Their Eyes Were Watching God-Journal 10

Theme:  Marriage will first result in submission, but then that will grow into rebellion and resentment if one person has too much power over the other.

“ ‘No’m, he ain’t even talked ‘bout hittin’ me.  He says he never mean to lay de weight uh his hand on me in malice.  He chops all de wood he think Ah wants and den he totes it inside de kitchen for me.  Keeps both water buckets full.’ ” (22-23)

·         Although Janie didn’t directly take power over Logan, she still had a power over him because he didn’t want to lose her and he wanted to make her happy.

“Long before the year was up, Janie noticed that her husband had stopped talking in rhymes to her.  He had ceased to wonder at her long black hair and finger it.  Six months back he had told her, ‘If Ah kin haul de wood heah and chop it fuh yuh, look lak you oughta be able tuh tote it inside.  Mah fust wife never bothered me ‘bout choppin’ wood nohow.  She’d grab dat ax and sling chips lak uh man.  You done been spoiled rotten.’ ” (26)

·         Logan is resentful of Jody and he is trying to make her feel bad.

·         Hurston brings in the motifs of Janie’s hair and judgment. (Logan is judging her compared to his first wife.)

“ ‘Mah mamma didn’t tell me Ah wuz born in no hurry.  So whut business Ah got rushin’ now?  Anyhow dat ain’t whut youse mad about.  Youse mad ‘cause Ah don’t fall down and wash-up dese sixty acres uh ground yuh got.  You ain’t done me no favor by marryin’ me.  And if dat’s what you call yo’self doin’, Ah don’t thank yuh for it.  Youse mad ‘cause Ah’m tellin’ yuh whut you already knowed.’” (31)

·         Janie is starting to rebel because Logan rebelled.

·         When the person that doesn’t have to power rebels, the person in power rebels as well.

“So they were married there before sundown, just like Joe had said.  With new clothes of silk and wool.”

·         Brings in the motif of the sun.

“ ‘Thank yuh fuh yo’ compliments, but mah wife don’t know nothin’ ‘bout no speech-makin’.  Ah never married her for nothin’ lak dat.  She’s uh woman and her place in in de home.’  Janie made her face laugh after a short pause, but it wasn’t too easy.  She had never thought of making a speech, and didn’t know if she cared to make one at all.  It must have been the way Joe spoke out without giving her a chance to say anything one way or another that took the bloom off of things.” (43)

·         Joe shows his power over Janie

·         Resentment is starting to grow in Janie even though she is being submissive.

“Time came when she fought back with her tongue as best she could, but it didn’t do her any good.  It just made Joe do more.  He wanted her submission and he’d keep on fighting until he felt he had it.  So gradually, she pressed her teeth together and learned to hush.” (71)

·         Shows the power Joe has over Janie, but shows the resentment building.

“The years took all the fight out Janie’s face.  For a while she thought it was gone from her soul.  No matter what Jody did, she said nothing.  She learned how to talk some and leave some.  She was a rut in the road.  Plenty of life beneath the surface but it was kept beaten down by the wheels.” (76)

·         Uses the metaphor to create an image for the reader to connect to Janie.

·         The wheels was the power Jody had over her.  The life underneath the surface is her resentment.

“ ‘Naw, Ah ain’t no young gal no mo’ but den Ah ain’t no old woman neither.  Ah reckon Ah looks mah age too.  But Ah’m uh woman every inch of me, and Ah know it.  Dat’s ug whole lot more’n you kin say.  You big-bellies round here and put out a lot of brag, but ‘tain’t nothin’ to it but yo’ big voice.  Humph!  Talkin’ ‘bout me lookin’ old!  When you pull down yo’ britches, you look lak de change uh life.” (79)

·         Janie is letting her resentment show and she is starting to rebel.

“He gave a deep-growling sound like a hog dying down in the swamp and trying to drive off disturbance. ‘Ah come in heah tuh git shet uh you but look lak ‘tain’t doin’ me no good.  G’wan out.  Ah needs tuh rest.’” (85)

·         Because Janie rebelled, resentment is growing in Jody as well.

