Their Eyes Were Watching God: Week 1
Post your first response by Tuesday, February 6. Throughout the week, engage in discussion by replying to a combination of six posts and replies.
The Road: Week 3
Post your second response by Tuesday, February 20. Throughout the week, engage in discussion by replying to a combination of six posts and replies.
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ReplyDelete“Their Eyes were Watching God” begins with an end. We see the main character Janie Starks, reflecting back on her life, telling stories to her friend Phoeby. Within the first few pages, you can tell the book is shaped by strong languages and actions. It mostly consists of dialogue throughout, sometimes taking breaks to for a narrator describe the scene. This first chapter introduces that the language and speech will be important throughout. Another thing you instantly recognize is that Hurston avoids using Standard Written English in dialogue but reverts back to it when the narrator speaks. This gives a split style narrative, one from Janie’s point of view and one from the narrator. Changing between the two different language styles, again stresses one of the biggest theme that language and controlling it, is very important. In Chapter 2, we come across a significant moment in Janie’s life that is very defining for her. Sitting under a pear tree, she has almost a sexual and emotional awakening. Different parts of the tree resembling typical gender stereotypes, though with Hurston’s carefully picked language she tweaks the typical female stereotype in this metaphor. Shortly after this experience, she finds that a man her grandmother for her hand in marriage.
ReplyDeleteLanguage is very important, and Hurston very much celebrated the common folk. Continue to think about voice. When does Janie speak? When and how is she silenced? What are some examples of the metaphoric language? Another question for all to discuss: is this novel about gender, race, both?
DeleteI really enjoy your interpretation of the tree, but I want to know more about HOW the tree represents gender stereotypes. Also, how does she have a sexual awakening?
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DeleteI can strongly agree that the tree represented a sort of awakening for Janie's adolescence. As the initiation of chapter 2 stated, "Janie saw her life like a great tree in leaf with the things suffered, things enjoyed, things done and undone." Making a comparison between Janie's life to a tree. However, how do you believe different sections of the tree identify to stereotypes seen in genders?
DeleteI think the book is about both gender and race. During this time being a colored women was hard because they were seen as someone that took care of the house and the family. But Janie did not want to be this way.
DeleteI agree this has a lot to do with gender and race, although Janie is a bit more privileged than any other colored women in the town due to the fact that she is mixed and she is the mayors wife. But I do believe that because she is a women Stark's expects her to do everything a women does and Janie does not agree with that.
DeleteI didn't even realize the privilege Janie has being mixed and being raised around white families.
DeleteIn the beginning of the book “Their eyes were watching god” Janie the main character begins to tell a story to her very good friend Pheoby, which later turns into what the whole book is about. When Janie’s neighbors were on the front porch talking about her, they automatically made her seem like a really bad person. Once she started to tell her story and when the author said on page 8 “Janie saw her life like a great tree in leaf with the things suffered, things enjoyed, things done and undone”, this is when I realized Janie was not how they made her seem she was. As I kept on reading and I read a couple of chapters I started to see how hard her life had been with her mom leaving her as a baby, her grandma who raised her dying, and her husband not being the love of her life, she truly was not living a happy life. She thought that both of her marriages were going to end up with a happy ending eventually, but I think she rushed to fast into marrying someone. She had only met Toby a couple of times without knowing he was going to change throughout time like Logan did. I say this because on page 50 when the people from the town are gossiping, one says “She sho don’t talk much. De way he rears and pitches in de store sometimes when she make uh mistake is sort of ungodly,”. Some would say he might be under pressure with all of the stress of making this town amazing and being the mayor, but I say that the money and the power in general are getting to him. I also think that later in the book she will want to leave him as well like she did with Logan. Overall I think this novel has a lot to do with race especially since it is written in an older setting. Even the actual way the text is organized has a lot to do with what the book is about. Although it is a very interesting way of writing for a novel, it might be harder to understand for some readers, as the type of writing can get sometimes difficult to comprehend.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy your interpretation of the leaf metaphor. I also agree with the difficulty to comprehend, as I had a difficult time reading the book because I'd have to read over multiple times due to the way the speech is written. How bad do you think Janie's new husband will get before she leaves him too?
DeleteI also agree that race is important throughout the book, how much do you think it will play into the actions of Janie and the tone of the story?
DeleteAs you mentioned, Janie has had a rough life without a mother or father. The only care she received was from her grandmother. I truly believe that the lack of love Janie received as a child made her search for love through her partners. Partners who unfortunately do not fulfill her expectations of the term 'love'. How do you believe that race determines the theme of the novel based on their setting?
DeleteI agree that the book has a lot to do with race and roles. How do you think this will affect her through out the book?
