1. "'So when we looked at the picture and everybody got pointed out there wasn't nobody left except a real dark little girl with long hair standing by Eleanor. Dat's where Ah wuz s'posed to be, but Ah couldn't recognize dat dark chile as me. So Ah ast, 'where is me? Ah don't see me'" (Hurston 9).
Janie grew up in a white society, and she was so easily accepted by the white children that she thought she too was white. This experience inadertently jumpstarts Janie's lasting belief in equality. The culture Janie grew up in was so accepting that she developed different perceptions of race than most Southerners, who believed in the ascendancy of the white race.
Janie grew up in a white society, and she was so easily accepted by the white children that she thought she too was white. This experience inadertently jumpstarts Janie's lasting belief in equality. The culture Janie grew up in was so accepting that she developed different perceptions of race than most Southerners, who believed in the ascendancy of the white race.
2. "Ah don't want yo' feathers always crumpled by folks throwin' up things in yo' face. And Ah can't die easy thinkin' maybe de menfolks white or black is makin' a spit cup outta you: Have some sympathy fuh me. Put me down easy, Janie, Ah'm a cracked plate" (Hurston 20).
Nanny pushes Janie to get married because Nanny wants to make sure that Janie has the opportunities that Nanny did not have. Nanny had a very harsh past, in which she was treated like a mule, and she did not want the same for Janie. After Nanny's coercion, Janie married Logan Killicks. In the South, it was very common for black women to be treated as a mule in society, which was one of the reasons Nanny wanted Janie to have a stable marriage. Nanny had the typical Southern impression that a woman needs a stable marriage in order to achieve happiness.
Nanny pushes Janie to get married because Nanny wants to make sure that Janie has the opportunities that Nanny did not have. Nanny had a very harsh past, in which she was treated like a mule, and she did not want the same for Janie. After Nanny's coercion, Janie married Logan Killicks. In the South, it was very common for black women to be treated as a mule in society, which was one of the reasons Nanny wanted Janie to have a stable marriage. Nanny had the typical Southern impression that a woman needs a stable marriage in order to achieve happiness.
3."Janie soon began to feel the impact of awe and envy against her sensibilities. The wife of the Mayor was not just another woman as she had supposed. She slept with authority so she was part of it in the town mind. She couldn't get but so close to most of them in spirit" (Hurston 46).
Jody does not allow Janie to be like a regular citizen and he puts her up on a pedestal. Both Jody and the people of Eatonville expect Janie to act, dress, and be overall better than all other women in the town because she is the mayor’s wife. However, Janie only wishes to be natural and realizes that the culture that Joe creates is not the culture that she wants to be part of, and that it will restrict her from reaching her horizon, which is becoming harmonious with nature.
Jody does not allow Janie to be like a regular citizen and he puts her up on a pedestal. Both Jody and the people of Eatonville expect Janie to act, dress, and be overall better than all other women in the town because she is the mayor’s wife. However, Janie only wishes to be natural and realizes that the culture that Joe creates is not the culture that she wants to be part of, and that it will restrict her from reaching her horizon, which is becoming harmonious with nature.
4.-"Take for instance that new house of his. It had two stories with porches, with bannisters and such things. The rest of the town looked like servants' quarters surrounding the 'big house.' And different from everybdy else in the town he put ff moving until it had been painted, in and out. And look at the way he painted it -- a gloaty, sparkly white" (Hurston 47).
-"Tea Cake's house was a magnet, the unauthorized center of the 'job.' The way he would sit in the doorway and play his guitar made people stop and listen and maybe disappoint the jook for that night" (Hurston 132).
There is an extreme difference between hierarchy in Eatonville and in the Everglades, or the Muck. In Eatonville, Joe Starks is the leader and builds his house and store bigger than the surrounding houses, so people meet there. In the Muck, there is no clear leader. Tea Cake's house is a popular place for people to meet, but it is not because he is the leader of the town. In the natural Everglades, people are free and it is very liberal society, as opposed to Eatonville, in which everyone looks up depends on Joe.
-"Tea Cake's house was a magnet, the unauthorized center of the 'job.' The way he would sit in the doorway and play his guitar made people stop and listen and maybe disappoint the jook for that night" (Hurston 132).
There is an extreme difference between hierarchy in Eatonville and in the Everglades, or the Muck. In Eatonville, Joe Starks is the leader and builds his house and store bigger than the surrounding houses, so people meet there. In the Muck, there is no clear leader. Tea Cake's house is a popular place for people to meet, but it is not because he is the leader of the town. In the natural Everglades, people are free and it is very liberal society, as opposed to Eatonville, in which everyone looks up depends on Joe.
5. "Before the week was over he had whipped Janie. Not because her behavior justified his jealousy, but it relieved that awful fear inside him. Being able to whip her reassured him in possesion. No brutal beating at all. He just slapped her around a bit to show he was boss" (Hurston 147).
