I came across the novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston in one of my literature courses during my sophomore year of college. My initial thought was to just use Sparknotes and get it over with. But, when I read the blurb and my professor spoke about it, I was intrigued. As there were many elements in the books, I will be focusing on how the protagonist, Janie Mae Crawford’s relationship with three different men shaped her life. She became a stronger and determined woman as she grew, which appealed to, and sort of inspired me. Janie lived with her grandmother, who was a traditional woman and kept Janie from associating with men. But, when Janie was a teenager, she developed a crush on a boy named Johnny Taylor, and ended up kissing him under the pear tree she often sat under. Janie’s grandmother catches her amid their kiss and her budding sexuality, which did not sit well with the grandmother so she married her granddaughter off to this aged farmer who was financially stable and could take care of Janie.
Janie’s marriage to Logan the farmer, is just the beginning of her new and improved life. The marriage does not last long because Janie cannot love him like she thought she would when she got married. The dream of finding love and loving someone until the end did not come true for her."Janie’s first dream was dead, so she became a woman." This marked the end of innocence and saw the reality of a loveless marriage. Janie at this time ws a confused girl who did not know herself fully because she was under the protection of her grandma, who advised her and kept her under control and never really let her soar. During the years of her loveless marriage, she was controlled by her husband, who attempted to show her that she was a black woman who must do the hard labor. She cannot act like the white children she used to play with and will never be like them. Being treated like garbage by him, she lashed out and threatened him that she would leave him.
Janie eventually met a charming man named Jody Sparks, who flirted his way into her heart. He promised her that he would make her dreams come true because he had a lot of money. Janie being sick of her marriage, ran away with him to another town and lived lavishly there until she saw her lover’s true colors. Thinking that she freed herself from a controlling man but ended up being stuck with another one. Janie, being a beautiful and outspoken woman, became a problem for Jody because he did not want any man looking at her beauty. He forced her to wear a headrag to cover her long luscious hair. Even though, she was against everything he forced her to do, she could not talk back because he was her source of income. He berated and insulted her in front of everyone because he was a man who liked to be in control and exerted it on everyone around him. Being married to Jody, she was forced to become a mute robot who could not grow as a person. But, she ultimately rebelled against him and shut down his domineering voice, who forced her voice to be not heard. She unleashed her inner voice and told him:"You big-bellies round here and put out a lot of brag, but ’tain’t nothin’ to it but yo’ big voice. Humph! Talkin’ ’bout me lookin’ old! When you pull down yo’ britches, you look lak de change uh life" This statement stunned him because he got a taste of his own medicine. After years of insulting her and belittling her, she came back at him, which left him stunned. Having been in two marriages, she was bound to learn a thing or two on how to fight back against those who oppressed her.
The third man to come into Janie’s life was Tea Cake, who was younger than her but they clicked. He worked at her store, which she got after Jody’s death, they got to know one another and eventually got married. He was a loving husband to her and she finally began to gain her independence. Tea Cake was an understanding man until he got bitten by a rabid dog and their marriage went downhill from there. He began to accuse her of cheating and her belittlement began once again. As she was on the path to independence and growth, she once again had to go through what she went through with her previous husbands. Even though, he becomes cruel, for most of their marriage, he pushed her to be better and through his help she began to understand who she was. Teaching her how to use a gun, which ultimately backfired on him because to escape his craziness, she killed him using the gun.
Having been married to three different men, Janie began to see herself as a confident person even though she faced oppression but towards the end she made it through. By, being with Logan and Jody, she was able to keep quiet but unleashed her true self when she had just enough. She was a woman who would not tolerate being used as a rag doll.. Tea Cake helped her become an independent woman but eventually she had to choose whether she wanted to live with him or herself. She made the right choice by choosing herself.