DeleteAs of right now, I think he will just continue on getting more strict with her and changing like her past husband did until she gets annoyed and leaves him too. Race is one of the most important factors in this story, due to the fact that Janie is a mixed African American with white I think she will later find a white husband and it can create a bit of controversy in the book.
DeleteIn the first six chapters of the book “Their Eyes Were Watching God”, it was clearly stated that the main character, Janie, had lived a bizarre life. She was first set up by her grandmother with a wealthy man to marry, after the spontaneous kiss of a ‘woman’. Her Nanny wanted her to be raised correctly and be a proper young woman, unlike Janie’s mother. Although after months of marriage to her first husband Logan, she realized her life wasn’t what she expected. When he burst out and complained about her she came to the conclusion that her marriage was no longer going to work out. “Janie's first dream was dead, so she became a woman” (25). She had suffered, and learned from her experience and was definitely prepared to be a woman. Janie soon ran away with Joe Starks, the soon Mayor of the all-colored town of Eatonville. The idea of running away and starting a future sounded intriguing to Janie, however she soon realized the responsibilities of being a mayor’s wife. She was prohibited to participate in numerous town activities. “But da mayor’s wife is somethin’ different again” (60). Joe strongly prohibited Janie from participating in conversations or small events the entire town would have. Such as before, Janie came to the realization that she was no longer happy with the desire she thought she had for ‘Jody’. “She had no more blossomy openings dusting pollen over her man, neither any glistening young fruit where the petals used to be” (72). The love she thought they had was no longer there. Her second marriage to Joe, made her grow as a woman. “She had an inside and an outside now and suddenly she knew how not to mix them” (72). Janie was no longer the innocent woman she used to be, the silence and pain had changed her. Her fairytale of love wasn’t what she expected.
ReplyDeleteI like how you acknowledge how much Janie has grown throughout the book. She has certainly learned a different set of lessons from every relationship.
DeleteI like how you explain why her dream has died. Do you think she will leave Joe like she did with Logan because she is unhappy?
DeleteI really like the quote you used from the book about the petals and how well it fit with describing how Janie was not happy anymore with her new husband Jody.
DeleteIn the beginning of the book “Their Eyes Were Watching God” Zora Neale Hurston you are introduced to the main character Janie. A lot happens with Janie in the first couple chapters. Her grandmother has big dreams for her and she wants to marry Janie off to a rich man. Through the strong language the author uses really helps you understand the time this takes place. Throughout the chapter she discusses her life with her new husband and how she does the typical wife duties. From all the information this book is based on the gender roles women had back in this time. She was not happy with this life. One day she comes across a man walking. He tells her that he is not going to treat her like Logan does. Throughout the chapters she has an awakening. After moving to a different town she realizes that she doesn't like being treated like this. When she is there she wants to work at the new store but her husband would not allow her to. Through the language and tone you get the feeling that this book is based around the gender roles that they had back then. She is told by many people that her job is to stay in the house and do housework. Janie had a different dream for herself. She wanted to change this. She left her first husband because she was told by Joe that she would be able to have her dream.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the fact that Janie has a dream for herself, although her experiences do not fulfill her dream. After being married to Logan, she desired something better-leading to her marriage to Joe. She soon realized that Joe made her empty promises for something better. Based on the gender roles in that era, do you think Janie will ever be able to have her dream?
DeleteI think that in the end she will be able to live out her dream but it will take some time because women in this time were not able to work or do anything outside the house.
DeleteEven though she lives in a time when women couldn't necessarily do everything they would like to, Janie seems that she would like to defy that. She was able to stand up to someone who didn't treat her well, so I think she will have the courage to achieve her dreams.
DeleteIn the first few chapters of "Their Eyes Were Watching God", the main character, Janie, begins telling her best friend a story. The book begins with the ending of the story. Janie tells her friend about her life, beginning with when she was with Nanny and the white children. She was much different than how she was raised. She was raised like a white child, surrounded by white children, to the point where, when she saw herself in a photograph for the first time, she didn't recognize herself. As she gets older and matures, her grandmother marries her off to a man she doesn't know. She has an ideal idea of love, and she quickly realizes that, with Logan, she will not find it. She runs off with Joe, a man she meets on the side of the road who promises her the best life she can imagine. She goes with him because she knows her marriage is not ideal and thinks that going off with Joe will give her the marriage and love she wants.
ReplyDeleteI liked how you pointed how Janie was raised completely around white children. While reading the story, I forgot about this part and didn't realize how that may affect the behavior of Janie.
