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We are initially introduced to Janie aged 15, she is unlike other women in that she is yet to be indoctrinated by the societal belief of marriage as a necessity.
The women around her are entirely conditioned by masculine domination, “women forget all those things they don’t want to remember, and remember everything they don’t want to forget. The dream is the truth” (Hurston 9). The implementation of paradoxical language here emphasis the feminine state of delusion.
As the novel progresses this sense of masculine superiority remains predominantly consistent. This is evident through Mrs Tony's masculine phraseology in her complementing Janie, “You’se the most gentlemanfied man Ah ever did see. You’se
uh king!” (Hurston 114).
Men are presented as synonymous with security for women, “Tain’t
Logan Killicks Ah wants you to have, baby, it’s protection.” (Hurston 30).
Nanny proceeds employing emotional intimidation in her persuasion of Janie, "Ah don’t want yo’ feathers always crumpled by folks throwin’ up things in yo’ face. Ah cant die easy thinkin’ maybe de menfolks white or black is makin’ a spit cup outa you” (Hurston 37). This is enhanced through the use of analogy.
Ironically the consequences of Nanny's perceived success in her persuasion of Janie inflicts pain. This is akin to the writing of Mary Astell in Some Reflections Upon Marriage, where she states "Women [when married] must not expect to have their own will in anything, but to be entirely submissive, when once they have made choice of a Lord or
Master, though he happen not be so wise, so kind, or even just a
Governor as was expected" (Astell 561).
Coerced into marriage, Janie attempts to find comfort in conventional feminine belief; “Husbands and wives always loved each other, and that was what marriage meant. It was just so. Janie felt glad of the thought, for then it wouldn’t seem so destructive and mouldy.” (Hurston 38)
Initially this exert is seemingly assertive in tone. However, undermined through implementation of pejorative adjectives; thus implying Janie's scepticism.
Only six pages later within the novel Janie's hesitancy proves justified; “She knew now that marriage did not make love. Janie’s first dream was dead, so she became a woman.” (Hurston 44). The pragmatic and largely monosyllabic language here mirrors Janie's sense of despondency.
Janie's hesitancy towards marriage enables her to
overcome Astell's hypothesis and unconventionally
leave Logan.
Whilst Janie has evolved in her peronsal decision to leave Logan and in her own choosing of Joe, their marriage still fails to meet the requirement of love. Janie is decieved into marriage, "“You ain’t never knowed what it was to be treated lak a lady and Ah wants to be do one tuh show yuh.”" (Hurston 50).
Whilst Joe does treat Janie as a "lady", his positioning of her as a trophie wife, and the intrinsic control associated with this denotes his manipulation.
As the novel progresses Joe's control of Janie is developed. This is evident “he ordered Janie to tie up her hair around the store.” (Hurston 87). Simple declaritive language here mirrors how natural Joe exerts control over Janie.
Despite the period of courtship having ended, masculine manipulation continues to prevade their relationship, “she was sullen and he resented that. She had no right to be, the way he thought things out” (Hurston 98)
Mule Motif:
The silent behaviour Janie exhibits reflects typical feminine submission. The recurring mule motif, symbolic of victumisation, acts to represent this.
“Everybody indulged in mule talk […] Janie loved the conversation and sometimes she thought up good stories on the mule, but Joe had forbidden her to indulge” (Hurston 85). Through juxtaposition Janie's sense of exclusion is evident, clarfying Joe's domination, enhancing our sense of pathos for Janie.
Clear parallels are evident with Janie in her empathetic reaction to the mule, "She snatched her head away from the spectacle and began muttering to herself. “They oughta be ashamed uh theyselves! Teasin’ dat poor brute breast lak they is! Done been woked tuh death; done had his disposition ruint wid mistreatment, and now they got tuh finish devilin’ ‘im tuh death” (Hurston 89).
Janie's recognition of this injustice is perhaps what promps her retaliation,“you don't know half as much 'bout us as you think you do. It's so easy to make yo'self out God Almighty when you ain't got nothin' tuh strain against but women and chickens" (Hurston 117).
Janie's comparison of women to chickens here delineates the low feminine sense of self-esteem, a direct consequence of patriarchy.
Link for video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGk_RvKKAsM
Through Joe's death Janie gains freedom. This is evident in the symbolic act of letting her hair down,
“The young woman was gone, but a handsome woman had taken her place. She tore off the kerchief from her head and let down her plentiful hair. The weight, the length, the glory was there. […] Then she starched and ironed her face, forming it into just what people wanted to see, and opened up the window and cried, “Come heah people! Jody is dead. Mah husband is gone from me.” (Hurston 135).
