Things Fall Apart Essay

Janie in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart struggled to find her true love, one that would let her be free to do as she pleases. This idea of a liberated woman was alien to the men of Things Fall Apart, surely women without the guidance of men would lead to a bleak and dark future. Janie’s second husband, Joe Starks, introduced her to the rough reality of life as a woman around the early 1900’s. Women during this era were expected to obey their husbands at all costs. They were expected to perform domestic tasks such as cleaning and cooking, as well as remain silent and obedient. Above all, remain outside the meddling of men, including men’s conversations and business deals. Janie was restricted from participating in basic conversations, and was overall unhappy with her first

Jody prevented her from speaking to the customers of the shop. Therefore, Janie became rather lonely and longing for some kind of social interaction with anybody. Tea Cake helped Jody achieve one of the elements of a fully liberated woman by allowing her to organize and socialize with anyone she chooses. Tea Cake explains the only reason why he excluded her from his spending spree in town was because he was afraid of losing her.

"Dem wuzn’t no high mucky mucks. Dem wuz railroad hands and dey womenfolks. You ain’t usetuh folks lak dat and Ah wuz skeered you might git all mad and quit me for takin’ you ‘mongst ‘em. But Ah wanted yuh wid me jus’ de same. Befo’ us got married Ah made up mah mind not tuh let you see no commonness in me. When Ah git mad habits on, Ah’d go off and keep it out yo’ sight. ‘Tain’t mah notion tuh drag you down wid me.” (Hurston, Chapter 16. 54-57)

Through this quote, Tea Cake expresses his sensitivity to Janie’s social status and womanly image. When Janie tells Tea Cake she willingly wants to meddle with the poor, Tea Cake grants her the freedom to