Analysis of Janie's Efforts to Find Herself Through Multiple Marriages
The book “Their Eyes Were Watching God” has plenty to do with finding yourself and self-identity. With this as one of the main themes, the book is still very relevant today even with being over 70 years old. Finding yourself has become a big deal with social media and with generation Z teens being more likely to be depressed or diagnosed with anxiety. This book helps deal with the issues associated with being lost and finding yourself. Especially with Janie, the main character in the book. The theme being that in order to be content, you must find yourself through the struggles you have gone through.
In chapter 3, Janie marries her first husband because her grandmother has set up an arranged marriage with both of them. S she does not want to marry him but does anyways because she believes she will eventually believe that she will grow to love him and will be able to please her grandma in the long run. Janie’s decision gives up her sense of power and independence. Rather than doing what she wants and keeping her independence, Janie does what she wants because of the wishes of others. Logan is shown at first a man who means well but is later revealed to be an oppressive man and wants Janie under his will. Examples of him showing power is him basically needing her to work in the fields no matter what and just calling her names such as spoiled. In addition to this oppression, Janie has to deal with the emotional oppression of basically being trapped in a marriage that shows no affection. All of the suffering she has to do is the exact reason why she is able to leave the town. Due to her being so fed up with Logan and how oppressive he is, Janie builds up the courage to leave behind where she was raised and the only place she has ever lived in and knows. Her being able to leave can definitely be an effect of Logan’s treatment upon her.
The next relationship Janie has is with her second husband, Jody. This relationship is far more difficult to understand, is more damaging and more significant than the first with Logan. Jody, who is also shown to have a good first impression being a man who is good looking and powerful, just as before, starts to give Janie stricter and stricter demands. He does not like it when she socializes with other men, he tries to always have her hair either up or covered which symbolizes her being submissive and not empowered. he blatantly insults her when he thinks that she is not doing good at work, and lastly and arguably the most significant, when he is mad, he beats her. Janie through these two marriages, it is easy to say that she is not an empowered , independent feminist and is completely lost but that is what it is supposed to be as this is part of her struggle that leads her to be able to find herself. Even with spurts of rebellious behaviors, she behaves like the submissive wife he wants her to be. For years upon years, she just does whatever he wants her to do, for example she falls quiet, follows his orders, and sticks around even after she is beaten physically and emotionally and basically becomes a trophy wife for Jody.
Chapter 8 when things start to change for Janie. The suffering she has dealt with has caused her to act with power. When she finally gets the chance to voice her thoughts, she gives it to Jody and goes off on how and what she thinks of him. Concluding this, Jody dies. This can be symbolism for finally being able to kill the men that killed her and is more powerful than ever before. The years upon years of mistreatment from Logan and Jody allow her to appreciate the good times and not take it for granted, making her a more content, powerful, and humble woman. Now she can also finally appreciate being single and not having to always look for love and think that is the answer because of the abuse she has had with men. This allows her to find Tea Cake.
Tea Cake is the first man that Janie can finally enjoy a relationship with. For the first time she feels connected physically, but more importantly emotionally. He also shows that the self love and confidence and her knowing herself through these difficult times has brought her to him and good times ahead. For example, she knows Tea Cake is an ideal man for her because she knows how a bad marriage and relationship feels. Although Janie has not been happier with Tea Cake, it is clear that she has not found the right man. For example Tea Cake at first just randomly disappears out of nowhere, he gambles, and possibly most annoying of all hosts loud, obnoxious parties with money that belonged to Janie. Furthermore, he is willing to flirt with other women and will even beat Janie to show that he is the man and more powerful in the relationship.
The relationship challenging and perplexing for us readers. We know that Tea Cale has more flaws than we or probably even himself would like to admit but there is absolutely no denying the fact that this is the happiest Janie has ever been in the story. Although we may think that Janie has gone back to who she was, she most definitely has not and the writing makes sure that we know that she has not. The perfect example of this is when Janie shoots Tea Cake. If this were to be before Tea Cake, she would have let herself die and done whatever to let the man live. Due to her finding herself through all the struggles, she is able and willing to kill Tea Cake so she can live. She is also able to gain full spiritual peace and be fully content. This in no doubt shows that Janie through years upon years of struggle has indeed found herself and does not need love or anyone and is happy with who she is.
Zora Neale Hurston questions the ideology of being content. She starts with the story beginning with a girl who idealizes men and love and feels she will only be happy if she is married and ends it with a girl who was able to willingly kill a man she loved to save herself and is happy and content after it happened. She wants us readers to know that no matter what is going on in our lives, we should never give up as good times are ahead. She insists that no matter how lost we feel, we will be able to find ourselves. She makes sure that no matter how unconventional it may be, that we will indeed find ourselves and be happy.
To conclude, Janie, the main character of the novel, can easily be shown as a character who is lost. This is because she is clearly shown as one who is reliant on others for happiness. She cannot be truly happy and content of herself largely because of her marriages from three men in her life. In these marriages, Janie is often beaten down, silenced, ignored, and even beaten up physically. The thing is when she is beaten down, she always finds a way to get back up stronger than she was before, improving herself and seeking out who she is. She has to deal with her three husbands, Logan, Jody, and Tea Cake, but she shoots out from each marriage stronger than ever and more sure of her own identity.
