Tea Cake By Janie: A Brief Summary

Similarly, Janie makes another great sacrifice when she decides to leave her life of ease and luxury in Eatonville, so she can start a new life with Tea Cake. In Eatonville, she had authority as the store owner and as the former mayor’s wife, but she decides to follow her heart which ultimately leads to her fulfillment of self-actualization with the help of Tea Cake. Without Tea Cake, Janie could not have found herself, and his impact on her remains even after his death. Janie recounts her life lesson to Phoeby saying, “Love is lak da sea. It’s uh movin’ thing, but still and all, it takes its shape from de shore it meets, and it’s different with every shore...Two things everybody’s got tuh do for theyselves. They got tuh go tuh God, and they got tuh find out about livin’ fuh theyselves” (191-92). Through Janie’s words, the effect of Tea Cake on her is eminent through how Janie learn about life and herself and leads her to becoming independent. Because Janie sacrifices her luxurious life in Eatonville, through Tea Cake, she fulfills her need of self-actualization, a recurring idea in the book. Janie’s values concerning her life and of Tea Cake are also illuminated in her conversation with Phoeby before she leaves Eatonville. She and Tea Cake “‘...[had] done made up [their] minds tuh

After Tea Cake ignores all the preemptive warnings of the approaching Hurricane Okeechobee, Janie gets trapped in a flood in the Everglades with a rabid dog. Witnessing this event, Tea Cake risks his life and jumps into the water to save Janie from this beast. Afterwards, Janie tells Tea Cake, “Once upon uh time, Ah never 'spected nothin', Tea Cake, but bein' dead from standin' still and tryin' tuh laugh. But you come 'long and made somethin' outa me. So Ah'm thankful fuh anything we come through together.” (Hurston 167). Janie’s quote demonstrates her gratitude to Tea Cake, who was the only person to truly treat Janie as an equal. By following Nanny’s ideals, Janie lived most of her life neglected in various ways by both Logan and Joe. However, when she finally abandoned Nanny’s dream and met her own needs by marrying Tea Cake, she experienced happiness for the first time. The life of security with little emotional fulfillment deeply contrasts with Janie’s new life with Tea Cake. Finally, she is able to experience true love instead of living as a mule under Joe and Logan, both of whom tried to shape Janie to fit their own personal needs instead of treating her as an equal . Although Nanny wanted to secure Janie’s life by marrying her off to a respected, landowning man, this resulted in unintended consequences that restricted her freedom and harmed her well being. Unlike

He thought the only thing she could do was work at home. Tea Cake has a very different idea about women. He thinks that Janie can do anything she wants to do, that she is just as smart as a man and has the capacity to learn and do many more things than what Joe would allow her to do. Throughout their marriage, Janie seems to have taken Joe’s ideas to heart and believes them herself. Tea Cake rejects these ideas and helps Janie begin to feel confident in herself and forget what Joe made her

Tea Cake returns after Janie’s money was stolen; “He took her head in his hands and eased himself into the chair. She still didn’t say anything” (121). Silence is a major instrument in Janie and Tea Cake’s relationship because instead of fighting him she uses silence as a source of empowerment. Janie learns that her silence shows Tea Cake more insight to her apprehension in their relationship, than verbally attacking him will do. In her relationship with Joe, Janie uses her voice to insult Joe to show her displeasure, but with Tea Cake, she knows how and when to use her voice and understands both herself and her emotions. In the Everglades, Janie actively participates in conversation; “Only here, she could listen and laugh and even talk some herself if she wanted to” (134). In Janie and Tea Cake’s relationship, equality is a major aspect, Janie has both a voice and a position in their marriage. Janie feels like an individual both with Tea Cake and the people in the Everglades, in contrast to her relationship with Joe where people view her as subordinate to Joe. Tea Cake slaps Janie out of jealousy and control and as a result, Janie does not raise her voice back at him. (147). Tea Cake physically abuses Janie, but never tries to mentally overpower her, and

Tea Cake returns home after Janie has a panic attack regarding the two hundred dollars she thought he stole. She assumed he had run off, but he returned with it. This sets up trust between the two parties. Additionally, there is understanding between the two of them, as Tea Cake accepts that she wishes to accompany him to future events. This also sets them up to spend time with each other instead of Janie being isolated like she was with Jody.

