Janie Takes a Stand
At the end of chapter 6, Janie rebukes the men and her response not only highlights the gender inequality problem in the novel, but it also shows a major character development in Janie. Not only of what Janie says is startling, but the fact that she said something made me see Janie in a different perspective. Janie?s opening line, ?Sometimes God gits familiar wid us womenfolks too and talks His inside business?, caught my attention because her response is against societal norms. Women are not classified as actual individuals, and they are expected to be obedient and quiet. In this quote, Janie asserts that women are individuals, and even God speaks to women as well. Janie bringing up God strengthens her argument
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Now I do not interpret either of these quotes or Janie?s rebuke overall as an attack on men; I think she speaks out about women?s role in society and to show the men a different perspective of women. The content in both of the quotes emphasizes finally of what Janie thinks about the world she lives in, and it also marks a huge development in Janie?s character. Now, of course, the content of quote is contributing factor character development, but the fact that she said something is even a bigger revelation of Janie?s character. Janie could have said nothing and gone with the norms of society, but instead, she went against it. Throughout the beginning of the novel Janie has been going with society expectations, but her rebuke in this chapter puts Janie?s character on a different path. She does not care about what society or her grandmother wants her to do. She took a stand, not only for gender equality but also independence for herself. Janie is tired of being a servant, specifically to Joe, but also to society and her grandmother?s expectation. Janie wants equality, independence, and happiness. This response is the start of a ?new? Janie that is rebelling against society and her grandmother so
she says that the men either make the women slaves when god had created them to be companions or they use them for sex and pleasure. Also she talks how the men would steal their kids from her and how god did not give them this right. She argues to have the women stand together and fight for what is right. I believe that all of these letters prove that equality is necessary. she uses ideas from the lord, whom everyone followed, as well as morals and real life facts.
In The Eyes are Watching God, the author Zora Neale Hurston expresses the struggles of women and black societies of the time period. When Hurston published the book, communities were segregated and black communities were full of stereotypes from the outside world. Janie, who represents the main protagonist and hero, explores these communities on her journey in the novel. Janie shows the ideals of feminism, love, and heroism in her rough life in The Eyes. Janie, as the hero of the novel, shows the heroic qualities of determination, empathy, and bravery.
more’n you kin say… When you pull down yo’ britches, you look lak de change uh life” (Hurston 79). Janie stands up for herself and verbally attacks her husband, which was unusual for the time
but it didn’t do her any good” as Jody kept on fighting for her “submission” (71). As Jody continues to make Janie submit, less of her individuality is present as she is reduced to the ideal wife in Jody’s eyes. He does this by covering her hair, confining her to the store, and insults her. Again, In one scene,
She begins her letter by stating that John is working too frequently and not spending enough time with her and her family. She proceeds to denounce his work in office by stating that despite their government’s progress towards equality of all men, the women still deserve to have equal opportunities. Moreover, she also infers that a government is only as powerful as it’s people, thus, if not provided wit equal opportunities, the women will revolt against the government. Before reading this, I was unaware that women, especially women of higher class/power, were discussing equal rights and opportunities of women. I assumed that they would have primarily discussed this with the other women in their society rather than the men.
She has been caught between two fires: racial dehumanization in the form of “slavery” and “lynching” on the one hand, and the call for “being good” and exerting effort for the betterment of oneself on the other. Self-development and betterment of oneself date back to Booker T. Washington who called for peaceful co-existence with white people instead of protesting against racism. He called colored people to work hard and realize achievements in order to prove to white people that they deserve equal treatment. Finney does not agree on some values and beliefs of the past as she criticizes Washington’s viewpoint by portraying a hard-done-by protagonist who has “heard / 7,844 Sunday sermons on how God made every / woman in his image (Finney, Head off & Split 9: 60-62). Parks has also “hemmed 8,230 skirts “for white women and hemmed out “18,809 pants legs” for white boys.
Numerous women expressed their disapproval towards how they were denied their rights based on their gender, thus causing women to take a stand for their suffrage and rights. In a letter to her husband, Abigail Adams told him to “be more generous and favourable to [women] than [his]
In the historical fiction novel Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse, the central character Billie Jo faces many adversities that could have crushed her hopes, dreams and spirit. The author Karen Hesse, states, “the way I see it, hard times aren’t only about money, or drought, or dust. .Hard times are about losing spirit, and hope, and what happens when dreams dry up.” This quote means that the way the author sees it, the hard times in Billie Jo’s life aren’t always on the surface, as she faced losing her sense of self, her optimism, and her goals she wished to achieve. Billie Jo is confronted with the challenges of her strained relationship with her father, as well as guilt over her mother’s death, yet she is able to hold onto her spirit, hopes,
This theme is developed through the mother yet deciding to stand out and do life her own way. As a woman, the mother in this story is expected to act like everyone else. Women in
Throughout the course of the book, Janie experiences oppression as a woman, revealing the hidden gender roles in American society that help form the American
She expected to obey for her husband like others. “He ordered Janie to tie up her hair around the store” reveals that she did everything to his happiness not for her. Even though she is a wife of a mayor, she didn’t get any privilege rather she lost her social relationship with other people. She lived under the dominance of her husband
In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston acknowledges the idea of sexism when she addresses that Janie Starks, the protagonist, never got to fulfill her dreams. Janie’s grandmother, Nanny, wanted the best for her granddaughter so she married her off to a man named Logan Killicks, a man who had a small farm and good wealth “Janie and Logan got married in Nanny’s parlor of a Saturday evening with three cakes and big platters of fried rabbit and chicken,” (Hurston 3). Years has passed within the marriage and Janie never found love for Logan. Logan comparing her to his ex-wife, discriminated Janie’s place of position, “Mah fust wife never bothered me ‘bout choppin’ no wood nohow. She’d grab dat ax and sling chips lak
Janie should follow the stereotypical, traditional role women follow, where “men are encouraged… to place [themselves] at the center… while women are forced to center around and serve the needs” of others (Ellison 98). The main goal of women is to take care of the family and the home. Janie, including all other women around the world should be satisfied with her life as the less powerful sex. “A gulf of inequality between men and women… establishes men’s superiority and normative status” (Ellison 98). “The women actively participated in their part of the work, therefore, they complement the men’s part” (Gonzalez 32).
In the novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, the protagonist Janie, is influenced by others to change her ideals. Hurston vividly portrays Janie’s outward struggle while emphasising her inward struggle by expressing Janie’s thoughts and emotions. In Kate Chopin’s The Awakening the protagonist is concisely characterized as having “that outward existence which conforms, the inward life which questions,” as Janie does. Janie conforms outwardly to her life but questions inwardly to her marriages with Logan Killicks, her first husband, and Joe Starks, her second husband; Janie also questions her grandmother's influence on what love and marriage is.
Being a woman of color in the 1920’s was no easy task. Gender and racial inequalities have made progress throughout history, however during the time of this novel, and even in our modern day world they are still present and causing conflict. This is an issue that should be focused on and taken more seriously. In the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, Janie does a fantastic job overcoming several of these inequalities in order to pursue her own happiness, overall depicting her as an extremely powerful role model for young