Their Eyes Were Watching God By Zora Neale Hurston Character Analysis

In Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie Crawford proves she is a weak woman by sucking herself into a bad relationship and not doing anything to get out. Jody, Janie’s second husband tried to control her more than anyone else, and he does so successfully. A few reasons why he was overly controlling of her include refusing to let her go do things she wants to do, will not let her talk and enjoy herself with the town’s people, and believes that all women are inferior. Although she does grow to realize that the way he treats her is not right, she keeps her mouth shut and puts up with it. With Janie putting up with his abusive behavior even though she knows it is wrong proves she is a weak woman who is too afraid to stand

All Janie ever wanted was to go out and enjoy herself, at least that was what she hoped for when she married Jody, who promised to do anything to make her happy. She soon came to realize that was not the case. Several times Janie wants to go out but Jody refuses, he will not let her go to the draggin’ out of the town’s mule, or let her go to the ball game. She is especially upset when she can not go to the draggin’ out like everyone else, but “you wouldn’t be seen at uh draggin’out, wouldja? Wid any and everybody in uh passle pushin’ and shovin’ wid they no-manners selves? Naw, naw” (60). Not only does he tell her she can not go, but he gives the most stupid and flawed reason anyone could think of. Yet, since Janie is too weak to stand up for herself, she just agrees and stays at the

No matter what Janie thought, Jody would not listen or even care. Jody, being a dominant chauvinistic male in society, believes that all women are inferior to men and have no buisness doing anything but cleaning and cooking. One time Janie and Jody were having an argument because a bill with all the goods that were shipped into town was misplaced. Janie tries to tell him if he actually tried to look for it, he could find it, but he snapped at her saying that she should not tell him what to do because he does the thinking for both of them, “somebody got to think for women and chillun and cows” because “they sho don’t think for themselves” (71). Again, Janie is weak because she lets him get away with calling her stupid and having the brains of a