Their Eyes Were Watching God Change Analysis

Social Change Social change in our society can be good and bad at the same time; it can fix things that are not operating well, but it can also badly affect what could be currently working. In Zora Neale Hurston’s novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie Crawford proves her independence by making decisions that change her life both positively and negatively. From the beginning to the end of the novel, Janie switches from allowing her grandma to create her life to taking charge and dictating her own path. In Janie’s early life, she tolerated the choices that her grandma had made for her and accepted the path that was chosen for her. This is present when Janie agrees to marry Logan Killicks, despite his crustiness and lack of connection towards

Little does she know, just because Joe has the looks, he also ends up being overpowering, overconfident and treats women as if they are objects. Joe’s bad traits are shown when Janie expresses, “Time came again when she fought back with her tongue as best she could...It just made Joe do more...So gradually, she pressed her teeth together and learned to hush,” (Hurston 71). In a marriage where Janie feels the need to stop herself from talking, she is making herself smaller than Joe and that is a representation of what Janie does not want. Another incident where Joe makes Janie seem smaller is shown when they are at a town gathering. Joe does not allow Janie to speak for herself because he thinks she is incapable of controlling her own speech and assumes she is not as educated as he is. This marriage also comes to an end, not by Janie running away, but by the death of Joe. Although Joe was abusive and controlling, Janie had feelings for him in the beginning of their relationship and she truly cared for him. Janie’s relationship with Joe showed her a portion of the type of partnership she dreams for, but it is not until Tea Cake that Janie finds what she has been waiting