Joe Stark’s death was the significant external event that illustrates Janie’s self-discovery and subsequent internal change that led to the actuality Janie covet, as well as the freedom away from the grating life Janie dread. Joe’s death matured Janie. Janie no longer had high expectations for love like she did before she met Joe. Janie learned from Joe that in a marriage, responsibilities come before love. In addition, the marriage between Janie and Joe stayed the same for years. Joe was dominant among others and controlling towards Janie. Everyone had high expectations for Joe and Janie, and Joe knew Janie did not have the knowledge or intelligence he had, so Joe looked down upon Janie. Janie had no background, the only placed Janie seemed to have belonged was under control by a man, and that man happened to be Joe. “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.” (Hurston, 1937) …show more content…
Janie couldn’t help but feel thrilled about her future. “Tain’t dat Ah worries over Joe’s death, Phoeby. Ah jus’ loves dis freedom” (Hurston, 1937) The moment Joe died, both him and Janie’s souls were set free. Janie was now able to breathe. Nothing was holding Janie back anymore, and the possibility to learn about herself and what she wanted in life stimulated Janie, even at her age. Furthermore, after Joe’s death, it took some time for Janie to show interest in another man. Nothing regarding Joe, mainly because Janie didn’t want to settle down with another man that doesn’t treat her the way she wants to be treated. “You wants to be keerful ‘bout who you marry, Mis’ Starks. Dese strange men runnin’ heah tryin’ tuh take advantage of yo’ condition.” (Hurston,
Janie didn 't start living until Joe died and she met Teacake. With Teacake Janie felt alive, they understood and respected each other. Their marriage was full of love and compassion, two things that Janie always wanted. Her marriage with Teacake ended in a tragedy, but Janie felt like she lived a life full of new beginnings, and she was content with that. All the men in Janie’s life
She could no longer take the abuse from Jody any longer. She confronted him in the middle of the store and strikes back. She insulted his “maleness that all men cherish” (Hurston 79). Jody struck Janie “with all his might and drove her from the store” (Hurston 80).
Jody values Janie as a trophy wife. Leadership and dignity cause Joe to neglect Janie. This neglect is evident at the earliest stages of their relationship. When Joe and Janie are newlyweds traveling to Eatonville, Joe’s ambitions drive him. Unlike Logan killicks, Joe does not “make many speeches with rhymes to [Janie]”
Then Janie felt a pain remorseless sweet that left her limp and languid.” She let herself experience an intense level of fascination towards relationships, and because her grandma was encouraging this, it seemed justified. In her eyes, it’s completely normal for somebody to chase after another person for the sake of just being in a relationship, which can be distracting and overwhelming to
Joe hides his fear of losing Janie behind the idea that women have no place in the "mess uh commonness" (Hurston) that this mockery of a funeral will bring together. What Janie doesn’t realize is that when Joe is dominating her, he is keep her physically but he’s also losing her
As time progresses, Janie and Joe’s relationship goes from arguably unloving to abusive. After Joe beats Janie for the first time, “She stood there until something fell off the shelf inside her. Then she went inside there to see what it was. It was her image of Jody tumbled down and shattered. But looking at it she knew that it never was the flesh and blood figure of her dreams.
This quote shows how as the story progresses Janie continues to discover more about herself and more about what she thinks is important when it comes to discussing love. She realizes she strongly dislikes her grandmother for putting ideas in her
Janie shows determination as she persists and struggles to define love on her own terms through her marriages. First, her determination shows when Janie runs away with Jody. She becomes aware that her marriage with Logan does not satisfy her goals and dreams for love, so she takes a chance and marries Jody. Hurston states, “Janie hurried out of the front gate and turned south.
At first, he started off as a loving husband who really, just gave up not even a year into the marriage because he saw her as lazy. “Long before the year was up, Janie noticed her husband had stopped talking in rhymes to her. He had ceased to wonder at her long black hair and finger it.” (Ch 2. P. 26)
Next, after Logan she finds a man who she actually is attracted to; his name was Joe Starks. Janie thought he was the one she was looking for but as time went on she realized she could be living better. Janie, over their 20 year marriage began to lose love for him and on chapter 7, pg.77 she says “His prosperous- looking belly that used to thrust out so pugnaciously and intimidate folks, sagged like a load suspended from his loins.” Eventually Joe died from stomach cancer and now she was a widow and had to pretend like she cared in front of the people of her town.
Janie’s life story begins by her explaining that her grandmother raised her after her mother ran off. Janie’s grandmother, Nanny, loved her granddaughter took care of her as if she was her own after her mother walked out on her. Nanny was raised as a slave and with her being raised as a slave she had a very different viewpoint of what she wanted Janie’s life to be. After seeing Janie kiss Johnny Taylor by the fence, Nanny had a conversation with Janie about how she
It didn’t seem sensible at all. That was because Joe never told Janie how jealous he was.” (Hurston 55). Joe Starks always controlled Janie. In this relationship Janie learned to become emotionally strong, and stand up for herself.
Hurston uses Nanny’s dialect to shut down and invalidate Janie’s feelings of regret about her marriage, resulting in the emphasis on the effect that Nanny’s ideals have on
He became materialistic, which was complete contrast from his positive, big hearted Joe. What we learn about Joe is that he is very superficial, he is charmed by Slemmons and easily fooled by people’s façade. Consequently, the conflict intensifies as Joe intends to show of Missie May to Slemmons in the opening of the ice cream parlor. In the text he says, “Go ‘head on now, honey and put on yo’ clothes.
Hurston creates an aura of self-acceptance and self-love. Thereafter, Hurston describes the transition of her life when she moves to Jacksonville,