“She was just basking in freedom for the most part without the need for thought.” (93)

“ ‘Ah reckon you wish now you had of stayed in yo’ big house ‘way from such as dis, don’t yuh?’  ‘Naw.’  ‘Naw?’  ‘Yeah, naw.  People don’t die till dey time come nohow, don’t keer where you at.  Ah’m wid mah husband in uh storm, dat’s all.’” (159)

·         Because the power was pretty equal in Janie’s marriage to Tea Cake, there was not resentment in Janie.

“ ‘But you come ‘long and made somethin’ outa me.  So Ah’m thankful fuh anything we come through together.’” (167)

·         Shows the lack of resentment in Janie.

Their Eyes Were Watching God-Journal 9

Addison walked into the school.  The 13 year old girls standing by the door glanced her way, rolled their eyes, and went back to their conversation.  Addison approached her locker, trying to see down the hallway without anyone noticing.  She was looking for her friend, her only friend, but she wasn’t there, for the fourth day in a row.  Addison decided to just go to her first period class and try to make is seem like she had homework and that’s why she was there so early. 

That Addison is just walking with her head down.  Doesn’t she realize that people can see her?  A mouse must’ve eaten her sweater.  She does this everyday.  That girl doesn’t have any friends.  She’s going to class way early. 

The days went by like this.  When Addison went home she would run to her room, fling herself on the bed and cry for an hour.  Her mother knew she was up there crying, but she didn’t know what to do.  She wanted to help.  One day, she decided to just go for it and she let herself into Addison’s room.

“Honey, what’s the matter?” she asked her daughter.

“Nothing Mom.  Go away!”

“Sweetie, I’m not going away.  I’m going to help you, because it kills me to hear you up here crying everyday.”

Addison lifted her head from her pillow and looked at her mom through teary eyes.  “Why would you want to help me?  I’m a loser,” she said.

Taken aback, her mom wracked her brain for what she could say to that.  “You are not a loser Addison Rose.  Why would you ever think that?”

“I see the way kids look at me mom.  They’re judging me because I have no friends and because I eat lunch alone and go to class way before the bell rings.  They think I’m a loser.”

“Addison, don’t let those kids make you a loser.  That’s what they’re doing.  They’re making you feel like a loser.  You’re not actually a loser,” her mom said.

“Mom, I want to be popular.  That’s all I want.”

“Baby, being popular isn’t everything.”

Addison looked at her with a furious look.  “Yes it is!  Just go away!” she yelled.

            After her mother left, Addison looked into the mirror and all she saw was the bright red, puffy face of a loser.  She thought about what her mom had said.  The idea that stuck in her head the most was that she was whatever the popular kids judged her to be.  Looking at her ceiling she started talking.

            “Is it so much to want to be popular?  It’s not like those popular girls are even that pretty.  They’re actually kind of ugly.  Their hair looks fake and they’re orange from all of the fake tanning.  And those stupid jock boys.  They’re all really dumb.  They don’t deserve to be popular.  Other than being good at sports, they’ve got nothing going for them.  All of those people would be lucky to be my friend.  They’re just too dumb to realize it; like they’re too dumb to pass the 7^th grade.  I’m so much smarter and prettier than all of them.”

            Although her ceiling wasn’t talking back, Addison was feeling better about herself.  She was realizing that she was better than those popular kids and she could be one of them any day she really tried.

            The next day, Addison walked into the middle school, turned to look at the group of popular girls, and walked right up to them.  Feeling better about herself, she began to talk to them as if they weren’t good enough.

Theme:  Judging others by comparing them to oneself gives human a feeling of power and superiority over the judged.

Techniques

Confidant:  Addison’s mother is her confidant.  From her conversation with her mother, we learn that Addison wants to be popular more than anything.  Pheoby is Janie’s confidant and we learn things about Janie and her feelings through the conversation she has with Pheoby, like we learn things about Addison through her conversation with her mother.

Apostrophe: Addison talks to her ceiling and from this “conversation” the tone changes to one of judgment.  Addison is starting to judge the popular kids.  We learn things about Addison’s thoughts and her feelings through her dialogue to her ceiling.  Hurston uses an apostrophe when Janie is talking about Tea Cake and she is trying to be mad at him.  When Janie does this, we learn about her thoughts and feelings towards Tea Cake.

