In the beginning of the novel, the reader comes upon a conflict between Nanny and Janie. The conflict arises in a story that Janie tells about the time she kisses Johnny Taylor. The conflict of the story is when Nanny catches Janie kissing Johnny and tells Janie that she is now in her womanhood and she also told Janie, “Ah wants to see you married right away” (Hurston 12). The reason that there is a conflict between the characters is ultimately because of the love that Nanny has for Janie and how Nanny just wants to protect Jannie.
After Nanny explains to Janie that she is in her womanhood now and wants her to marry, Nanny slaps Janie for not looking at her when she speaks but cannot come to do it again when she raises her hand to swing it another time because she sees the pain that lies in Janie’s eyes. Nanny, “with her uplifted hand for the second blow she saw the huge tear that welled up from Janie’s heart and stood in each eye...instead she brushed back the heavy hair from Janie’s face” (Hurston 14). Nanny must succumb to Janie’s aching heart and “weep internally” for the both of them (Hurston 14). Later, Nanny tells Janie “Every tear you drop, squeezes a cup uh blood outa mah heart” (Hurston 15), showing her love and care that she has for Janie.
The conflict is solved when Nanny tells Janie the story about her daughter was raped at seventeen(Hurston 19) and mainly tells Janie how she does not want people “makin’ a spit cup outa you [Janie]” (Hurston 20).The picture relates to the conflict because Nanny learns a great lesson through the painful memory of what had happened to her daughter.
I agree with your insight, Janie might believe she is an adult and old enough to make her own decision, but in reality she is still very young and naive. Her nanny is trying to watch over her because her nanny has most likely been in her shoes already and wants to shelter Janie from the pain. Janie is growing up and trying to pull away, but no matter how old Janie gets, she will always be a baby in Nanny's eyes.
ReplyDeleteI like how you noticed that Nanny caused conflict out of her love for Janie and for her protection, not to be mean. This is similar to Hamlet when he said he must "be cruel only to be kind." What may seem to Janie as cruel is ultimately kindness from Nanny to protect Janie from getting raped like her mother did and to become a wife unlike her mother had a chance to be.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this insight of the story's conflict. When Nanny slaps Janie for kissing Johnny Taylor and tells her all about what her daughter went through, she does it out of love for Janie. She wants to protect her and so she tells her about her daughter in hopes that Janie might learn from it.
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