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What Does The Pear Tree Symbolize In Their Eyes Were Watching God

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In Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston, Tea Cake and Janie's love fulfills the symbol of the bee and the pear tree because Tea Cake allows Janie equality, love, and passion. Janie begins her life learning about love through a bee and a pear tree. She learns of the passion, equality, and love both the pear tree and bee have for each other. The pear tree allows the bee to be enveloped in the petals where neither partner is dominant but full of love and devotion for each other. Janie found this love through Tea Cake. Unlike her previous relationships that were full of contention and sadness, she has found the perfect love by being with Tea Cake. When Janie first meets Tea Cake she finds him very attractive and agreeable to be around. He asks her to play checkers with him and teaches her the rules of the game. …show more content…

Somebody wanted her to play. Somebody thought it was natural for her to play. That was even nice” (Hurston116-117). Allowing Janie to play checkers with him gives her more freedom and creates the start of an equal relationship. Janie has become more than just a pretty face but a person who uses her mind. Just like the bee and pear tree are an equal partnership, this relationship starts as neither one being dominant but allowing one another to cling to each other and create a full and loving relationship. The bee and pear tree are respectful of each other and the bee does not attack the pear tree but helps it to bloom and flourish. Tea Cake allows Janie to bloom by letting her speak her mind unlike previous relationships who belittled her and disparaged her ideas.He is willing to teach her and let her have a voice during this

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1. Unlike Janie’s previous husbands, Tea Cake treats Janie with compassion and respect. In addition, he loves Janie for her personality instead of her looks and her role as a woman (housewife). 2. The speech characteristic that Tea Cake encourages Janie with is truth.

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For example, just like Jody, Tea Cake also physically abuses Janie to display his authority over her. What makes Janie 's relationship with Tea Cake different from her other relationships is that it is based on a love that runs much deeper than her motivation in staying in her other relationships. Janie married Logan in search of love. She married Jody in search of wealth and his ambition. When both of these relationships failed, she entered into her relationship with Tea Cake with low expectations.

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After Joe’s death, Janie meets Tea Cake. Tea Cake is younger, but he is kind to Janie, unlike Joe. At first, Janie thinks he may be using her for her money, but this is proven false when he promises to be the sole wage earner and never touch her savings. Tea Cake and Janie’s relationship are drastically different from Janie’s past relationships. She is treated as an equal, rather than as a lesser human being.

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He continues to show his dominance over her in indirect ways such as taking her to the muck and compelling her to work outside, something she would not have done in any of her other relationships. As the marriage continued, Tea Cake became more obvious about how he controlled Janie, even going as far as whipping Janie because “being able to whip her reassured him in possession” (147). Janie simply accepts the beating and doesn’t defend herself. This dynamic proves that even though Janie does have more freedom initially with Tea Cake, she is still held under someone else’s

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With Tea Cake, she could be herself. He allowed her to be herself because he loved her the way she was and didn’t want to make her change to be something she wasn’t. Tea Cake encouraged Janie to be what she wanted and to follow her dreams and aspirations. Janie finally was able to find the bee to pollinate her pear blossom. She loved him with all her heart.

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