Examples Of Feminism In Their Eyes Were Watching God

Their Eyes Were Watching God is a story that follows protagonist Janie Crawford, through many hardships, relationships, and adventures. As Janie Returns to her hometown in Florida after a long absence the novel is a recollection of her experiences and adventures to her friend Pheoby Watson. Janie struggles throughout the entirety of the novel to find freedom and peace with herself. She experiences relationships with a few different kinds of people all of which help her to eventually find that

Janie's marriage to Logan Killicks was the first stage in her growth as a woman. She hoped that her obligatory marriage with Logan would

But, Jody was an ambitious and power-hungry man. He talks of the future, which was what drew Janie to him, but his dominant and aggressive nature soon came into play. He tries to dominate a small town and shows off to the townsfolk. But, he forbids Janie from making a speech, saying she is his wife and shouldn’t be doing his work. Janie’s new position as the mayor’s wife makes her the envy of the townsfolk. Jody starts showing his true colors when he drove a man named Henry Pitts out of town when he catches Janie’s eye. He also forces Janie to hide her hair in a scarf and forbids her from interacting with those he saw were lower than her in social status. Jody would be considered a narcissist according to an article on Mayo Clinic with his inflated sense of self, need for admiration, and is very vulnerable to criticism. And he begins to emotionally abuse Janie by controlling her. Janie becomes disillusioned and detached from her emotions after a couple of

“‘Yeah, Janie, youse got yo’ womanhood on yuh. So Ah mout ez well tell yuh whut Ah been savin’ up for uh spell. Ah wants to see you married right away’” (Hurston 15). Nanny’s fear of Janie turning out like her mother compels her to make Janie get married because of a simple kiss. Janie has boldness but her boldness exceeds the point of disrespect. In the movie when Janie first returns home Pearl Stone greets her and Janie tells her to go to hell. Janie would have never shown rudeness to this extent in the book because Hurston made her a softer person. “When she got to where they were she turned her face on the bander log and spoke” (Hurston 2). Even though the women on the porch gossiped about her and she knew it, Janie still spoke because Zora Neale Hurston made her polite. The behavior that Janie exhibits in Oprah’s movie had no credibility and would not have subsisted in the 1930s.

Janie spoke up in Oprah’s depiction, which she never would have done in the book as a typical woman. Women in the 1930s did not lash out against their husbands or others and they did the things expected of them. Janie audaciously told Joe what she thought of him in the movie and held nothing back. “Joe: ‘What de hell yuh doin’?’ Janie: ‘What de hell yuh think?’ Joe: ‘Janie!’ Janie: ‘Can’t deal with yuh no more’” (Their)! When Janie addressed Joe, you would not expect that arrogance or gall out of a woman of that time because of their submissiveness to their husbands. Oprah’s movie made Janie stronger when she talked like that and packed her bags to leave because she had a voice and felt as if she could say or do what she wanted. In the book, Janie did not have the fortitude of strength or her own mind, but she did in the movie because of her actions and capability to do whatever she wanted.

She marries Jody quickly, and Janie is full of excitement as they head off to a new town for blacks in Florida. Just as quickly her joy is diminished as Jody evolves into a domineering, power-hungry male, whose disregard for his wife is reminiscent of Mr. Pontellier's treatment of Edna. When Jody and Janie first arrive in Eatonville, Janie is mistaken as Jody's daughter, and while Jody corrects the locals, his behavior towards Janie does begin to resemble that of an overly-controlling father. The first indicator of Jody's true values comes when he actively silences Janie's voice, her ability to express herself with word. " 'Mah wife don't know nothin' 'bout no speech-making'.

Janie went on a long journey to obtain womanhood. Janie grew up living with her grandma, who always wanted her to get married at a young age. Janie eventually did marry Logan Killicks when she was 18 years old. However, she hated living with him. He was described as a shallow, unlovable human being. This was when Janie became a woman because she realized that marriage does not assure love. Janie then married Jody Starks. At first, he seemed like a good person because he offered her a new life, but over time grew worse. Jody would constantly restrict what Janie could do, and would beat her for simple errors. It was not until late in their marriage that Janie finally spoke out to Jody of the way he treated her. Jody would soon die, and Janie

