Finishing
the novel made me have mixed emotions on the characterization of both Janie and
Tea Cake. In the previous chapters Tea Cake seemed to be a good man for Janie
one who will respect her as well as take care of her. However during different
parts of the chapters Tea Cake became a little too demanding at times. "Put dat two hundred back wid de rest, Janie. Mah
dice. Ah no need no assistance tuh help me feed mah woman. From now on, you
gointuh eat whutever mah money can buy uh and wear de same. When Ah ain’t got
nothin’ you don’t git nothin’"(Hurston 128). Not only did Tea Cake become
controlling with money and with whom Janie talked to which ultimately lead to
his death.
In the beginning of the novel, Janie is a character that made a
stand for equal rights and taking a stand for being independent however as the
story goes on her strong view points start to diminish. Janie lets Teacake dominate
the relationship. If the Janie in the beginning of the book was the same person
she is now than she would have not let Tea Cake physically abuse her. “Uh
person can see every place you hit her. Ah bet she never raised her hand tuh
hit yuh back, neither. Take some uh dese ol’ rusty black women and dey would
fight yuh all night long and next day nobody couldn’t tell you ever hit em. Dat’s
de reason Ah done quit beatin’ mah women”(Hurston 147).
I agree with your observations here completely. Janie was always a strong willed character yet she lets Tea Cake push her around by the end. This doesn't come as a complete shock however since there whole relationship started very quickly and it seemed to good to be true. I wish that, as you have stated above, that Janie would have stayed the same strong person she was before Tea Cake.
ReplyDeleteI completely understand why you'd have mixed emotions about the characterization in the novel. I also was confused as to why Janie seemed like such a strong women but when it came to Tea Cake, she became so weak. But I also feel that Tea Cake did bring out happiness in Janie.
ReplyDeleteFor the first paragraph the quote I used was an explanation/follow up of the following sentence. I used the quote to state that Tea Cake became very controlling during the relationship not only with money but also who she was allowed to talk to.
ReplyDeleteFor the second paragraph the quote was the last sentence to back up my point of how janie remained the same through out the story she was very independent. The quote decribes how the men thought during that time period. The quote was purposly placed to show how janie strays from the norm.
For the first paragraph the quote I used was an explanation/follow up of the following sentence. I used the quote to state that Tea Cake became very controlling during the relationship not only with money but also who she was allowed to talk to.
ReplyDeleteFor the second paragraph the quote was the last sentence to back up my point of how janie remained the same through out the story she was very independent. The quote decribes how the men thought during that time period. The quote was purposly placed to show how janie strays from the norm.