Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay
Have you ever heard the expression, “He’s probably compensating for something?” Well that phrase describes Jody perfectly. Jody’s relationship with Janie shows that Jody is threatened by Janie and he covers that fear of being powerless with his controlling attitude. This contributes to Hurston overall meaning that women are not powerless without a man.
When Janie’s hair is in one braid, it is described as you would describe a male’s organ, and her breast described as pugnacious. Even Janie’s features give her the power she has. Jody on the other hand has to buy everyone and command everyone to get a sense of power and fulfillment. Near the end of Jody and Janie’s relationship there is a confrontation, by this time Janie is tired of putting up with Jody’s want for power and does not let Jody put her down anymore. Janie insults Jody, “Humph! Talkin’ ‘bout me lookin’ old! When you pull down yo’ britches, you look lak de change uh life.” It is a big contrast between the two characters. Janie’s braid has more resemblance to a male organ than Jody’s male organ. This irony oooohhh. good insightful analysis! intensifies the idea that Janie has a natural power to her, unlike Jody who sees power as necessary to fulfill his life. Hurston used this to prove that even though men sometimes believe they hold the reins in a relationship, women can come out and take the reins just as well as men.
Throughout the book, Janie is described having a power that is intimidating to men, including Jody. Even though Janie’s first husband took it well, Jody was not going to sit and have Janie take control of him. Jody, to begin with owns a feminine name, and fakes power. For example, Jody commands Janie to keep her hair up around the shop, because “she was there for only him to look at” but later on in that same paragraph Hurston writes “but he couldn’t say that. It wasn’t in him.” Even though Jody could stand up and tell Janie that she had to pull her hair up, he could not work up the “power” to tell Janie why. Hurston uses this “power” in Jody to point out that some men cannot handle having strong, powerful women because they become self-conscious and begin to demand a power that they don’t necessarily have.
When I think of power I imagine it to be a strong characteristic that shouldn’t be looked for and shouldn’t be lost because of a misfortune. Jody gained “power”, and as easily as you obtain something, you can lose it. When Jody became sick his sense of “power” began to deteriorate. He began to lose the idea that he should gain all the power in the world in order to be happy. In the end, Jody was weak, “A deep sob came out of Jody’s weak frame. [..] Then it rose high like pulling in a trombone.” You can see that Jody who had no real power easily broke down when he took into account his sickness. Janie is a different story. In the beginning of the book when she is walking back to her house after the incident with Tea Cake she walks without showing any shame, without showing any emotion that might make her seem weak. Janie’s real power helps her get through what happens to Tea Cake and herself.
Jody and Janie were a couple that showed that power was within a person, and not given with control over many people and land. It also showed that women are capable of being more powerful than men and that they can stand for themselves and be strong. Hurston understood that showing that women were capable of power within themselves was important. Janie was characterized as a strong woman with a mind of her own. Hurston pointed out that even when put under the “power” of a man who believed she should obey him, she still outshone him and overcame it.
Have you ever heard the expression, “He’s probably compensating for something?” Well that phrase describes Jody perfectly. Jody’s relationship with Janie shows that Jody is threatened by Janie and he covers that fear of being powerless with his controlling attitude. This contributes to Hurston overall meaning that women are not powerless without a man.
When Janie’s hair is in one braid, it is described as you would describe a male’s organ, and her breast described as pugnacious. Even Janie’s features give her the power she has. Jody on the other hand has to buy everyone and command everyone to get a sense of power and fulfillment. Near the end of Jody and Janie’s relationship there is a confrontation, by this time Janie is tired of putting up with Jody’s want for power and does not let Jody put her down anymore. Janie insults Jody, “Humph! Talkin’ ‘bout me lookin’ old! When you pull down yo’ britches, you look lak de change uh life.” It is a big contrast between the two characters. Janie’s braid has more resemblance to a male organ than Jody’s male organ. This irony oooohhh. good insightful analysis! intensifies the idea that Janie has a natural power to her, unlike Jody who sees power as necessary to fulfill his life. Hurston used this to prove that even though men sometimes believe they hold the reins in a relationship, women can come out and take the reins just as well as men.
Throughout the book, Janie is described having a power that is intimidating to men, including Jody. Even though Janie’s first husband took it well, Jody was not going to sit and have Janie take control of him. Jody, to begin with owns a feminine name, and fakes power. For example, Jody commands Janie to keep her hair up around the shop, because “she was there for only him to look at” but later on in that same paragraph Hurston writes “but he couldn’t say that. It wasn’t in him.” Even though Jody could stand up and tell Janie that she had to pull her hair up, he could not work up the “power” to tell Janie why. Hurston uses this “power” in Jody to point out that some men cannot handle having strong, powerful women because they become self-conscious and begin to demand a power that they don’t necessarily have.
When I think of power I imagine it to be a strong characteristic that shouldn’t be looked for and shouldn’t be lost because of a misfortune. Jody gained “power”, and as easily as you obtain something, you can lose it. When Jody became sick his sense of “power” began to deteriorate. He began to lose the idea that he should gain all the power in the world in order to be happy. In the end, Jody was weak, “A deep sob came out of Jody’s weak frame. [..] Then it rose high like pulling in a trombone.” You can see that Jody who had no real power easily broke down when he took into account his sickness. Janie is a different story. In the beginning of the book when she is walking back to her house after the incident with Tea Cake she walks without showing any shame, without showing any emotion that might make her seem weak. Janie’s real power helps her get through what happens to Tea Cake and herself.
Jody and Janie were a couple that showed that power was within a person, and not given with control over many people and land. It also showed that women are capable of being more powerful than men and that they can stand for themselves and be strong. Hurston understood that showing that women were capable of power within themselves was important. Janie was characterized as a strong woman with a mind of her own. Hurston pointed out that even when put under the “power” of a man who believed she should obey him, she still outshone him and overcame it.
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