DeleteBeing raised in a white household made Janie think like one. She received mostly everything she wished for as contrast to the colored children. Being married to colored men changed her whole life. She wan't going to receive the ideal life she dreamed of, however the realistic lifestyle of a colored folk. Perhaps this may be the motive as to why she doesn't find the happiness she desires.
DeleteI agree being married to a colored man may have changed her mind, but in the book I believe they mentioned something about Joe Stark's acting like a white man himself. He was also a bit privileged. He is the mayor and gives her everything she wants, so why is she still not happy?
Delete"Their Eyes Were Watching God" is a novel that paints the tale of 40 year old woman named Janie. Among the first couple of chapters, we are invited from the narrator into the life of a voluptuous woman named Janie who is of mixed African and Caucasian decent. Her old community welcome her back with scorn and derision. The distinct and strong language provides a good base of background to the story. It adds a unique characteristic, as if you are breathing the same air with the characters. The unfamiliar but infinite language the characters use provides a spark from the author's writing style. You can feel the author's; Zora Hurston's, own emotion entangled within the dialogue. Regarding back to the story line this far, the women sit on their porches and exchange nasty gossip born from jealousy of her beauty and social mobility. You can feel the implement of the women regarding Janie as a cougar for have romantic interest in a man 10 years younger than her. It's almost as if they see her as whorish in their eyes. But a close friend of Janie, a woman named Pheoby, stands up for Janie's defense and brings rice over to her house. Janie is soaking her feet and replies that she is not bothered by the other women's rude remarks. As Janie lays out her story to her friend, we find that Janie had loved a man named "Tea Cake". My assumption would be that "Tea Cake" is a younger white man and he had passed away at a certain point, but we have yet to find out much about him. The way the author presents Janie as a soul who is relentless for love. But she does not introduce her story with "Tea Cake" first. Instead, she resounds about her life being surrounded by white children and being raised by her grandmother, who she calls "Nanny" in West Florida. Janie had not recognized that she was black until she saw a photograph for the first time. Janie was always stuck in the middle of things. Meaning she views her life as not being as perfect as she thinks it is. She has a very idealistic way of thinking things. She envies a tree and has a sexual awakening for the first time. She has an idea of a perfect love life and marriage without trying which explains her settling on men she had not even had enough time to be close with. I love how the author emphasizes the hurt that Janie's family had gone through. So far, this is preparing readers of the lessons and tragedy Janie has endured for the rest of the book.
ReplyDeleteWhy do you think Tea Cakes is a white man? I did not think about that till you mentioned it but I think that she might of been happier since she grew up around a white family.
DeleteI was actually thinking this as well, Tea Cakes might be a white man and of course younger than her. I believe he might be white because of the neighbors in the beginning of the story that were highly criticizing her due to the fact that he was young, and I think white. Why do you think he is white?
DeleteI agree with the fact that the author emphasizes the amount of pain Janie has experienced. This adding to the empathy that readers feel towards Janie throughout the book. However you mentioned that she settles on men too soon, do you think she brings pain upon herself?
DeleteTea Cake is NOT white.
DeleteTea Cake isn't white, Janie appears to be attracted towards him for other reasons.
DeleteIn the book “Their Eyes Were Watching God”, written by Zora Neale Hurston we’re introduced to lots of different language and lifestyles. This really stuck out to me because even just trying to read they way the speak was difficult for me. In our culture it’s seen as incorrect so it’s very interesting to me how they have learned to speak and where it came from. Right from the start of the book I fell in love with Janie. Her lifestyle, her way of thinking, processing stuff and her indepence really stuck with me because it’s the type of person I aspire to be. An example of her lifestyle and thinking is on pg. 8 paragraph 1, “Janie saw her life as a great tree in leaf with the things suffered, things enjoyed, things done and undone. Dawn and doom was in the branches.” This paragraph stuck with me because the way things turn out to be, whether they flourish or come to a dead end, create the reaction of suffering, enjoying or simply if things don’t work out.
ReplyDeleteI strongly agree with you that in the beginning of this book I had a difficult time reading it as well, once I started reading more and more it just became easier for me to speak that way while I read. I also agree that Janie is a great character, as I fell in love with her too. But why would you aspire to be like her? Her personality is great and her way of thinking as well, but what is it about her that made you love her from the start?
DeleteSuch as you, I admired Janie from the beginning. She has a sense of independence which I strive to be. The dialogue in the text added a great amount of character to the text, giving the reader a sense of the era. The tree comparison to life seems to be quite accurate; whether it flourishes or suffers, you can enjoy it regardless. Do you think Janie's tree will ever flourish?
DeleteI really respect Janie as well, she is a great example who those who would like to be strong and confident. I also like how you focus on that specific paragraph, it's a great example for how life works.
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