The final stage in Janie’s development as a woman is her marriage with the twelve years younger Tea Cake. Both are totally in love with each other and Janie lives a live she has never lived before. She experienced a big change when she moves from her formal live as “Mrs. Major” (43) in Eatonville to the Everglades where Tea Cakes teaches her how to farm, fish and hunt and introduces a totally new rural life to her. Janie described her lifestyle in these days with "...we ain't got nothin' tuh do but do our work and come home and love" (127).

He wins her heart with his energy, and willingness to make Janie his equal. Tea Cake is the only husband that actually takes a genuine interest in Janie. He takes her hunting, fishing, and plays checkers with her. She especially enjoys playing chess, the fact that he considers her intelligent enough to learn such a game shows that he thinks more of Janie than Logan or Joe ever did. The town disapproves of Janie and Tea Cake because he is poor and younger than her. They have the impression that he is just after her money. Janie and Tea Cake leave the town of Eatonville and travel to a town called Jacksonville where Tea Cake has work. The sense of gender equality is very important to Janie in a relationship. Tea Cake asks Janie to work alongside him in the Everglades fields. Logan and Joe both wanted her to work, but she resented it. The difference is that Logan wanted Janie to do hard labor because he thought of her as an object like a workhorse. Joe wanted Janie to work in the store, which she also disliked because Joe just wanted to publicly display her as his trophy wife. Tea Cake’s attitude about Janie working is completely different. He gives her the choice of working and doesn’t command her. Janie goes to work the next day, “So the very next morning Janie got ready to pick beans along with Tea Cake. There was a suppressed murmur when she picked up a basket and went to work. She was already getting to be a special case on the muck. It was generally assumed that she thought herself too good to work like the rest of the women and that Tea Cake "pomped her up tuh dat." But all day long the romping and playing they carried on behind the boss’s back made her popular right away.”(133) This is the first relationship that Janie doesn’t care to work. She actually likes working alongside Tea Cake. As time passes the town gets word of a hurricane coming. All the people start fleeing to different places, but the boss

Because of his possessiveness, Tea Cake becomes jealous of his wife. He wants to take control over her life and does not allow her to go anywhere alone. One day, Janie discovers that Tea Cake keeps a pistol on their bed. She is afraid that he will use it against her. Janie tries to hide it because his jealousy may lead to a tragic end of their marriage. As a matter of fact, Tea Cake tries to kill her but she manages to survive. Then, in self-defence, Janie unconsciously shoots him to death which was “the meanest moment of eternity ... she had wanted him to live so much and he was dead” (Their Eyes Were Watching God, 1990).

Janie endures her final marriage with Vergible Woods, better known as Tea Cake. Tea Cake is twelve years younger than Janie. Despite the age difference, Janie finds an interest in Tea Cake. However, initially, Janie is afraid of being disappointed for a third time which causes her to be hesitant in building a relationship with Tea Cake. Eventually, Janie overcomes her fear of being hurt and decides to marry Tea Cake. Although Tea Cake ultimately becomes the love of Janie’s life, soon into the marriage, Janie begins to realize Tea Cake’s flaws. Tea Cake has a