Short Sentences:  In the second paragraph short sentences are used.  This is to convey the tone of judgment.  It is to make it seem as if each sentence is a different person’s thought and they are all judging Addison.  In the first paragraph of chapter 12 Hurston does this as well.  She uses short sentences while talking about Janie and Tea Cake.  This creates the tone of judgment and makes it seem as if different people in the town are judging her.

Their Eyes Were Watching God-Journal 8

“‘’Cause Tea Cake ain’t no Jody Starks, and if he tried tuh be, it would be uh complete flommuck.  But de minute Ah marries ‘im everybody is gointuh be makin’ comparisons.  So us is goin’ off somewhere and start all over in Tea Cake’s way.  Dis ain’t no business proposition, and no race after property and titles.  Dis is uh love game.  Ah done lived Grandma’s way, now Ah means tuh live mine.’” (114)

When the quotation takes place Janie is talking to Pheoby about her and Tea Cake.  Pheoby is telling Janie how the town is judging her and Pheoby is also expressing her concerns about the situation to Janie.  In this quotation and the whole conversation, Pheoby is revealed as Janie’s confidant.  Hurston makes Pheoby the confidant because it allows the reader to learn some of Janie’s thoughts and feelings about not only Tea Cake, but her grandmother as well.  If Janie had not had a confidant, the reader might never have known these essential details.  Knowing Janie’s thoughts that are expressed in this conversation between her and Janie changes the reader’s opinion about Tea Cake and Janie.  I believe that because the reader now knows Janie’s feelings about the situation, they connect on a deeper level with Janie.  I also think that this conversation reveals how Janie’s character is evolving and how she is becoming a stronger woman.

“So he didn’t come that night and she laid in bed and pretended to think scornfully of him.  ‘Bet he’s hangin’ round some jook or ‘nother.  Glad Ah treated him cold.  Whut do Ah want wid some trashy nigger out de streets?  Bet he’s livin’ wid some woman or ‘nother and takin’ me for uh fool.  Glad Ah caught mahself in time.’  She tried to console herself that way.” (106)

Tea Cake hadn’t come by Janie’s house that night so she wants to be mad at him.  She tries to make herself mad at him by talking poorly out loud about him.  In this passage, Hurston uses the technique of an apostrophe.  Janie is talking to nothing in particular.  By saying what she does, we learn about Janie’s thoughts and feelings.  It causes the reader to get a look inside of Janie’s mind and it makes the reader sympathize with her because we want to see her happy.

“Another thing, Joe Starks hadn’t been dead but nine months and here she goes sashaying off to a picnic in pink linen.  Done quit attending church, like she used to.  Gone off to Sanford in a car with Tea Cake and her all dressed in blue!  It was a shame.  Done took to high heel slippers and a ten dollar hat!  Looking like some young girl, always in blue because Tea Cake told her to wear it.  Poor Joe Starks.  Bet he turns over in his grave every day.  Tea Cake and Janie gone hunting.  Tea Cake and Janie gone fishing.  Tea Cake and Janie gone to Orlando to the movies.  Tea Cake and Janie gone to the dance.  Tea Cake making flower beds in Janie’s yard and seeding the garden for her.  Chopping down that tree she never did like by the dining room window.  All those signs of possession.” (110)

This passage comes at the beginning of Chapter 12.  After the passage, there is dialogue from the townspeople talking about Janie in a judging way and then comes Janie’s conversation with Pheoby.  In this passage Hurston uses short sentences and tone.  The tone that is created is a judging tone.  Hurston uses tone to make the judgment of Janie stand out.  The short sentences make it feel as if each sentence is a thought from a person in the town.  It seems as if the thoughts go back and forth.  This creates the feeling that everyone in the town is judging Janie, adding to the tone.

