Literary Analysis Of Their Eyes Were Watching God

Misguided Assumptions

Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Hurston, is the story of Janie Crawford, a black woman with beautiful Caucasian-like hair and her pursuit for love. Janie meets Joe Starks while she is married to her first husband Logan Killicks. Janie chooses to leave her first husband to marry Joe with the hope of finding the love she had envisioned as a young girl. Unfortunately, Jody’s love of wealth and power is much stronger than his love for Janie. Jody forces Janie to keep hushed, refrain from associating with the townspeople, hide her beauty, and manage the general store. Although many people believe Janie and Jody share a great love for one-an-other, in reality the way Jody has treated Janie has caused their marriage

Bogle made her way to the store while Janie and her husband were standing outside on the porch. Just as Mrs. Bogle walked in the door Jody scolded Janie. He said “I god, Janie” with an inpatient tone “why don’t you go on and see whut Mrs. Bogle wants… whut you waiting on” (Hurston 70). This is the first of many issues to arise at the general store. That very same day Jody fought with Janie over pig’s feet. A customer was looking for pig’s feet but couldn’t find any. Joe began looking for a bill that was supposed to be on the nail but was missing, so he blamed Janie. Janie argued with him for a little while over the missing bill but she realized that she was fighting a looking battle. Jody wanted Janie’s submission and he wouldn’t stop until he got it. Eventually she “pressed her teeth together and learned to hush” (Hurston

“There was already something dead about him” (Hurston 77). His body began to sag and his eyes were “absent” (Hurston 77). He no longer walked as if he were a young man and when he sat he plopped down inelegantly. Jody became self-conscious of his appearance and because of this he viciously lashed out a Janie because her beauty had not left her. In the store “the more his back ached and his muscle dissolved into fat and the fat melted off his bones, the more fractious he became with Janie” (Hurston 78). He made a point of pointing out her flaws in front of customers. On time when Janie was cutting tobacco for Steve Mixon she missed her mark. Steve teased Janie a little but it caused Jody to criticize Janie. He harshly commented on her figure which caused Janie to lash out at him. 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). After that Jody moved his things and slept downstairs. That fight was what lead to the end of a loving