Of Power In 'Incident In A Rose Garden' By Zora Neale Hurston

Sivani Adavi
Ms. Gommermann
Honors English 10
07 March 2023
The Unfair War of Power
In life, power is usually referred to as a controversial topic. Donald Justice and Zora Neale Hurston have different takes on power. “Incident in a Rose Garden” by Donald Justice and Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston both observe the effect power has on arrogance. However, Justice underscores the arrogance caused by higher social status and Hurston emphasizes the abuse of power.
In his poem “Incident in a Rose Garden,” Justice brings to light the idea that higher social status causes greater arrogance in one through the author’s diction. After encountering Death, the gardener runs to his master, proclaiming, “Sir, I’m quitting my job/I want

In each of her relationships, Janie seemed to have less power. Janie is constantly being contained to certain boundaries in her relationship throughout the novel. Each marriage demonstrates abuses of power by the man. In her first relationship with Logan Killicks, Janie was expected to be a servant to Logan. Logan tells Janie, “You ain’t got no particular place. It’s wherever Ah need yuh” (Hurston 31). These few words spoken by Logan Killicks sum up the entire relationship between Logan and Janie. The use of the words “no particular place” emphasizes that Logan expected Janie to be wherever he needed her to be. She was meant to have no other duty but to be with him when he wants her to be. It is almost as if Janie is just a slave to Logan. In Janie’s next relationship with Jody Starks, she encounters similar issues. Jody Starks is a very egoistic man. With his abundance of wealth, Jody entered Eatonville and took charge. He became mayor and played a big role in the town’s improvements. When gaining this power in town, he started thinking he was better than Janie. When Janie is asked to give a speech, Starks immediately replies with, "Thank yuh fuh yo' compliments, but mah wife don't know nothin' 'bout no speech-makin'. Ah never married her for nothing' lak dat. She's uh woman and her place is in de home" (Hurston 43). Being a woman, Janie is

In “Incident in a Rose Garden,” the Master encounters Death directly thinking that Death has nothing to do with a man who is as powerful as him. As a result, he was incorrect and it turned out Death was actually looking for him. Telling Death himself that “This is my property, sir/I welcome only friends here” (Justice 18-19), indicates that the Master is bold and arrogant by thinking Death can’t affect him. Ultimately, no one can control Death. Death in this poem relates to the hurricane in the novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God. When Janie notices the Indians moving toward the high ground to avoid the hurricane, Janie thinks to herself, “Beans running fine and prices good, so the Indians could be, must be, wrong. You couldn’t have a hurricane when you’re making seven and eight dollars a day picking beans. Indians are dumb anyhow, always were” (Hurston 155). Because money was so good, Janie thinks it would be impossible for a hurricane to come and interrupt this. She also thinks she has more power than Indians so if they think a hurricane is coming, it doesn’t affect her because they supposedly don’t know what they are talking about. Janie feels arrogant as she believes her thinking is more valid than “dumb” Indians. Later when the hurricane does hit the novel reads, “They seemed to be sharing at the dark, but their eyes were watching God” (Hurston 160). This pivotal