The Role Of Husbands In The Formation Of Janie’s Self-identity In Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God
Janie is often defined as a feminist character, the main character of Zora Neale Hurston's novel Their Eyes Were Watching God. Even though she is certainly an independent woman who believes in equality for women, Janie does not lead throughout the novel a typically feminist lifestyle. She is most often beaten, silenced, ignored, marginalized, as well as physically abused because of her relationships with the three key men in her life. Yet it is these disempowerment episodes that reinforce the feminist identity of Janie. She struggles through Logan, Jody, and Tea Cake's arms, but she emerges happier and more confident about her own identity from each marriage. “Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board.” The author describes Janie's inspiration in the opening sentence of the novel to follow her dreams and fulfill them. As the novel progresses, Janie's quest to find out who she's going to be will be hard and full of challenges, especially the challenges shell face in her three marriages. Ironically, the moments she can't be a feminist in her life are what truly helps Janie structure her own self-identity by the end of the novel, thanks to the three men that shook her life's hands.
Janie marries her first husband, Logan Killicks, not because she wants to be with him, but because she wants to please her grandmother and hopes she will ultimately learn to love Logan. “The familiar people and things had failed her so she hung over the gate and looked up the road towards way off.” The decision of Janie to marry Logan is not illogical, but it is a surrender. Instead of pursuing her desires and insisting on maintaining her freedom, Janie is questioning others' wishes. Logan, a guy who is well-meaning but manipulative, wants to keep Janie under his control.” Janie's first dream was dead, so she became a woman”. Janie begins learning about love and desire. She understands Logan Killicks' marriage did not make her fall in love with him. This quote means a natural part of becoming a mature woman being disappointed in love. He considers her lazy, demanding that she work alongside him in the fields. 'Ah thought you would ‘appreciate good treatment. Thought Ah’d take and make somethin’ outa yuh. You think youse white folks by de way you act.' Logan seems to think that a black woman can't demand any kind of respect or care and should be satisfied as to the workhorse of her family. When she asks for something better, Logan assumes Janie is being needy. Furthermore, Janie suffers from the psychological repression of being stuck in an affectionless relationship in contrast to this ongoing physical oppression. But if Janie's first marriage is characterized by total defeat and oppression, it is exactly these conditions that give Janie the courage to skip town. But she's so fed up with Logan and his dominant ways, Janie has the strength to leave the only home she's ever known. Something she would almost definitely not have done if she hadn't first married Logan.
Janie has a more serious and complex relationship with her second husband, Jody Starks, than her relationship with Logan. It's more harmful as well. Jody, who is powerful and charming, requests his wife increasingly strictly He does not let her communicate with big groups in public, he doesn't like it when she socializes with other me, and he demands that she covers her beautiful hair. He blames her when he believes she's doing bad work, and when he's angry, he beats her. Those readers who seek evidence of Janie's unflagging feminism may be dismayed by Janie's willingness to stand up to Jody. Despite rebellion flashes, she mainly acts like the loyal wife Jody wants her to be. She had been following his orders for years, silencing herself and sticking around after hitting her. However, in Chapter 8, Hurston points out that the suffering of Janie has given her extraordinary power. Janie admits to Jodie, “...dat you got tuh Pacify somebody besides yo’self if you wants any love and any sympathy in dis world. You aint tried to pacify nobody but yo’self. Too busy listening tuh yo’ own big voice.” When she finally gives her feelings a voice and tells Jody what she thinks about him, he dies, as if brought down by her rage's intensity. Years of mistreatment are offering Janie the power with her words to fell men. They also appreciate her to much for her freedom. Since she takes it seriously to be grounded by a man, Janie is much more grateful of her single life than she could have experienced real unhappiness.
Through Tea Cake, Janie enjoys an intellectual, physical and emotional harmony marked by a meaningful relationship. For Janie, tea cake is not just a good fit. He is also proof of self-knowledge which may result from difficult and demeaning circumstances. Only because Janie suffered through two bad marriages can she know Tea Cake is the right man for her Despite Janie's sensation of happiness with Tea Cake, Hurston makes it made it clear she did not locate an ideal man. Tea cake is gone He's gambling. He hosts wild parties with Janie's stolen money. He's flirting with other women. He even beats Janie to prove he's wanting to control her. The relationship between Janie and Tea Cake is challenging and confusing. “Jes lak uh lil girl wid her Easter dress on. Even nice!' He locked the door and shook it to be sure and handed her the key. 'Come on now, Ah’ll see yuh inside yo’ door and git on down de Dixie.” While Tea Cake tries to treat men and women equally, he still unconsciously sees women as weaker than men. He believes they need men to lead them safely back home. He calls Janie a 'lil girl did her Easter dress on,' making her look weak. Hurston forces us to recognize that despite numerous weaknesses of Tea Cake, Janie's happy with him. Furthermore, Hurston makes it impossible to argue that Janie has regressed, turning back the person she was with Logan and Jodie. Janie's willingness to shoot and kill Tea Cake to save herself, and the harmony she finds at the end of the novel, prove she's matured and gained power, a well as freedom.
Hurston is continually questioning accepted wisdom on what it means to be a strong, successful woman. She indicates that happiness does not always require a spouse, children, and a happy life by giving her protagonist three husbands, and ending her novel with Janie alone and content, as well as by portraying the bursts of independence after Janie's submissive episodes, she reveals that great pain and weakness, especially through each experience with her husbands structures and independent and wise woman like Janie.