Their Eyes Were Watching God-Journal 7

So Addy started to question Faith.  Faith, that ever-present figure with the strong, comforting hands that lived just out of reach.  The amazing being that dwelled in the farthest corner of our hearts, with the throne.  Why does Faith need a place to stay, and what doubt could knock her down?  She sits on her throne that rules the heart.  Sits commanding and jealous all the hours of the day, with her hand extended, anticipating that a hopeful soul will reach for it.  Stayed sitting before the world came to be, before hours were counted, before there was a need.  Any minute now Addy, could find a trace of a glow from the halo beaming from her own face.  She was nervous and sympathetic as well.  Confused Joel!  He shouldn’t have to ponder this question without her.  She asked Nate to help clear Joel’s mind, but Joel declined.  Those people were capable of answering the simple questioners, except they had no idea about a situation like his.  He’d recover from this doubt right after the demons were cast out.  He would not be lost after all.  This was what he hoped for.  Except Nate had explained things to her in a different way, making her understand.  But if he failed to, at the nearest dawn she was guaranteed to realize it, because the hope that had gathered in her heart was slowly making its way out.  The hope that had been there for the longest time tiptoed towards the edges and lingered there.  Only toed the edge and delayed.  Trust, the pure angel, had flown from his soul.

Other than using the same sentence structure, I kept with Hurston’s writing style in that I kept the passage vague, but I kept emotion in it as well.  I feel like the reader would sympathize with Addy and want to help Joel.  This is how I felt when I read the passage about Death in the novel.  I used interesting verbs that are not commonly used, like Hurston does. 

Their Eyes Were Watching God-Journal 6

“Death, that strange being with the huge square toes who lived way in the West.  The great one who lived in the straight house like a platform without sides to it, and without a roof.  What need has Death for a cover, and what winds can blow against him?  He stands in his high house that overlooks the world.  Stands watchful and motionless all day with his sword drawn back, waiting for the messenger to bid him come.  Been standing there before there was a where or a when or a then.  She was liable to find a feather from his wings lying in her yard any day now.  She was sad and afraid too.  Poor Jody!  He ought not to have to wrassle in there by himself.  She sent Sam in to suggest a visit, but Jody said No.  These medical doctors wuz all right with the Godly sick, but they didn’t know a thing about a case like his.  He’d be all right just as soon as the two-headed man found what had been buried against him.  He wasn’t going to die at all.  That was what he thought.  But Sam told her different, so she knew.  And then if he hadn’t, the next morning she was bound to know, for people began to gather in the big yard under the palm and china-berry trees.  People who would not have dared to foot the place before crept in and did not come to the house.  Just squatted under the trees and waited.  Rumor, that wingless bird, had shadowed over the town.” (Hurston 84)

·         Personifies death

o   The personification of death makes the reader see it as Janie is seeing it and not as something that just happens.  It causes the death of Joe to be a bigger event than if death had not been personified.

·         Capitalizes No

o   The “no” is capitalized to put emphasis on the word.  Joe was very upset with Janie and I think he wanted to show that he had power over her by making her feel bad and making her feel guilty.  The capitalized “n” in the word adds to that effect.

·         Gives a “rumor” the characteristics of a bird

o   Hurston does this because a common saying is that “rumors fly through areas.”  They do this without wings.  I think Hurston is trying to make readers put a physical image to a rumor so that they can see the effects that a rumor has within a group of people.

·         Continues the motif of trees

o   Because people gather under the trees while they wait for the death of Jody, it makes the reader see a tree as a symbol of death.  It could also make the reader see the tree as a symbol of judgment because the people are waiting to judge Janie after Jody dies.

·         Refers to death with masculine pronouns

o   This causes the reader to connect the death figure to the men of the book.  It makes the reader connect with Janie more and see the male characters in a more negative light

o   A motif of men having power over women is a prominent in the book.  Because death is characterized with male pronouns, it contributes to that motif.

·         “wuz”; the only word in a southern dialect in the narration

o   This word connects the narration with Janie and makes the reader understand that this passage is Janie’s thoughts.

·         The “s” sound is prominent in the underlined sentence

o   Because the “s” sounds is so prominent in the sentence, it causes to “No” to be emphasized because it doesn’t have the “s” sound.

·         Janie sympathizes with Jody and feels bad for him.

o   Before this passage, Hurston made Joe seem like a bad person and made the reader sympathize with Janie instead of with Joe.  Because Janie begins to feel bad for Joe the reader begins to as well.  This lends itself to the motif that men have power over women because even though Joe did bad things to Janie, she still feels something for him.