Tea Cake slaps Janie after Mrs. Turner's brother comes to town. Tea Cake is jealous because Mrs. Turner is trying to break his marriage with Janie. Unlike when Jody slaps Janie to show her who is boss, Tea Cake slaps Janie to show the other people in the town who is boss. Typically in Southern society, the men held all of the control in the relationship and the women were at the men's mercy. After Tea Cake hits Janie, other men are jealous of him because they envy his level of control over his wife.
Tea Cake slaps Janie after Mrs. Turner's brother comes to town. Tea Cake is jealous because Mrs. Turner is trying to break his marriage with Janie. Unlike when Jody slaps Janie to show her who is boss, Tea Cake slaps Janie to show the other people in the town who is boss. Typically in Southern society, the men held all of the control in the relationship and the women were at the men's mercy. After Tea Cake hits Janie, other men are jealous of him because they envy his level of control over his wife.
6.“The folks in the quarters and the people in the big houses further around the shore heard the big lake and wondered. The people felt uncomfortable but safe because there were the seawalls to chain the senseless monster in his bed. The folks let the people do the thinking. If the castles thought themselves secure, the cabins needn’t
worry. Their decision was already made a always” (Hurston 158).
In this society, the folks are black people and the people are the white people, and the blacks always listen to the whites, because they thought since whites were the superior race, they must be right about everything. The blacks' perception of reality was that whites were superior to them, and that was normal to them.
worry. Their decision was already made a always” (Hurston 158).
In this society, the folks are black people and the people are the white people, and the blacks always listen to the whites, because they thought since whites were the superior race, they must be right about everything. The blacks' perception of reality was that whites were superior to them, and that was normal to them.
7. "Got orders from headquarters. They makin' coffins fuh all de white folks. 'Tain't nothin' but cheap pine, but dat's better'n nothin'. Don't dump no white folks in de hole jus' so" (Hurston 171).
When Tea Cake and Janie have to leave the Muck due to a flood, they encounter a society that is racist and less accepting than the Muck. This society percieves whites as superior to blacks. After the big flood in the Muck, the Red Cross needs to help picking up dead bodies. They recruit Tea Cake to help them, and explain to him that he must find out if the dead people are white or black before he buries them. If they are white, they get a coffin, and if they are black, they get dumped in a hole.
When Tea Cake and Janie have to leave the Muck due to a flood, they encounter a society that is racist and less accepting than the Muck. This society percieves whites as superior to blacks. After the big flood in the Muck, the Red Cross needs to help picking up dead bodies. They recruit Tea Cake to help them, and explain to him that he must find out if the dead people are white or black before he buries them. If they are white, they get a coffin, and if they are black, they get dumped in a hole.
8. "Then she saw all of the colored people standing up in the back of the courtroom. Packed tight like a case of celery, only much darker than that. They were all against her, she could see. So many were against her that a light slap from each one of them would have beat her to death. She felt them pelting her with dirty thoughts" (Hurston 185).
After shooting Tea Cake, Janie has to go to jail and go before the court. At her trial, all of the black people are against her and think she is guilty, while the white women empathize with and support her. This shows how the black culture considers wrong to kill one of your own, no matter what. Also, they are afraid of Janie, because she fit in with the superior white society and looks like them; they believe she can kill any black man. It seems surprising that white people would support Janie and rationalize and condone what happened. There is a contrast of opinions of the two cultures.
After shooting Tea Cake, Janie has to go to jail and go before the court. At her trial, all of the black people are against her and think she is guilty, while the white women empathize with and support her. This shows how the black culture considers wrong to kill one of your own, no matter what. Also, they are afraid of Janie, because she fit in with the superior white society and looks like them; they believe she can kill any black man. It seems surprising that white people would support Janie and rationalize and condone what happened. There is a contrast of opinions of the two cultures.
9."It was the time for sitting on porches beside the road. It was the time to hear things and talk...When she got to where they were she turned her face on the bander and spoke. They scrambled a noisy 'good evenin' and left their mouths setting open and their ears full of hope. Her speech was pleasant enough, but she kept walking straight on to her gate. The porch couldn't talk for looking" (Hurston 1,2).
The porch represents a social meeting place for people in the South and the (over) friendliness of the Southern culture. Unlike the expectations of her neighbors for her to talk with them, Janie greets them, but continues on. Janie does not partake in the gossip and chit-chat that goes on there. The Everglades finally allowed Janie to be natural, so when she goes back to Eatonville, she brings her own ideas and does not conform to the society of Eatonville.
The porch represents a social meeting place for people in the South and the (over) friendliness of the Southern culture. Unlike the expectations of her neighbors for her to talk with them, Janie greets them, but continues on. Janie does not partake in the gossip and chit-chat that goes on there. The Everglades finally allowed Janie to be natural, so when she goes back to Eatonville, she brings her own ideas and does not conform to the society of Eatonville.