how did janie view of marriage change over the course of the novel

by Rusty Kuhlman 10 min read

In the beginning of Zora Neale Hurston’s book, Their Eye Were Watching God, Janie had an adolescent view on love until she learns many lessons through her three marriages. She learned from her marriage to Logan Killicks that she could not learn to love someone.

After her marriage to Jody Starks, Janie realized that equality is important within a marriage. When Janie married Tea Cake, she realized true love could be found. Janie learned through her three marriages even though she had bad experiences with love; there was a thing as true love.

Full Answer

How does Janie learn that marriage does not guarantee love?

Learning the lesson that marriage does not guarantee love changes Janie and affects her decision making moving forward. The spirit of the marriage left the bedroom and took to living in the parlor. It was there to shake hands whenever company came to visit, but it never went back inside the bedroom again.

How does Hurston show Janie’s view on marriage?

Zora Neale Hurston shows Janie’s view on marriage, “She saw a dust-bearing bee sink into sanctum of a bloom; the thousand sister-calyxes arch to meet the love embrace and the ecstatic shiver of the tree from the root to tiniest branch creaming in every blossom and frothing with delight. So this was marriage!” (pg. 11)

Who are Janie’s husbands&marriages?

Analysis: Janie’s Husbands & Marriages Part I: In the book “Their Eyes Were Watching God”, the main character, Janie Mae Crawford, explains her life story in a flashback to her best friend, Pheoby Watson. Throughout her flashback, she experiences life and marriage with three different men named Logan Killicks, Joe Starks, and Vergible Woods.

What is Janie’s view of Love?

Janie’s view of love was of the pear tree. The perfect harmony between the pear tree and its surroundings was what she thought love was. Her marriages to Logan Killicks and Jody Starks failed to fulfill her vision of love. Tea Cake and Janie went together like the pear tree and its surroundings.

What is Janie's view of marriage?

As she says to her grandmother, "Ah wants to want him sometimes." Janie's and Nanny's views of marriage clearly contrast with one another. Nanny wishes Janie a comfortable, secure life, unlike what she had. However, Janie yearns for a marriage filled with unconditional love.

How does Janie change throughout the novel?

Janie develops as a woman with the three marriages she has. In each marriage she learns precious lessons, has increasingly better relationships, and realizes how a person is to live his/her life.

How does Janie feel about her marriage to Stark?

Soon after they are married he feels Janie doesn't do enough work around the house and thinks she is spoiled. He is unloving, and Janie quickly realizes that he is not the fulfillment of her dream under the pear tree. He treats Janie like a possession, like his mule. Janie eventually leaves Logan for Joe Starks.

What does Janie want out of a marriage?

Janie marries Logan Killicks, her first husband, not because she wants to be with him, but because she wants to please her grandmother and hopes that she will learn to love Logan eventually. Janie's decision to marry Logan is not illogical, but it is a capitulation.

How is Janie different at the end of the novel vs the beginning?

At the end of her journey, Janie returns to Eatonville a strong and proud woman, but at the beginning of her story, she is unsure of who she is or how she wants to live.

How has marriage and silence affected Janie?

How has marriage and silence affected Janie? a. IT makes her quiet - she loses her fight, and joy from her soul. She was a "rut in the road" with life still left but kept underneath the surface.

How has Janie's marriage to Logan changed?

How has Janie's marriage to Logan changed since they were first married? Logan doesn't show much love or attention; he wants Janie to work hard labor next to him. Nothing has changed, they're still the perfect couple. She starts to have a lot of trust issues, but he doesn't make her work so she stays.

Why does Janie agree to the marriage?

Janie's first dream was dead, so she became a woman. When Janie was younger, her Nanny implied that with marriage, love would follow automatically. With this belief in mind, Janie agrees to marry Logan Killicks, a man she does not love.

How did Janie and Logan's relationship change?

How did Janies's and Logan's relationship change? At first he talked in rhymes and did things for her. Then he told her she had to do more work.

What does Janie think will happen after she marries Logan Killicks?

What does Janie think will happen after she marries Logan Killicks? She will get pregnant.

What does Janie dislike about her husband?

How does Janie feel about her husband? She doesn't like the the shape of his head or the fact that he has a big belly. She also hates stirring up his smell when in bed. She feels disappointed.

