Unequal Sharing of Power Many people see unequal sharing of power as a breaking point in a relationship. In the 21st century, this is the main reason relationships end, but Zora Neale Hurson’s book, Their Eyes Were Watching God, shadows a different perspective. The book is set in the 20th century, and views men as superior to women, leading to the unequal sharing of power. In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston explores the tension of male supremacy through the relationship between, Joe (Jody) Starks and Janie Crawford. Janie's desires for her independence and freedom versus Jody's need to control Janie’s freedom and independence to show his dominance, overall impacting Janie's self-confidence and character development. Hurston highlights …show more content…
Although she hopes this, she didn’t attain this with her first husband, Logan Killicks, nor did she attain this with her second husband, Jody Starks. Janie displays her thoughts, “She knew now that marriage did not make love. Janie’s first dream was dead, so she became a woman” (25). Janie’s only desire was to be loved, but she did get that with Logan. Janie lost her dream to be loved and becomes an adult at an early age. She later tries to find hope with Jody. Along with love, Jaine also seeks independence. Janie would make attempts to seek her independence, “Time came when she fought back with her tongue as best as she could, but it didn’t do her any good. It just made matters worse”(71). Jaine is always suppressed by Jody any time she makes attempts to speak. This leads Janie to lose her self-confidence within herself. Jaine was left in remorse with the toxicity of their …show more content…
“Jaine, if you think Ah aims to tole you off and make a god outa you, youse wrong. Ah wants to make a wife outa you,” says Jody, knowing he only wants Janie for her looks (29). Jody displays an act of respecting Janie at the beginning of the book, but his act doesn’t last very long. His desire for Janie was only until her looks, nothing beyond that. He would never let Janie act on her own, and always disregarded the things Janie wants to do, “Thank yuh fuh yo’ compliments, but mah 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” (43). His views for Janie are to be a housewife and to limit Janie’s independence. Jody always made decisions for Janie without asking her, and he didn’t value her interests/wants. Jody has a role installed in his mind, which didn’t align with Janie’s
At the beginning of the excerpt from Their Eyes Were Watching God, it states “She began to stand around the gate and expect things. What things? she didn't know exactly.” (Hurston Pg, 25). This quote shows Janie’s ignorance of what marriage is.
”(Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston, Pg. 9 Ch.2) This was showing that segregation, even when she was a little girl, stopped her from fitting in her community. “Jody told her to dress up and stand in the store… ”(Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston, Pg. 41 Ch.5) Jody told Janie how to live her life basically and even that community she didn't fit in.
She never expressed her feelings, instead she hid them pretending nothing was wrong. She didn’t admit that she wanted a change, and she refused to talk about the issues in her relationships, as she stayed silent. Throughout Micheal G. Cooke's article, he uncovers multiple aspects of Janie reaching the fulfillment of self actualization. Furthermore, the more that Janie had been deprived by others, the more self-sufficient she became.
Janie takes a progressive, personal approach to growth and self-expression. She moves through her three marriages as they increase in opportunity and
It is not until Jody dies that Janie finally realizes the impact that Nanny had on her. As Janie reflects by herself in her room, she realizes she had hidden her true feelings about her grandmother and that she hates her for what she did. Nanny had taken her horizon, and rather than let Janie free to find it, and tied it “about her granddaughter’s neck tight enough to choke her” (89). Janie describes it as if she “had found a jewel inside down inside herself” (90) and rather than let it shine, she was “set in the market-place to sell” (90). These thoughts show significant growth in Janie’s character, as before she had just gone with what her grandmother said, and did not let herself truly feel.
Janie allowed her voice to be controlled by her lust in her relationship with Joe causing her to be unable to express her opinions to him. She let everything he did to her pass, “ no matter what Jody did, she did nothing” (76). She hopes
At the beginning of the story, Janie always wants to discover the outside world and has an ambitious attitude towards chasing her goals in life, and she often would “search as much of the world as she could”(11), showing how curious and confident Janie is to put herself out there. Additionally, enthusiastic and lively attributes are embodied by Janie’s character at first, as well as her aspirations because she has “glossy leaves and bursting buds”(11), wanting to achieve the chance to live life. Lastly, before Janie met Joe, she was happy and eager to get out and know the outside world and often “looked up the road towards way off”(25), longing for the adventure of that long road and not feeling discouraged or controlled to stay in one place. Although Janie was free and optimistic at first, when Joe came into the picture that attitude changed as he was restraining and controlling over Janie. With Joe wanting to be a big voice it ended up restraining Janie to just staying in the market place and having no value, which further lead her to putting “up a drape over her dreams”(72), showing how shattered and invaluable she felt in the position Joe gave her, not even
Janie shows determination as she persists and struggles to define love on her own terms through her marriages. First, her determination shows when Janie runs away with Jody. She becomes aware that her marriage with Logan does not satisfy her goals and dreams for love, so she takes a chance and marries Jody. Hurston states, “Janie hurried out of the front gate and turned south.
Impacting the readers with the wisdom of her words, “Two things everybody’s got tuh do fuh themselves. They got tuh go tuh God, and they got tuh find out about livin’ fuh thyselves.” (Hurston pg 192) Janie has lived her life but most importantly she has lived it the way she wanted it for herself. The journey she has taken through all her marriages are moments that have taught both the character and audience the lessons of finding one's truest
Jody controlled major aspects of Janie’s life, such as her appearance, when he forces her to keep her hair up. Janie does not like that Jody feels the need to control her: “This business of the head-rag irked her endlessly. But Jody was set on it... that was because Joe never told Janie how jealous he was” (Hurston 55).
Janie’s first dream was dead, so she became a woman.” At the age of sixteen, Janie sat under the pear tree and discovers what marriage is- well at least she thought she did. Once married to her first husband, Logan, she realized that marriage does not necessarily entail love. After actually being married, it’s something different.
Instead, she runs away with a new acquaintance named Jody even against her grandmother's wishes. In her second marriage to Jody Starks, Janie is stuck in the same loop oppressed again. Her husband Jody seeks to control every aspect of her life, from the way she dresses to the people she associates
In her epiphany from Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie realizes her intrinsic capacity as an individual, and frees herself from Jody’s covetous ways in the act of letting down her hair. In the quote, “She tore off the kerchief from her plentiful hair... the glory was there,” Janie’s hair symbolizes her power and strength because it holds glory. By Janie releasing her hair, she finally notices the greatness that she has, which allows her to now view herself as eminent individual whom has independence. Because Jody made her tie her hair up as a device to hinder her individuality and identity in their marriage, he is intimidated by her reluctance to comply with his controlling demands.
In the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie is a main character whose outward existence conforms, and her inward life questions. This tension helps to evolve the author’s theme of the importance of individuality and how individuality creates happiness. Janie experiences most of her life in trying to conform, and grows to despise it. Once free, she becomes herself and becomes happy. Early in the novel, Janie marries Logan Killicks.
Social hierarchy, at the time, placed more value on the husband than the wife. This is apparent when the narrator explains why Jody slaps Janie; “when the bread didn't rise, and the fish wasn't quite done at the bone and the rice was scorched, he slapped Janie until she had a ringing sound in her ears' ' (23). Janie was expected to complete all her chores and whenever she fell short of perfection, she was rewarded with a punishment. Janie had zero agency against Jody. Without the ability to retaliate or fight back, Janie’s hatred and hostility slowly grows and tensions start to intensify.