Throughout the first few chapters, Hurston notes Janie's hair numerous times. As these instances mount, I notice that they all center around Janie's hair being an object of beauty and pride. The people around her comment about its fullness and luxuriousness, and Janie herself finds a type of solace in her hair because it seems to symbolize her freedom and self-esteem. Hurston uses these repeated mentions of Janie's hair to develop the theme that a woman's freedom is essential to her happiness and well-being.
During Janie's relatively happy marriage to Logan, he comments, "Kiss me and shake yo' head. When you do dat, yo' plentiful hair breaks the day" (30). This shows that Logan is aware and appreciative of Janie's feminity. Janie is relatively happy during her marriage to Logan; he chops firewood for her and gives her a comfortable life. While she does not live in luxury, she does have the best life that the hard work of herself and her husband can provide. She is not overly restricted by her husband, and as a function of this freedom, Janie can wear her hair the way she pleases.
However, Janie decides to change her lifestyle by running away from her husband to join Joe. She gains luxury and material comfort, but she also looses a portion of her freedom. While she can listen to the men on the front steps of the town shop engage in conversation, she is forbidden by her husband to take part in any substantial way. He belittles her and comments about her inaptitude in front of their customers, causing her to feel inferior. This is directly represented in the way Janie wears her hair. Joe forces her to wrap an unattractive head rag around her braid so as to not attract other men, directly exercising control over her. Janie's lack of freedom is manifested in diminuative hairstyle. Even the townsfolk comment, "Whut make her keep her head tied up lak some ole 'oman round de store? Nobody couln't git me tuh tie no rag on mah head if Ah had hair lak dat" (49). This shows that even the townsfolk notice the unnatural way Janie has to wear her hair. Even by their standards, she is considered to be suppressed, unable to express herself.
When Joe dies, Janie wastes no time in letting her hair down. On Joe's deathbed, Janie finally summons up the courage to tell him about her greivances. She tells him that throughout the years, he has always silenced others while keeping the big voice for himself. He never gave enough attention to the opinions of others, which is why he never ended up being the man that Janie expected him to be when she ran off with him. After finally being able to voice her opinions, Janie "let down her plentiful hair. The weight, the length, the glory was there. Then she ... cried, 'Come heah people! Jody is dead. Mah husband is gone from me'" (87). Janie is no longer restricted, and she has freedom back. She can again wear her hair the way she wants to, as a badge of "glory". Her hairstyle is the only aspect of her life with Joe that she changes with haste, exemplifying its gravity. her philosophy toward the way she maintains the store and the other aspects of her lifestyle is that "she saw no reason to rush at changing things around. She would have the rest of her life to do as she pleased" (89). This serves to magnify the significance of her change in hairstyle. Her hair is such an essential part of her self-esteem that she singularly pays it the utmost attention, leaving aside the other petty details. Janie burns her head rags as a triumphant display of her newfound freedom and pride.
I totally agree with your post. Janie's hair is definitely an important motif representing independence, confidence, and happiness. Also, later when Tea Cake meets Janie, he admits that he is attracted to her hair. He brushes and admires it, showing that he appreciates and embraces her true self, unlike Joe who wanted to control her by hiding her hair.
ReplyDelete