In what ways is Janie's marriage to Jody similar to her marriage to Logan and in what ways is it different?

In summary, she married Logan because of her grandmother, Jody because she wanted to escape from Logan, and Tea Cake because they had true love. The marriages were different in that Logan treated Janie like a Slave, Joe was moulding her into what he wanted her to be, and Tea Cake just wanted to be with her.

Who was Janie's second husband?

Janie 's second marriage came when she left Logan for a man named Joe Starks. Joe promised to give her the world and treat her the way a lady should be treated. Unfortunately Joe had a turn and he turned to be a bad man and ended up dying. After Joe dies Janie meets Teacake the husband who treated her the best but it was the one that ended the worst of them all. Logan was her first marriage Janie did not want to marry him but her grandmother forced her to because Joe was a rich man who owned a lot of land

Why does Janie love Tea Cake?

She wants a man to treat her as an equal, compliment her, and most importantly love her. Tea Cake fulfills all three of those things and that is why Janie loves him. He shows her how to love and makes her become aware of the freedom she deserves in a marriage. Janie goes her whole life looking for a special man that meets her standards and finally find

What is the theme of the poem "Someone she loved once passed by too late"?

Her ex- boyfriend has been lost amongst her role as a mother and she has become some different until she meets a past lover. The theme ‘loss of identity’ is explored in this stanza because this unknown woman doesn’t know who she is anymore or how to think about being a

What is the meaning of the poem "Her terrified hands will be/ still ringed with the ordeal she

The word that stands out the most in this phrase is terrified- showing us that it was most likely an abusive marriage between Jennifer and her spouse. When the author references Aunt Jennifer’s embroidery as the conclusion of the poem, it is showing how they continue to live on, “proud and unafraid” (Rich 531). This only furthers the point that Aunt Jennifer was trapped in a marriage where the males were the ones left with their pride and their confidence, whereas the women

What is the poem "A Certain Lady" about?

A biography on her life and people she worked with while she wrote gives insight to a story about a woman who was lonely, sad, and unlucky in love. In this piece she adeptly illustrates the yearning that a woman has for her casual lover. His ambivalence to her experience pains her so as he is unable to see.

Who is Kate Chopin?

Kate Chopin is an American Author from louisiana. She is known for her vast amount of short stories and novels. One of her most famous short stories is “The Story of an Hour”. Kate Chopin wrote this short story based upon the women from the 1800’s and how they were stuck in an unhappy marriage and getting a divorce was never really an option for them. The main idea of this short story is about the reflections of a women’s thoughts, Mrs. Mallard, after the announcement of her husband 's sudden death in an accident.

Who is the author of "In Their Eyes Were Watching God"?

In Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston , Janie suffers from hardship in two relationships before she can find her true love. Janie explains to her best friend, Pheoby, how she searches for love. Therefore Pheoby wants to hear the true story, rather than listening to the porch sitters. Throughout the book Janie experiences different types of love with three different men; Logan Killicks, Joe Starks, and Vergible "Tea Cake" Woods. At 16 Janie marries Logan Killicks.

Janie's Three Marriages in Hurston's There Eyes Were Watching God

The book, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston is about Janie Crawford and her quest for self-independence and real love. She finds herself in three marriages, one she escapes from, and the other two end tragically. And throughout her journey, she learns a lot about love, and herself.

Their Eyes Were Watching God Analysis : Janie's Journey Through Marriage

Analysis: Janie’s Husbands & Marriages Part I: In the book “Their Eyes Were Watching God”, the main character, Janie Mae Crawford, explains her life story in a flashback to her best friend, Pheoby Watson. Throughout her flashback, she experiences life and marriage with three different men named Logan Killicks, Joe Starks, and Vergible Woods.

Voice and Language in Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay example

Voice and Language in Their Eyes Were Watching God In one way or another, every person has felt repressed at some stage during their lives.

Janie's Self-Discovery Essay

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston is about a young woman that is lost in her own world. She longs to be a part of something and to have “a great journey to the horizons in search of people” (85). Janie Crawford’s journey to the horizon is told as a story to her best friend Phoebe.

The Death Of Janie Crawford : Tragedy And The American Dream

Institute states that the current divorce rate is around forty to fifty percent for first marriages and even higher for second and third marriages. The upward trend of divorce rates in America has many Americans concerned about the decreasing emphasis on commitment and family values that often results from divorce.

