Characters and Characterization

After reading the first chapter, one can already see the stark contrast between the major characters, Janie and Pheoby, and the rest of the town. The other characters react to Janie's return with curiosity and jealousy. "Seeing the woman as she was made them remember the envy they had stored up from other times. So they chewed up the back parts of their minds and swallowed with relish. They made burning statements with questions, and killing tools out of laughs" (2). Rather than focusing on their own lives, these women feel like it is their right to know the reason for Janie's return, and because Janie doesn't tell them, they sink to pettiness and gossip. They begin criticizing everything from her age to her hair to who she was married to. Through their exchanges with one another and Pheoby, one can see their lack of self-esteem as well as their lack of respect for other women.

While everyone else gossips about Janie's return, Pheoby shows her strength and sense of loyalty by defending Janie. When the women are discussing Janie's return, Pheoby says, "You mean, you mad 'cause she didn't stop and tell us all her business. Anyhow, what you ever know her to do so bad as y'all make out? The worst thing Ah ever knowed her to do was taking a few years offa her age and dat ain't never harmed nobody" (3). Pheoby sticking up for her friend here shows her loyalty to Janie and makes her a very trustworthy friend. Rather than sinking to the other women's levels and spreading the gossip, Pheoby pays a visit to Janie and finds out the truth as to why she's back.

Janie, the main character, shows her sense of individuality and independence as soon as she arrives back in town. She doesn't care at all about the gossip spreading around her, and instead just returns home. It takes a lot of strenth and self-confidence to be able to just come back and face the rumors. Janie has enough confidence and repect for herself that she doesn't feel the need to justify her return. When Pheoby tells Janie all the gossip that has been swirling about her return, Janie says, "If God don't think no mo' 'bout 'em then Ah do, they's a lost ball in de high grass" (5). Instead of becoming self-conscious like most people would in the face of gossip, Janie shows her independence by completely ignoring everyone. The other women are nothing to her. This sense of independence established in the first chapter probably sets the stage for whatever Janie will do later on in the novel.