Janie's Three Marriages

Zora Neale Hurston, an author during the Harlem Renaissance, wrote Their Eyes Were Watching God, an amazing novel written about the losses and loves of a lady named Janie Crawford. The author describes the way Janie found out who she really was and what love was throughout her three marriages. Janie’s first two marriages were unfulfilling and not healthy for herself. Janie realized what true love was when she met Tea Cake.

Janie’s first marriage was to a man named Logan Killicks, which was forced upon her by her grandmother. Janie hated Logan with a passion from deep inside her heart. The marriage between Janie and Logan was the worst out of Janie’s three marriages. On the bright side of this relationship was that Janie had the security

She meets Tea Cake, falls in love, and later marries him. This marriage is by far the most special and unique marriage Janie has had. Her relationship with Tea Cake is her first true love; which consists of affection, happiness, understanding and everything else that follows. This marriage makes Janie feel like she has a second chance in life to relive her youth. Janie has lots of fun and is truly blessed and happy with Tea Cake. She found the happiness that her two other marriages lacked. Jealousy and caring sets in during this chapter. Janie truly misses and cares about Tea Cake when he is gone for a long time. Janie turns to God and prays saying, “Ah been so lonesome, and Ah been waitin’, Jesus. Ah done waited uh long time”(120). This shows that she misses him because he has been gone for two days but also the fact that she has waited her whole life for a happy and true marriage like she has with Tea Cake. She prays again, this time for his safety, “But oh God, don’t let Tea Cake be off somewhere hurt and Ah not know nothing about it. And God, please suh, don’t let him love nobody else but me”(120). This shows she’s emotionally attached and jealous, which shows attachment.

Their Eyes Were Watching God is the story of Janie Crawford. Janie’s life was a quest to find true love. Janie narrates the story of her three marriages and her search for love to her friend Phoeby. Humanity’s need is to escape emptiness and loneliness. The novel ended with Janie alone because it goes back to the beginning of the novel. You don’t need love in life to be happy. Love just takes up the emptiness in humanity. Loneliness was a theme throughout the novel and her marriages. All of Janie’s marriages started differently, but all ended in the same