Janie's knowledge of societial expectations is evident here. She has adapted, enabling herself to externally fulfill such expectations whilst depicting her internal contentment at this new found independance.
The assertive comment, “She saw no reason to rush at changing things around. She would have the rest of her life to do as she pleased” (Hurston 137), confirms Janie's satisfaction, despite Joe having died. Her innately positive reaction depicts her enlightenment to the fact their relationship was not one based on love.
Janie however does remarry. Within her relationship with Tea Cake she experiences true and mutual love. Their move to the vast open Everglades parallels the liberation within their relationship.
Perhaps the basis of success of their relationship stems from mutuality. Janie subverts conventional submission, "Tea Cake, don’t make no false pretense wid me!” (Hurston 165). Evidenced through use of direct address and imperative language.
Neither Janie or Tea Cake hold a greater position of power. Their affection is balanced in equilibrium. The honesty that underpins their dialogue depicts candidly the love which encapsulates their relationship:
“Ah reckon you wish now you had stayed in yo’ big house ‘way from such as dis, don’t ya?”
“Naw.”
“Naw?” [...]
“Naw. We been tuhgether round two years. If you kin see de light at daybreak, you
don’t keer if you die at dusk. So many people never seen de light at all.”
(Hurston 235-236)
Perhaps this extract foreshadows Tea Cake's impending death. Simultaneously, making explicit that Janie's murderous
act of self-defense to come, does not nullify the fact
their marriage is one based
entirely on love.
Link for video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkqM6RDMppY
Janie in the act of shooting Tea Cake subverts the typical feminine position of submission.
Mary Astell comments "unless Supremacy be fix'd somewhere, there will be a perpetual Contention about it, such is the Love of Dominion." (Astell 562), implying that women if physically superior would formulate a matriarchal society.
Whilst it is arguable that Janie's act serves to assert feminine autonomy, her reluctance which evolves to devastation conveys, in contrast to Astell's theory, that this deed is entirely based on self-defence. “It was the meanest moment of eternity. A minute before she was just a scared human being fighting for its life. Now she was her sacrificing self with Tea Cake’s head in her kap. She had wanted him to live so much and he was dead." (Hurston 275).
The relationship of Tea Cake and Janie suggests that a sense of mutality, in love and respect, is key to overcoming this
battle for power.
After Tea Cake's death Janie's reaches a point of utmost self-assurance. She is able
to reject the community that treated her so poorly and, of her own volition, return to Eatonville.
“Tea Cake is gone. And dat’s de only reason you see me back here – cause Ah aint got nothing to make me happy no more where Ah was at. Down in the Everglades there, down on the muck.” (Hurston 18).
Janie's assertion of independence in this decision perhaps mirriors Hurston's own sense of independence in her response to the critical reception of Their Eyes Were Watching God. As evidenced within the video below:
The conlcuding memory of Tea Cake serves to remind Janie
of just how far she has come. Despite being physcially absent, Tea Cake's legacy acts as a
reminder of the true and mutual love she has learned;
"“Of course he wasn’t dead. He could never be dead until she herself had finished
feeling and thinking. The kiss of his memory made pictures of love
and light against the wall. Here was peace." (Hurston 286).
https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/aml15.ela.lit.pubreact/public-reaction-to-their-eyes-were-watching-god/
Astell, Mary. “Some Reflections upon Marriage.” The Portable
Enlightenment Reader, by Isaac Kramnick, Penguin. New York: 1995,
pp. 560–568. Print.
Bug, Celeb. Halle Berry: Their Eyes Were Watching God ('Feeling Free' Scene). Youtube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGk_RvKKAsM Accessed 23rd April 2021.
Bug, Celeb. Halle Berry: Their Eyes Were Watching God (‘Loveless Marriage’ Scene). Youtube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GIGFUJTHzs Accessed 23rd April 2021.
Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes were Watching God. New York: Virago Press, 1997. Print.
PBS Learning Media. “Public Reaction to Their Eyes Were Watching God.” PBS LearningMedia, American Masters, www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/aml15.ela.lit.pubreact/public-reaction-to-their-eyes-were-watching-god/
Accessed 26th April 2021.
Stare, Silver. "Janie Shoots Tea Cake" Youtube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkqM6RDMppY Accessed 24th April 2021.