Tea Cake

Aretha Franklin- Respect 

After reading up to chapter 12 in Their Eyes Were Watching God we were introduced to a new character named Tea Cake. Tea Cake seems like a genuinely good guy who cares about Janie. From the chapters read I can tell that Tea Cake is a very supportive person and lets Jodie have her own opinions unlike Jody Starks. “You got yo’ ideas and Ah got mine. Ah got uh dollar dat says you’se wrong. But Ah reckon you don’t bet money, neither” (Hurston 105).  Tea Cake demostates his unique personality through out the chapters by showing different characteristics in which are not typical of a man during the time period of 1937. Tea Cake strives to make Janie comfortable with him and makes sure Janie does not have to feel dependent on him. “ Jody classed me off. Ah didn’t. Naw, Pheoby, Tea Cake aint draggin’ me nowhere Ah don’t want tuh go. Ah always did want tuh git round uh whole heap, but Jody wouldn’t low me tuh” (Hurston 112). Although many of the towns people judge Tea Cake for his economical ranking Jodie does not care. Many people believe Tea Cake is using Jodie for her wealth however Jodie sticks up for Tea Cake every time someone mentions it. “He ain’t never ast de first penny from me yet, and if he love property he ain’t no different from all de rest of us. All dese ole men dat’s settin’ round me is after de same thing.” Overall Tea Cake respects Jodie as a woman.