·         Death stands “watchful”

o   The word “watchful” adds to the motif of eyes and judgment.  Death is standing there watching and then judges when a person needs to die.  This lends itself to the theme that judging with the eyes can be dangerous.

·         Uses the word “overlooks”

o   This word contributes to the motif of eyes.

o   It can also contribute to the motif of power because Death is overlooking the world.  When something overlooks the world, it usually means that it has power over something, if not the world itself.

Their Eyes Were Watching God-Journal 5

Zora Neale Hurston uses the motif of the porch to show the closeness between Janie's life and the life that Joe does not allow her to live; the life that she can't live is just outisde of the door.  Hurston does this to show the change in Janie's character from when she arrives in the town to when Joe dies.

Their Eyes Were Watching God-Journal 4

References to mules

“De nigger woman is de mule uh de world so fur as Ah can see.” (14)

“Take for instance the case of Matt Bonner’s yellow mule.  They had him up for conversation every day the Lord sent.” (51)

“‘…You got uh town so you freed uh mule.’” (58)

In the beginning of the book it is mentioned that colored women are “the mules of the world.”  The mule in Eatonville is stubborn and does what it wants.  This is what Janie wants to be able to do.  Later in the book, she does gain her independence in a way and becomes like the mule.  After the mule dies it is left to the buzzards.  After Tea Cake dies, Janie goes back to her hometown and the people there that are judging her are like the buzzards.

The Porch

In the beginning of chapter five the porch is mentioned a lot, but the word “porch” is used to describe the inanimate object in front of the store.

“Just about time for the committee meeting called to meet on his porch the next day…” (40)

Towards the end of chapter six the word “porch” is not only used to describe an actual porch, it is also used to describe the group of people that are always on the porch.

“This was what the porch was waiting for.  They burst into a laugh.” (73)

Janie is forced by Jody to stay in the store and not participate in the gossip and talk that happens on the porch.  She’s kind of on the outside looking in.

Janie’s Hair

Jody requires Janie to tie her hair up in a rag.  He doesn’t want other people to see her hair because he doesn’t want them thinking of Janie in a way they shouldn’t be.  He’s jealous of them and wants her all to himself.

“This business of the head-rag irked her endlessly.  But Jody was set on it.  Her hair was NOT going to show in the store.”

Because Janie wears the head-rag it causes other people to judge her.  Sam and Hicks are an example of this when they talk on the porch.

“‘Whut make her keep her head tied up lak some ole ‘oman round de store?  Nobody couldn’t git me tuh tie no rag on mah head if Ah had hair lak dat.’”

Jody wants to have power over Janie and making her wear a head-rag is a way of doing so.  The head-rag issue lends itself to helping other motifs, judgment and power, be developed.  As the character of Janie develops in the book, her hair changes to reflect the state of life she’s in at the time.

Their Eyes Were Watching God-Journal 3

Arna Wendell Bontemps

Arna Wendell Bontemps attended UCLA and began his writing career there by writing poetry.  Poetry was not the only form of writing he did; he also wrote essays, short stories, children’s books, fiction, and nonfiction.  Bontemps was a teacher in New York City and some of his poetry was published in important black magazines.  Many of his works, especially those that were published, highlighted the struggles and hardships that blacks went through.

Dialect: An American who lives in Ireland and is trying to fake an Irish accent so they seem like they belong, but they aren’t very good at it.

Pronunciation

·         Change the “or” sound to “oor”

·         The “oo” sounds becomes “oh”

·         The “a” sounds becomes “aw”

Grammar

·         Adding the “u”

·         Changing the “z” to an “s”

·         Nouns indicating measure and time are not plural

Vocabulary

·         Lads

·         Grand=great, good

·         Em=um

John crossed the street and bumped into a dark skinned man who looked a bit lost. “Hey there, can I help you?” he asked.

Arna, lost in Dublin, was desperate so he said, “Well, yes.  I seem to be lost.”

“Well you lohk like a smart pairson.  What are yoh doing lost?  Is it yohr first time to this, em, grawnd city of Dublin?” John said with a sly grin.

Arna looked at him, a bit confused, then said, “Yes, how did you know?”

Laughing to himself, John answered, “Lad, when a mawn is standing on a street corner looking at uh map, it’s quite, em, obvious.”

