Symbols In Their Eyes Were Watching God

“Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston”. In this story the main character Janie gets married three times. Her first husband Logan Killicks didn’t work out because she was forced to marry him by her Nanny. The second husband Joe Starks, she kinda had feelings for him, but it wasn’t anything big. Then her third husband was Tea Cake, she love him and actually had feelings for him. Now all three husbands represent something in Janie’s emotional, spiritual, and physical growth. Next, Logan Killicks was Janie first husband. Emotionally he felt no love for Janie because he wanted her to stay back and the clean the house or stay on the field. The author say’s “Joe went tuh Lake City tuh see uh man about uh mule”(Hurston 27). So the mule can help Janie pick them tators. Spiritually he represented in Janie is by being so old and grumpy and always telling Janie what to do. By being with Logan it gave her the physical growth to leave him, and be with another man. The author say’s “stylish dressed man approach Janie and offered her to come with him because she deserve better” (Hurston 29). Lastly, as Logan represented something in Janie. Now Joe will represent something in Janie’s

Emotionally he felt jealousy toward Janie because every man will stare at her, so he made her wear a head rag. The author say’s “this business of the head rag irked her endlessly. But Jody was set on it. Her hair was not going to show in the store” (Hurston 55). Spiritual he made Janie feel trapped because she couldn’t do anything, and he always make her work in the store. When Joe died it gave her the physical growth to finally take off her head rag as symbolizing her freedom. The author say’s “she tore off the kerchief from her head and let down her plentiful hair” (Hurston 87). Now that Joe represented those things in Janie life. Her last husband Tea Cake also will represent in Janis’s emotional, spiritual, and physical