Janie Crawford finds and loses herself in Their Eyes Were Watching God many times through her three marriages; Janie’s three husbands each play a key role in her becoming a woman within herself. She was married to Logan Killicks at a young age and learned marriage and love don’t always go hand and hand. Janie left Logan for her second husband, Joe Starks, who offered her the prospect of love. In the end, he taught her that being a woman takes courage far greater than she ever knew. Her third marriage to Tea Cakes gave Janie everything that was missing from her life. She found love, happiness and most important of all, she found herself.
Logan Killicks is the first man Janie marries and this marriage wasn’t what she wanted or needed as a woman. Logan was sweet to Janie at first, but eventually, he
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He gave her hope that love could be apart of her life, but then made her very small. When they first meet he unintentionally hit Janie’s weak spot when he said, “You behind a plow! You ain’t got no mo business wid uh plow than a hog is got wid uh holiday!... A pretty doll baby like you is made to sit on de front porch and rock and fan yo’self and eat p’taters dat other folks plant just special for you.” (29). Joe allowed Janie to dream of a new future. As newlyweds, they became Mr. and Mrs. Mayor and the honeymoon phase came crashing down around Janie. Joe made her feel small through, at first, little gestures. He didn’t allow her to give a speech, made her tie up her hair, made her stay away from anything he found common and began humiliating her in public. At first, she pushed the awful way it made her feel to the side, but it built up over time. Janie learned perseverance through the many years she stuck by Joe. In the end, he taught Janie that she needs nothing and nobody other than herself, and that realization is what really allowed Janie to be free. Free to meet the real love of her life Vergible