does in the end. Even through the suffering and happiness, Janie’s journey is a mixture of ups and downs, and at the end, she is ultimately content. Zora Neale Hurston utilizes Janie’s metaphorical thoughts and responses of blame and escape, as well as her actions towards success and fulfillment with her relationship with Tea Cake, to suggest that her journey