What Does Hair Symbolize In Their Eyes Were Watching God

Even when Joe’s jealously forces her to wear a head rag, Janie refuses to rebel against his rule. Her conformity is representative of her distaste for dissension, which seems to outweigh her unhappiness with their relationship. Even after Joe’s death, she conforms to the townspeople’s ideas of wearing mourning black, despite the lack of love and desire she had for

He is the man who fills the voids of loneliness and love, and continues her development as a woman. Joe’s impact on Janie’s emotional growth is that he emotionally abused her to the point where she wouldn’t talk anymore and he only wanted a pretty wife/show wife because he was the mayor of Eatonville. She felt like she had lost her identity because the people would call her Mrs. Mayor Starks and would never use her real name. She also feels like she lost her identity because she always listened to what Joe had to say about her appearance and whatever he suggested she would do it. Joe also had an impact on Janie’s physical growth is that he also physically abused her when every should would do the slightest thing wrong.

After hearing her say this about him Joe slaps Janie, which isn’t something a good husband would do. This situation is what causes the marriage to really go downhill, and soonafter Joe gets sick and he dies, while still fighting with Janie and overall being a bad

Joe’s priorities are over Janie. Joe focuses on much more other things more than being with and loving his own wife. Overall Janie is only in love with the thought of having the perfect romance rather than actually being within an actual marriage with someone who she took absolutely no time to

Janie was married to Joe Starks who confined her in a box and wouldn’t let her speak her truth. Once Joe died Janie was able to let her hair down by, “[Burning] up every one of her head rags and [she] went about the house next morning with her hair in one thick braid swinging well below her waist.” (Their Eyes Were Watching God 89). This is important because the head rag represents Joe's power over her and takes away the free and wild Janie, by molding her into his vision of a perfect wife. Janie ignited the head rags indicating the growth she has, then later she let her hair down which represents her freedom and her determining her own life.

The texture and appearance of her hair reflects her white father and grandfather. Janie’s hair represents her independence and power, because when Joe Starks forced her to keep her hair in a rag, it constrained her feminist and hides her true identity, like she wants to be accepted by the community for who she is and her husband’s commands are constricting her from that, her hair represents her relationships and attraction, because she is known for her long and beautify hair, as the porch can easily identify her for her long and beautiful

These actions gain the attention of the other residents in Eatonville. The men become jealous of his possession over Janie. This fuels Joe into taking even more control over her. Clearly, Janie was controlled by Joe because of his jealousy and insecurities; he made all her decisions for her. When another man started to touch Janie’s hair, Joe said, “Her hair was not going to show in the store” (55).

He claimed to treat her better, but after the wedding bells rang, he treated her like dirt. He was too protective of his pride and didn’t want any other man looking at or having his wife. He forced her to work the store, to hide her hair, to be obedient, and he even furiously lashed at her. After Joe realized he was old, he attempted to put Janie down mentally so she wouldn’t realize his appearance. The attempt failed and Janie lashed at him after she had enough.

Although they were married, Joe and Janie never had a strikingly obvious intimate relationship. Joe was a bad husband. Joe treated Janie bad because of how beautiful she was. After the shop was built Joe made Janie work in there just so he could look at her, even though she hated it. And again later in the story Joe made Janie feel bad about her looks by making her wear something to conceal her hair while she was in the store.

When Joe instructed Janie to wear the head rag she didn't fight back. This reveals to us that Joe wants to confine Janie to

This indicates that Jody is jealous and believes he should be the only one allowed to see her hair. Janie’s hair is a big symbol to this story not only to symbolize her beauty but it also shows how women are treated unfairly compared to a man in this society. Janie should be allowed to wear her hair however she wishes, but because of Jody’s jealousy and insecurity over her, she is forced to tie it up and hide her true figure. After Jody’s death, the barriers brought

However, Joe eventually uses his big voice to oppress and silence Janie’s voice. After Joe is elected mayor of Eatonville, the citizens want Janie to make a speech, but Joe states, “Thank yuh fuh yo’ compliments, but mah wife don’t know nothin’ ‘bout no speech-makin’... She’s uh woman and her place is in de home” (Hurston 43). Even though Janie is fully capable and confident in making a speech, Joe quickly silences her and establishes to the town that Janie is just an extension of him and that she does not have anything else to offer. This was the beginning of Joe’s oppression towards Janie.

As Joe introduces himself to Janie, his dominant personality and confidence overtake her, which causes her to believe that she is in love with him; when in reality, it is just naivety. In fact, she ignored her standards for love in order to create a life with Joe, as the text states, “Janie pulled back a long time because he did not represent sun-up and pollen and blooming trees, but he spoke for a far horizon”(29). It is clear that Joe is not exactly what Janie is looking for in a relationship; however, the fact that he is confident in everything he says, as well as the fact that he initially treats Janie with respect, causes Janie to look up to Joe. Additionally, the way that everyone around Janie esteems Joe upon meeting him further proves to be an excuse for her to stay married to him. Although Joe saw great things in the future for himself and the community that he built, he does not show true love for Janie; but rather uses her as a trophy.

As Jody maintains his reign of power he takes away Janie’s freedom and the life of what a young married woman should be like. He forces her to tie her hair up because he feels he would lose her “What dat ole forty-year ole ʼoman doin’ wid her hair swingin’ down her back lak some young gal?” (Hurston 52) To Joe Janie’s hair is not only her beauty but also a symbol of modesty but at this moment telling her to tie her he is indirectly saying she is improper. As Jody gets his newly given role as mayor he installs street lamps and to celebrate this Jody organizes a ceremonial celebration for installing the new lamp.

Her second husband, Jody, was a very powerful man that restricted Janie's freedom in many ways. A significant way Jody physically confined Janie was by creating the rule, “Her hair was NOT going to show in the store” (55, Hurston). This is significant because Jody restricts Janie's freedom by removing her hair, resulting in a loss of power for Janie. Jody becomes jealous of the attention that Janie's hair draws and he wants to oppress that freedom to remind Janie who is dominant in the relationship. Hurston also includes this in the novel to display how Jody has control over Janie's body and the power that he holds over it.