Their Eyes Looked Onward : Zora Neale Hurston

Sruthi Rameshkumar Mr.

Powerful Symbols in Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Powerful Symbols in Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston In 1937, upon the first publication of Their Eyes Were Watching God, the most influential black writer of his time, Richard Wright, stated that the novel "carries no theme, no message, [and] no thought." Wright's powerful critique epitomized a nation's attitude toward Zora Neale Hurston's second novel.

What is the relationship between Janie and Zora Neale Hurston?

Throughout these relationships she learns how to be a woman and finally, be independent. In her first marriage, she had no choice but to marry Killicks.

Who did Jody marry in the first season of The Outsiders?

In her first marriage, she had no choice but to marry Killicks. Her grandma forced her into it and she decided since she wouldn’t ever fall in love with him. She was to become a woman instead. Shortly after she decided this, her second love, Jody, appeared out of the blue.

Why did Hurston make Jody more realistic?

But, Hurston decided to make Jody more realistic. He didn’t allow her to be independent, he stifled her ability to speak, and didn’t let her grow as a person or an individual. Since he restricted her so, she never fell in love and just lived her day-to-day life slaving in his store.

How much money did Jody have in the bank?

Without any level of independence, things seemed grim. Jody was becoming old though and died shortly after, leaving her with twelve hundred dollars in the bank and her independence. Tea Cake came along, although being much younger then her, and whisked her off of her feet.

What did Janie learn from her two marriages?

Janie shares this insight she gained from two marriages as Janie’s friend Pheoby tries to warn her against marrying Tea Cake. After her marriage to Jody ended, Janie was in no hurry to remarry. She describes how marriage can bring out faults in people.

What happens after Janie and Jody get married?

After getting married, the sexual spark between Janie and Jody disappears.

Does Janie love Logan?

With this belief in mind, Janie agrees to marry Logan Killicks, a man she does not love. However, after a few months of marriage, Janie still does not love Logan; in fact, she likes him less now that she has gotten to know him and what life on his farm is like.

Did Janie marry Logan Killicks?

Janie’s first dream was dead, so she became a woman. When Janie was younger, her Nanny implied that with marriage, love would follow automatically. With this belief in mind, Janie agree s to marry Logan Killicks, a man she does not love.

Does Jody care about Janie?

Jody only cares that Janie submits to his authority: He knows that Janie is the most beautiful woman around, and therefore another symbol of his power . As a result, neither Janie nor Jody desires to break up the marriage or to let outsiders see what the marriage lacks.

What changes did Janie go through in Their Eyes Were Watching God?

Three major changes that Janie goes through in Their Eyes Were Watching God are that (1) she fits in with a community, (2) learns to do previously gender-restricted activities, and (3) acts with courage on her own behalf. In her marriage to Joe (Jody) Starks, she played a role as mayors wife and as such had to adopt a public persona ...

How does Janie Crawford change?

Janie Crawford changes in a number of important ways throughout the story . First and foremost, she becomes more independent. At the beginning of the story, it's fair to say that Janie has something of an identity crisis; she doesn't really know who she is. But when she returns to Eatonville, she's a completely different person.

How many times did Janie Crawford get married?

Through a long process of maturing in Their Eyes Were Watching God, the protagonist Janie Crawford gains self-confidence as she grows from an immature adolescent into a middle-aged woman. Along the way, through being married three times to three very different men, she learns to take care of other people as well as herself.

Why does Tea Cake leave Janie behind?

Jody would go on trips and leave Janie behind because she was a woman. In contrast, Tea Cake not only takes Janie with him, he teaches her to hunt and fish on her own. At the end of their time together, Tea Cake contracted rabies, which is fatal if allowed to progress in its course of development.

What happened to Janie Starks when she got married?

As a result, she quickly became disillusioned when Jody started treating her badly.

What does Janie imagine when she runs off with Joe?

Janie imagines that by running off with Joe “Jody” Starks and starting a new life in a new community, she will find fulfillment. She mixes up sexual desire with overall happiness and satisfaction. Unprepared for Jody’s selfishness, belittling, and jealousy, Janie’s resentment grows.

What hasn't killed Janie?

It has not been an easy journey. Janie has had to endure a lot of sorrow and suffering along the way.