When the novel reaches its climax with the death of Tea Cake, Janie transforms into a fulfilled character who begins to live a life of acceptance. The death of Tea Cake closes the door on Janie’s third marriage, however, that marriage taught Janie more about herself than any other caregiver. As Tea Cake and Janie begin to spend more time with one and other, the townspeople of Eatonville grow anxious. During her marriage with Joe, Janie is subjugated to severe classism which separates her from the townsfolk. When Janie begins to act like a regular woman and not a noble, the town is surprised, as Pheoby mentions “Janie, everybody’s talkin’ ‘bout how dat Tea Cake is draggin’ you round tuh places you ain’t used tuh” (Hurston 112). With Tea Cake, Janie experiences more adventure and more life than with anyone else. Every day brings a new adventure for their relationship, for example:

After gradually increasing their time spent together and the strength of their relationship together, they move together to the muck. Living there, Janie sees an improvement in her life compared to being tied down in the store by Jodie, but still, problems arise. One weekend, without apparent reason, Tea cake had whipped Janie. It wasn't done because “her behavior justified his jealousy, but it relieved that awful fear inside of him. Being able to whip her reassured him in possession”(147). Similar to her experiences of being beaten by Jodie, Janie simply keeps quiet and raises no noise about it. She continues to love Tea Cake, without any hostility towards him. At some point in her life, Janie must stand up for herself, and not just continue herself to become victimized by men who clearly are misusing her. Even when Tea Cake had his “affair” with Nunkie the Chunkie, and Janie was outspokenly upset, she refused to truly confront the problem. She screams at Tea Cake, “You done hurt mah heart, now you come wid uh lie tuh bruise mah ears!”(137). This seemed like the first instance where Janie finally became more than just self aware. Unfortunately, after saying this, she succumbs to Tea Cake once again, and releases her disapprobation for what Tea Cake had

Unlike the other men that Janie has been with, Tea Cake allows her to make her own decision, including joining in on social events and working alongside the men in the bean fields. Janie last the longest with Tea Cake without having any unresolved issues woven into their special bond with each other. The most devastating event in their relationship is when Tea Cake develops rabies from saving Janie from the mad dog. As “this mysterious sickness” (204) takes over Tea Cake’s passionate personality, Janie does not leave Tea Cake, as the doctor suggested, but showed her loving dedication to Tea Cake by staying with him. At the climax of Tea Cake’s illness, Janie shoots Tea Cake to put him out of suffering and to save herself from his uncontrollable actions.

Tea Cake: Tea Cake is fun, spontaneous, and treats Janie with more equality than her previous husbands. He is the only husband Janie ever truly loves and reciprocates her feelings. This marriage allows Janie to fulfill her dream of marrying for love and by dying, he allows her to live her life in full independence.

Janie falls in love with the Everglades, everything there is new and strange. Tea Cake finds them a room, and he decides that he will pick beans during the day and at night, he will play guitar and roll dice. Once the season begins they live a comfortable life picking beans. Tea Cake teaches Janie how to shoot a gun, and she eventually becomes a better shot than him. Once the season starts, poor workers start to move in to town, and soon all the houses are taken, those who could not get houses sleep in the fields at night. The bars soon come to life and all night there is loud music spilling out of them. Tea Cake and Janie’s house becomes the center of the Everglades; people hang out at their house and listen to Tea Cake play his music. In the beginning of the season, Janie mainly stays home and cooks meals for Tea Cake, but he soon starts to gets lonely working in the field alone all day. He begins to leave work early so he can see her, Janie decides that it would be best if she would join him in their field picking beans that they can be together all day everyday. Janie wonders what the people of Eatonville would say if they

When Janie sees the Native Americans leaving, she asks why and they reply that there’s a hurricane coming. Most people don’t believe them because the white people are staying. They ignore the strangely calm weather and and the animals migrating west. Tea Cake refuses a ride with one of his friends like most workers. That night, the workers decide to stay up and have a party, storytelling and playing cards. As the weather starts to worsen, Tea Cake and Motor Boat get caught up in a game. They realize a hurricane is coming when the sun isn’t seen though it’s morning. Janie tells Tea Cake she would rather die with him there than to have stayed in Eatonville and never have met him. Their house starts to flood and Tea Cake tells Janie to wrap their