Theme
Throughout the whole book, Janie searches for her inner being, where she can be herself. At a young age, her grandmother takes away Janie's natural self by forbidding her to love anyone she chooses By marrying Janie to Logan- an uninspiring, ugly, boring man who Jannie did not care for at all- the Grandmother thinks she is saving Janie from a life time of hardship and abuse. However, in reality she is actually ripping away Janie's only dream, to live naturally.
"...Ah don't want no trashy nigger, no breath-and-britches, lak Johnny Taylor usin' yo' body to wipe his foots on." (Hurston 13)
At the first opportunity Janie runs off with Joe Starks, and as he becomes the mayor, she becomes the mayor's wife. However, even in this life, considered a luxury by most people, Janie is oppressed by her husband, who forbids her to socialize with the common towns people.
"The years took all the fight out of Janie's face. For a while she thought it was gone from her her soul. No matter what Jody did, she said nothing." (Hurston 76)
This artificial life doesn't seem right to Janie and as soon as Jody dies, Janie is ready to run away again, this time with her true love Tea Cake. Tea Cake is her spontaneous, fun-loving sweetheart who doesn't care about the social norms of society. They go fishing in the middle of the night and he teaches her how to play checkers. She is completely at home with him and is free to be herself; her natural self. Finally, after forty years of searching, Janie has found her horizon and can be at peace with nature. Even after Tea Cake dies, she is still content because she has lived at least once the way she knew everyone ought to, the natural way, free of the hammering of expectations of society.
"Fishin'? Dis time uh night?"
"Unhhunh, fishin'..." (Hurston 102)
"...Ah don't want no trashy nigger, no breath-and-britches, lak Johnny Taylor usin' yo' body to wipe his foots on." (Hurston 13)
At the first opportunity Janie runs off with Joe Starks, and as he becomes the mayor, she becomes the mayor's wife. However, even in this life, considered a luxury by most people, Janie is oppressed by her husband, who forbids her to socialize with the common towns people.
"The years took all the fight out of Janie's face. For a while she thought it was gone from her her soul. No matter what Jody did, she said nothing." (Hurston 76)
This artificial life doesn't seem right to Janie and as soon as Jody dies, Janie is ready to run away again, this time with her true love Tea Cake. Tea Cake is her spontaneous, fun-loving sweetheart who doesn't care about the social norms of society. They go fishing in the middle of the night and he teaches her how to play checkers. She is completely at home with him and is free to be herself; her natural self. Finally, after forty years of searching, Janie has found her horizon and can be at peace with nature. Even after Tea Cake dies, she is still content because she has lived at least once the way she knew everyone ought to, the natural way, free of the hammering of expectations of society.
"Fishin'? Dis time uh night?"
"Unhhunh, fishin'..." (Hurston 102)