Journal #3

Through chapters 11-16 of Their Eyes Were Watching God, the readers once again see Janie on the pursuit of true love after the death of Joe Starks. This time, she meets sweet Tea Cakes, twelve years younger than Janie herself, who charms her with his quick wit and cheerful personality. The readers see Janie falling into the same situation with yet another man who is just trying to take advantage of her beauty. However, this time, Janie has seemingly learned from her mistake and has decided to observe and get to know Tea Cakes a little longer before rushing into another unsatisfactory relationship. As the story develops, the readers begin to see a difference between Tea Cakes and Janie’s previous lovers. His every speech and action seems to reveal a bit more of his growing affection for Janie. Their mutual care grows into a relationship that Janie was looking for – one of equality and love.

Through her growing relationship with Tea Cakes, the readers can see how Janie has grown since the beginning of the book, finding her own voice and truly discovering herself. She is more cautious in her actions, reminding herself the consequences of being overly hot headed, as seen from her thoughts on Ms. S. She is also seen to have mature since the beginning of the book. In Chapter 12, she explains how Nanny’s upbringing has influenced her way of thinking, and how that thinking had restricted Janie as a child. “She didn’t have time tuh think whut tuh do after you got up on de stool uh do nothin. De object wuz tuh git dere. So Ah got up on de high stool lak she told me, but Pheoby, Ah done nearly languished tuh death up dere (page 114).” She shows her understanding of Nanny’s behavior and why Nanny’s influence caused her to believe that the oppressive powers in her life were acceptable. She explains that she has come to terms with Nanny’s actions and has decided “[she was] done lived Grandma’s way, [and she] means to live [hers] (page114).”

In chapter 17, Mrs. Turner is introduced to the readers as a middle-aged woman of mixed ethnicity who worships all things white, , and attempts to befriend Janie because of their similar heritage. She actually believes that she deserves to suffer under white rule because of her blackness “Anyone who looked more white folkish than herself was better than she was in her criteria, therefore it was right that they should be cruel to her at times (page 144).” Mrs. Turner is similar to the character Curley’s Wife from Of Mice and Men, in the sense that they both the ones that they believe can bring them benefits. As the story develops, I begin noticing that many characters share similar personalities of trying to gain what was never meant to be theirs, such as Joe’s attempts to belittle and dominate others, and Mrs. Turner’s dream of a “heaven of straight-haired, thin-lipped, high-nose boned white seraphs”. Because they do not value what they have, they eventually become the dog in the fable The Dog and His Reflection.