“Oh yes, I guess that is obvious,” Arna said.

“Other than being lost, hawareya today?” John asked the man.

Arna’s eyes lit up and he said, “I’m excited because I’ve come here to be inspired.  You see, I’m a writer and lately I haven’t been able to come up with anything to write about in New York.  So now I’m here.”

“Yoh’ve picked a grawnd city to come to foor inspiration.  This city is quite beautuhful and the country is full of coloour, well mostly green.” John gushed.

Arna, not really interested in seeing the country said, “Oh well that’s good, although I’m more interested in the city.”

John’s eyes widened and he said, “No, the country is grawnd.  Yoh HAVE to go see it.  Yoh HAVE to.”

“I’m just planning to stay in the city.  You see, I don’t have a car with me so I’m just going to walk everywhere that I need to go and I can’t get to the country by walking,” Arna said, starting to be freaked out by John.

“I’ll take yoh Lad.  Get in my cah.  I realise I’m awt uh gas, but it’s onluh 15 mile from herah.  We cawn make it,” John said quickly, “Come on! Get in!”

Nervously Arna looked around and said, “Well, um, that’s alright.  I’ll just…take a cab.  Don’t worry about it really.  I’ll just meet you there.  See you in 20 minutes!”  As he watched John drive away he ran in the opposite direction.

Their Eyes Were Watching God-Journal 2

“‘Come to yo’ Grandma, honey.  Set in her lap lak yo’ use tuh.  Yo’ Nanny wouldn’t harm a hair uh yo’ head.  She don’t want nobody else to do it neither if she kin help it.  Honey, de white man is de ruler of everything as fur as Ah been able tuh find out.  Maybe it’s some place way off in de ocean where de black man is in power, but we don’t know nothin’ but what we see.  So de white man throw down de load and tell de nigger man tuh pick it up.  He pick it up because he have to, but he don’t tote it.  He hand it to his womenfolks.  De nigger woman is de mule uh de world so fur as Ah can see.  Ah been prayin’ fuh it tuh be different wid you. Lawd, Lawd, Lawd!’” (Hurston 14)

-          “…but we don’t know nothin’ but what we see.”: Plays into the idea that people judge based on what they see, but that doesn’t mean that that’s all that’s there.

-          Repeats the motif of seeing/eyes

-          Foreshadowing: Nanny is telling Janie that women are below men and men treat them like they aren’t equal.  This becomes Janie’s life.

-          Contrast between saying that they only know what they see, yet Nanny believes in God, something that she can’t see.

-          Negative tone

-          “de” repeated

-          Power across the ocean: Janie starts to gain power after the flood

-          Black women = mules

-          Sentences flow; rhythmic

-          Refers to black people as “niggers”

-          Repeats the sound “uh” at the end of words

-          Why would Nanny tell Janie that there is basically  no hope for her to have power during her life?

-          Southern dialect

-          “tote”: unusual noun choice

-          Repeats the motif of power

Their Eyes Were Watching God-Journal 1

If I could tell my life story to one person I would tell it to my friend, Nancy.  Nancy is in her early twenties and I have always looked up to her as a role model, but I don’t think that she knows this.  I would tell my story to her because she has impacted my life in so many ways, but she has no idea.  So much of what I do and so many of the decisions I’ve made in the eight years that I’ve known her have been impacted by her in one way or another.  I would love to tell her and explain to her how she has affected my life and how much I appreciate her. 

I would start my story when I was in Mexico on a mission trip.  We were building a house for a family living outside of Tijuana.  The last day on the worksite all of the neighborhood kids that we had gotten to know were hanging around.  One boy, Fortino, who was about 11 asked when we were leaving.  I said “mañana” and he looked away and hit a wall.  It was heartbreaking to me to see that, but it was good to know that my group and I had made a positive impact on the kids in Mexico.  I want to start my story here because it was a turning moment for me in my life.  I value relationships so much more now because, like my relationship with those kids in Mexico, I don’t know how long the relationships I have with people here will last.  I want Nancy to know that because she’s had such an impact on me, I’m now trying my best to leave a positive impact on people younger than me, like those kids in Mexico.