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Examples Of Unequal Sharing In Their Eyes Were Watching God

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Unequal Sharing of Power Many people see unequal sharing of power as a breaking point in a relationship. In the 21st century, this is the main reason relationships end, but Zora Neale Hurson’s book, Their Eyes Were Watching God, shadows a different perspective. The book is set in the 20th century, and views men as superior to women, leading to the unequal sharing of power. In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston explores the tension of male supremacy through the relationship between, Joe (Jody) Starks and Janie Crawford. Janie's desires for her independence and freedom versus Jody's need to control Janie’s freedom and independence to show his dominance, overall impacting Janie's self-confidence and character development. Hurston highlights …show more content…

Although she hopes this, she didn’t attain this with her first husband, Logan Killicks, nor did she attain this with her second husband, Jody Starks. Janie displays her thoughts, “She knew now that marriage did not make love. Janie’s first dream was dead, so she became a woman” (25). Janie’s only desire was to be loved, but she did get that with Logan. Janie lost her dream to be loved and becomes an adult at an early age. She later tries to find hope with Jody. Along with love, Jaine also seeks independence. Janie would make attempts to seek her independence, “Time came when she fought back with her tongue as best as she could, but it didn’t do her any good. It just made matters worse”(71). Jaine is always suppressed by Jody any time she makes attempts to speak. This leads Janie to lose her self-confidence within herself. Jaine was left in remorse with the toxicity of their …show more content…

“Jaine, if you think Ah aims to tole you off and make a god outa you, youse wrong. Ah wants to make a wife outa you,” says Jody, knowing he only wants Janie for her looks (29). Jody displays an act of respecting Janie at the beginning of the book, but his act doesn’t last very long. His desire for Janie was only until her looks, nothing beyond that. He would never let Janie act on her own, and always disregarded the things Janie wants to do, “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” (43). His views for Janie are to be a housewife and to limit Janie’s independence. Jody always made decisions for Janie without asking her, and he didn’t value her interests/wants. Jody has a role installed in his mind, which didn’t align with Janie’s

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Janie has been through hard times, even as a young girl. She lived with her grandmother who took care of her because her mother ran off when she was young. It is because of her grandmother, who wants to be in control of Janie’s life and wants the best for her, that Janie ends up marrying a rich man and getting a good education. However, this is not what Janie really wants. Janie is more interested in happiness and love than being rich, high class, and educated.

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232 Words | 1 Pages

In her epiphany from Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie realizes her intrinsic capacity as an individual, and frees herself from Jody’s covetous ways in the act of letting down her hair. In the quote, “She tore off the kerchief from her plentiful hair... the glory was there,” Janie’s hair symbolizes her power and strength because it holds glory. By Janie releasing her hair, she finally notices the greatness that she has, which allows her to now view herself as eminent individual whom has independence. Because Jody made her tie her hair up as a device to hinder her individuality and identity in their marriage, he is intimidated by her reluctance to comply with his controlling demands.

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167 Words | 1 Pages

”(Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston, Pg. 9 Ch.2) This was showing that segregation, even when she was a little girl, stopped her from fitting in her community. “Jody told her to dress up and stand in the store… ”(Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston, Pg. 41 Ch.5) Jody told Janie how to live her life basically and even that community she didn't fit in.

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1354 Words | 6 Pages

Janie takes a progressive, personal approach to growth and self-expression. She moves through her three marriages as they increase in opportunity and

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616 Words | 3 Pages

In the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie is a main character whose outward existence conforms, and her inward life questions. This tension helps to evolve the author’s theme of the importance of individuality and how individuality creates happiness. Janie experiences most of her life in trying to conform, and grows to despise it. Once free, she becomes herself and becomes happy. Early in the novel, Janie marries Logan Killicks.

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872 Words | 4 Pages

She understands that Logan surely did not marry her for love, but rather he married her for the purpose of sex and as a field hand. She feel like she is being used, and she has been considering leaving Logan in spite of my Grandmother’s wishes. Write a "Dear Diary" entry at the end of Janie's marriage to Jody in which she writes in earnest and in depth about the contrast

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1660 Words | 7 Pages

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.

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1199 Words | 5 Pages

Janie allowed her voice to be controlled by her lust in her relationship with Joe causing her to be unable to express her opinions to him. She let everything he did to her pass, “ no matter what Jody did, she did nothing” (76). She hopes

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1117 Words | 5 Pages

She never expressed her feelings, instead she hid them pretending nothing was wrong. She didn’t admit that she wanted a change, and she refused to talk about the issues in her relationships, as she stayed silent. Throughout Micheal G. Cooke's article, he uncovers multiple aspects of Janie reaching the fulfillment of self actualization. Furthermore, the more that Janie had been deprived by others, the more self-sufficient she became.

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955 Words | 4 Pages

Social hierarchy, at the time, placed more value on the husband than the wife. This is apparent when the narrator explains why Jody slaps Janie; “when the bread didn't rise, and the fish wasn't quite done at the bone and the rice was scorched, he slapped Janie until she had a ringing sound in her ears' ' (23). Janie was expected to complete all her chores and whenever she fell short of perfection, she was rewarded with a punishment. Janie had zero agency against Jody. Without the ability to retaliate or fight back, Janie’s hatred and hostility slowly grows and tensions start to intensify.

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416 Words | 2 Pages

Janie was held back on a lot of her life just because she was trying to live her life for someone else, and she made a decision that her grandmother wanted her to do. She married a man that her grandmother introduces her to, not by choice, her grandmother thought that was the best bet for her. Janie first husband

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755 Words | 4 Pages

but it didn’t do her any good” as Jody kept on fighting for her “submission” (71). As Jody continues to make Janie submit, less of her individuality is present as she is reduced to the ideal wife in Jody’s eyes. He does this by covering her hair, confining her to the store, and insults her. Again, In one scene,

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1161 Words | 5 Pages

Impacting the readers with the wisdom of her words, “Two things everybody’s got tuh do fuh themselves. They got tuh go tuh God, and they got tuh find out about livin’ fuh thyselves.” (Hurston pg 192) Janie has lived her life but most importantly she has lived it the way she wanted it for herself. The journey she has taken through all her marriages are moments that have taught both the character and audience the lessons of finding one's truest

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774 Words | 4 Pages

Jody’s image of Janie changes her into someone who she is not, submissive and non independent. Again, Janie’s marriage was not made in love and she was trapped. Unlike Logan, Janie puts up with Jody for 20 miserable years before she is finally freed by his death. To Janie, Jody’s death is an eye-opener. Janie is no longer going to settle for less than what

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530 Words | 3 Pages

Janie goes along with Jody’s requests for a while before she realizes what he is doing to her. Jody needed to have complete dominance of everything in Janie’s life to be content with their relationship, and when Janie had different opinions than his, this caused problems in their relationship. In another instance, Jody insults Janie’s age, which leads to a significant argument between them. When Jody insults Janie, it is accepted in their society, but Janie finally gets fed up when she says, “But Ah’m uh woman every inch of me, and Ah know it. Dat’s uh whole lot

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