Kate Chopin’s novel, "The Awakening" and Zora Neale Hurston’s, "Their Eyes Were Watching God," both feature young female protagonists who are subject to unfair treatment due to gender. Both Edna and Janie live lives that are directly affected by their husbands and how they regard a woman’s role in society. The two women lead vastly different lives, but both experience some form of sexism due to societal expectations of them and the way they are treated by their own husbands. Despite Janie and Edna having endured many obstacles over the course of their lives, Janie proved to be the stronger protagonist because of how she overcame the difficulties she faced and refused to give up on the happiness she sought.

The biggest attribute to Janie’s strength versus Edna’s is her will to live.

Edna eventually commits suicide after losing the man that she loved. Instead of moving on, she continued to think of Robert who had left her because “it was too late” and “her strength was gone” (Chopin 121), so she began to give up. She allowed her grief to consume her and push her to end her life. Janie was also unfortunate enough to lose the man she loves. Her husband Tea Cake dies, but she does not let his death ruin her life; instead, she values the memories that they once had as “the kiss of his memory made pictures of love and light” (Hurston 227), meaning she was thankful to have had the opportunity to experience the love she had always hoped for. The mood is optimistic and satisfied in the final chapter of the book which emphasized the fact that “here was peace” (Hurston 227) and tranquility for Janie because she can live the rest of her life with a piece of Tea Cake alive in her heart.

Janie’s positive mindset demonstrates her abundant strength and perseverance. She exhibits characteristics that Edna fails to. Overall, both are bold women who are courageous enough to act out against the mold that society created for women but Janie’s tenacity shows more strength than giving up on life.

Janie’s strength is demonstrated when she stands up for herself after being scolded by Joe in their store that “got to be terrible” (Hurston 92) due to his constant complaining. After years of tolerating Joe’s harsh words and abuse, Janie decides to end her silence and talk back to Joe in order to defend herself. The situation expressed Janie’s unhappiness being trapped in such a relationship and represented her realization that it is okay for women to speak up and make their voices heard. Later in the story she finds herself trapped in the middle of a flood, but she is persistent enough to keep going until she reaches a place of safety. She continuously manages to overcome each hindrance that occurs in her life.

Janie’s willpower and refusal to give up on finding happiness is what makes her a stronger character than Edna, who takes her own life in the end. Although both characters demonstrated strong qualities, Edna did not value her own life unlike Janie. Her steadfastness and optimism led her to become a strong woman in the face of an oppressive society.