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Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston: Chapter 5 (pages 34-50) - Analysis

Rebekah Harper and Patrick McGuire

Pre-IB English II p. 2-4

2 October 2014

Janie's View on Marriage

Golden Line

  • Janie initially sees love as vital to marriage
  • Janie has little to no love for Joe, yet remains his wife
  • Employs logic rather than emotion
  • protection & dependence

''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)

Eatonville

Janie's Hair

Abuse of Power

Indoors v. Outdoors and their Effects on Janie



p.44 & 45 - destruction of nature, playing God through streetlamp destruction of nature- hubris - foreshadowing to heavenly punishment - Biblical Allusions

Joe's View of Janie as an Object of Property

Dreams

Physical destruction of roots (p.44) - shows Joe's departure from ''the ways'' of his people through corruption of power

''Whut make her keep her head tied up lak some ole 'oman round da store? Nobody couldn't git me tuh tie no rag on mah head if Ah had hair lak dat.'' (49)

  • First African-American community in America
  • Hometown of Zora Neale Hurston
  • A ''fresh start,'' a new society
  • Free from customs and barriers of white society

''Jody told her to stand in the store all that evening. Everybody was coming sort of fixed up, and he didn't mean for nobody else's wife to rank with her. She must look on herself as the bell-cow, the other women were the gang.'' (41)

  • Joe's ambition to rule others is achieved, but corrupts his character
  • ''[Men's dreams are] mocked to death''
  • '''Uh colored man sittin' up in uh post office!' He made an obscene sound.''
  • Janie's dream of true love remains at the horizon
  • Tremendous initial liberty - outdoors
  • When later envied by others, locked up in Joe's store, secluded from the world
  • Freedom is destroyed while voice and independent spirit are muffled

''It was bad enough for white people, but when one of your own color could be so different it put you on a wonder.'' (48)

  • vibrant spirit, kept covered by men and society
  • uses her for solely his benefit
  • extent of his generosity is simply to raise his status
  • illustrated with spittoon (p.47)
  • Thirst for power transcends race, is an aspect of corrupt human nature

''Maybe he skeered some de rest of us mens might touch it round dat store. It sho is uh hidden mystery tuh me.'' (50)

-hair demonstrates Janie's strength and power

Janie's Heart 

Janie's Voice

Nature

Joe's ''Tyranny'' & Return to Slavery Use of Irony

  • Hastily married Joe in hope of love
  • Love has seemingly vanished
  • Viewed as object, not human
  • Idea of loving husband seems gone

''He's de wind and we'se de grass. We bend which ever way he blows'' (49)

  • Joe's authority is natural, unavoidable
  • African American community being under oppression seems natural, engrained in spirit



v. Her Head

Destruction of nature (p. 44 - 45) and attempt to overcome nature through streetlamp (p.45-46) show lust for power and corruption of power

  • cutting down of cypress tree (p.44) illustrates Joe's ''cutting down'' of Janie

''destruction of roots'' (p. 44)

  • demonstrates Joe's departure from the will of the African-American community



  • large, white house - other houses look like servant houses
  • reminiscent of slavery (historical allusion)
  • establishes superiority through lavishness and spittoons
  • employment of many similes to compare to rulers
  • ironic - town established to escape oppressive, centuries-long white rule and slavery

''And now we'll listen tuh uh few words uh encouragement from Mrs. Mayor Starks.''

[the crowd applauds]

''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)

Janie's voice has been repressed by masculine

authority, shows Joe's suppression of Janie

and society's implication of gender roles

  • Makes conscious decision to stay with Joe
  • Nanny's advice comes into play
  • Seems to defy heart & dream of true love

Minor Characters with Major Impacts

'' The kind of promenading white [the color of their house] that the houses of Bishop Whipple, W.B. Jackson and the Vanderpool's wore.'' (47)

  • use of imagery and allusions that connect Joe to white community, emphasizing detachment from African-Americans

Lee Coker

Important Passages

Amos Hicks

  • Embodies the aims and views of the new community of Eatonville - a new society

Let's all flip to p. 43! Paragraphs 7-8

  • Solidifies Janie's initial relationship with Joe
  • Shows Janie's potential as an object to be desired
  • '''Tain't nothin' to her 'ceptin' dat long hair.'' (38)

'''Ain't got no Mayor! Well, who tells y'all what to do?'

'Nobody. Everybody's grown. And then again, Ah reckon us just ain't thought about it. Ah know Ah ain't.'''

Next p. 45, paragraph 1!

And finally p. 46, paragraphs 1-3!

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