Initially Janie was raised in a impecunious African American household by her grandmother. She was taught from a young age that marriage equals love and that women depend on men for financial security. Janie wanted a love “sweet…lak when you sit under a pear tree” (29) but instead receives Logan, a man who wants her to “chop and tote wood” and calls her “spoilt rotten.” (31) Janie was stuck to succumb to these expectations when she was with Logan. However, Janie’s second marriage begins with a personal choice that Janie makes to leave Logan and follow Jody, a man whose plan was to build “a town all outa colored folks” and become a leader in the new city. Just the fact that she left her first husband was a very bold move, but the profound point is that Janie chooses to get together with another man. Janie expresses her true feelings and voice by leaving Logan and telling him that he “ain’t done [her] no favor by marryin’ [her.]” This displays that Janie’s views on marital expectations have took a turn and she will no longer be put under this illusion of a perfect woman during this time period. However this newly acquired confidence that Janie had gained

Janie’s three marriages were all different for the most part, though they each had their ups and downs. Her marriage with Logan Killicks was the worst of the three. The only upside to this marriage was that she did have the protection and security her grandmother wanted, but Logan was not willing to make compromises like, “And ‘tain’t nothing’ in de way of him washin’ his feet every evenin’ before he comes tuh bed. ‘Tain’t nothing’ tuh hinder him ‘cause Ah places de water for him.” (Hurston 24) which shows that he wasn’t even willing to wash his feet so Janie wouldn’t have to smell his feet. Logan also expected Janie to help him with everything he was supposed to do and still make dinner for him. Despite all that Janie still wanted to love him but she just couldn’t do it. Janie’s marriage to Joe was better than Logan’s but was still really bad. Joe provided Janie with anything and everything she needed, but not what she wanted. Their relationship was about Joe, and what Joe wanted. Joe also thought he was superior to Janie. “Ah knows uh few things, and womenfolks thinks sometimes too!” “Aw naw they don’t.

Another way all three husbands are similar is when they abuse her. Logan is motivated by his pure dislike of Janie. At first he did love her, but a month or so after he began to treat Janie like a labor slave and tries to threaten her and make her miserable. An example is when he says, Don’t you change too many words wid me dis mawnin’, Janie, do Ah’ll take and change ends wid yuh! Heah, Ah just as good as take you out de white folks’ kitchen and set you down on yo’ royal diasticutis and you take and low-rate me! Ah’ll take holt uh dat ax and come in dere and kill yuh! You better dry up in dere! Ah’m too honest and hard-workin’ for anybody in yo’ family, dat’s de reason you don’t want me!” (25). He shows no real feelings toward her and somewhat loathes her. Similarly, Joe Starks abuses Janie as well, but he does so for control over her. Joe feels very threatened and pride deprived when Janie makes him feel like less of a man and so, fights her until she submits to him and he feels satisfied. He relates her all the women in the world and children to animals, and like in this quote states, “ So when the bread didn’t rise, and the fish wasn’t quite done at the bone, and the rice was scorched, he slapped Janie until she had a ringing in her ears and told her about her brains before he stalked on back to the store” (57-58). That is how bad he desires control he will fight with her over anything, even a poorly cooked meal. Tea Cake, also, abuses Janie. The way

Janie, again, finds herself in a loveless marriage. Unlike her first, however, the lack of affection is reciprocal. “Again with Jody [as with Logan], Janie has money and respectability, but Jody's objectification - of her and his demand for her submission stifles any desire

Janie’s first marriage is a stepping stone to finding her own role because it shows her what her life shouldn’t be like and it encourages her to find a new path while she still can. She lives as a homemaker who cooks and cleans, but that role doesn’t suit her. Janie’s goal is not to be a homemaker, a wife, or a mother no matter how much she believes it at the beginning of the novel. Her dream is to be free from the submission that she has lived with her entire life. Janie wants to be free more than she wants love, which can easily be seen when she shoots Tea Cake, her true love, to protect

The first reason of why Janie is a feminist is because she held true to her own beliefs and making decisions that supported those liefs. For example, after Jody Stark’s death, she was supposed to act as if she was mourning the loss of her husband and their abusive relationship. The custom was that Janie was supposed to be mourning for about a year, but she started having a relationship and being happy instead of sad at around six months after Joe’s death. When confronted

Another example, where Janie struggles to find her voice is with her second husband Jody Starts, a man who starves for power and the mayor of Eatonville. Jody rarely allows Janie to speak her mind, participate in social

But Janie's is not a case of "first comes love and then comes marriage." Instead, she has to marry (twice) before she finds her Mr. Right.