TheirEyesWereWatchingGodresponse

Inthebildungsroman,TheirEyesWereWatchingGod,byZoraNealeHurston,athird

personnarratordescribesthelifeofJaniethroughhereyes.Janie,anafricanamericaninthe

earlytwentiethcentury,beginsasayounggirlraisedbyhergrandmotheronawhitefamilys

land.ThewhitefamilyprovidesandcaresforthemandJanieadmits,Ahwaswiddemwhite

chillunsomuchtilahdidntknowaswazntwhitetilahwasroundsix.Sincehergrandmother

wasraisedwiththebeliefsthattobesuccessfulmeanstomarryasuccessfulman,sheurgesJanie

togetmarriedasateenager.Hergrandmothereventuallydies,andJanierealizessheisnothappy

andshedoesnotloveherhusband.Throughoutherlife,sheismarriedtwicemore,eachtime

lookingforawaytoreachherdreams,throughthesemen.Janiestrugglestoconformtothe

outsideexpectationsimposedonherbyothers,aswellaswithherneedtobeindependentand

free,strengtheningtheoverallmeaningoftheworkhappinessandspiritualfulfillmentcannotbe

foundthrougharelationship,insteaditmustbefoundinsideoneself.

Inthebeginning,JaniemarriesLogantopleasehergrandmothersselfishand

materialisticdesires.HermarriageendsabruptlywhensherunsawaywithJoeStarkstobe

marriedonceagain.JanieisconsumedbythewayJoespeaksofpowerandabetterlife.

However,Janiesoonlearnsthatshewillnotsharethispower,butinsteadbeoppressedbyit.

WhenJoebecomesthemayorofasmalltown,Eatonville,hisneedtoberespectedalienates

Janie.Forexample,heforceshertowearherhairupinaragoutofjealousyandaneedfor

control.ItmusthavebeenthewayJoespokeoutwithoutgivingherachancetosayanything

onewayoranotherthattookthebloomofthings.Sherealizesthatshehaslosthergreatest

weapon,hervoice.JaniecannotspeakhermindandisunabletovoiceheropinionswhenJoe

becomesviolent.Healsoforceshertorunthetownstore,whichrepresentsprisontoher,forhe

abusesherphysicallyandverballyifshemakesamistake.SoonJoediesofkidneyfailureandit

isevidentthatJaniefeelshersenseoffreedomreturn.Immediatelysheletsherhairdown,

symbolizingtheendofheroppression.

ResentmentofhergrandmotherfillsJaniesheart.Nannyhadtakenthebiggestthing

Godevermade,thehorizonandpincheditintosuchalittlebitofathingthatshecouldtieit

abouthergranddaughter'snecktightenoughtochokeherwithit.InJanieseyes,her

grandmotherhadstolenherdreamsinthenameoflove.Afteralongperiodofmourning,Janie

meetsTeaCake.Heisconsiderablyyoungerthanher,assheisnownearlyforty,howeversheis

attractedtothewayhetreatsherasanequal.TeaCakeinviteshertoplaycheckerswithhim,

whereasJoewouldorder,gofetchmemycheckerboard.Withhim,Janiefeelsfreeandableto

reachherdreams.WhentheygetmarriedandmovetotheEverglades,herloveforTeaCakeis

evidentevenafterheleavesherforperiodsoftimesandhitsher.Janiebeginstoacceptmale

dominanceasagiven.WhenTeaCakeisbittenbyarabiddog,hebecomesmentallysick.One

day,hetriestokillJanie,andsheisforcedtoshoothim.Althoughsheisinlovewithhim,her

actionprovesshelovesherselfmore.

ThenovelreturnstothepresentandJanieisnowbackinEatonville.Sheforgivesher

grandmotherandJoe,assherealizestheyarenotbadpeople,theysimplyareunderwrong

beliefs.Herforgivenessandacceptancerepresentsherstrengthandgrowthasaperson.Foronce,

shedisregardswhatthetownspeoplesayabouther,asshehaslearnednoteverythingrequiresa

reactionandsilencecanoftenspeaktheloudest.Finallythatnight,sheremembersthedayshe

killedTeaCakeandisheartbroken.However,sheconveysthatheshowedherthehorizon,and

becomesateaseknowingthatshehasbeentothehorizonandback.Janiesinternaljourney

andoutsideexperiencescreateawomanwhovaluesselfloveovervainrelationships.