Characters and characterization

As Janie tells Pheoby about her early childhood in chapter two the reader gets a much a closer look at Janie and also several explanations about how Janie acts now. Janie's hatred of gossip, opposision to marriage and tolerance of race are explained in this chapter. She grew up with her grandmother and lived most of her early childhood with a white family. Growing up with them she assumed she was white like the rest as shown in this quote "But before Ah seen de picture Ah thought Ah wuz just like de rest" (9). More importantly this made her a lot more tolerant and less aware of race. Also, living with a white family caussed her some ridicule from the other black kids. They picked on her and insulted her parents with half true gossip. "None of em didn't eve remember whut his name wuz, but dey all knowed the bloodhound part by heart" (10). This lead to her being opposed to gossip throughout her life. As shown in chapter one when she walks in to town and everyone starts talking about her. She says to Pheoby "To start off wid, people like dem wastes up too much time puttin' they mouf on things they don't know nothin' about. (6), which shows her hatred of gossip and rumors. The reader also gets an insite on why Janie is agaisnt marriage and commitment. When Janie is 16 her Grandma starts forcing marriage onto her and Janie heavily starts resisting it. This causes her to rebel and can explain why she left Tea Cake.

Motif of the Phrase "I God" - Chapters 6-10

In this novel, Hurston seems to use Joe’s repeated use of the term “I god…” as a phrase motif. It seems that whenever Joe says this he is trying to assert his power and authority over others, especially Janie. While it might have been a common expression with a different meaning, perhaps this phrase needs to be interpreted literally as Joe claiming he is God. Clearly God represents the ultimate figure of authority and power to religious individuals, and Joe seems to be drawing a parallel between himself and God through his constant use of this phrase. This is in many ways similar to Gatsby using the phrase “old sport” repeatedly in order to try and convince others he belonged to the upper echelon of society.

Joe’s use of this phrase can be observed at numerous points during the novel as he tries to prove his superiority in society. It is seen many times when Joe is exerting his authority over Janie such as when he says “ I god, Lum, you fasten up dis store good befo’ you leave, you hear me” (59), as well as when he exclaims “I god almighty! A woman stay round uh store till she get old as Methusalem and still can’t cut a little thing like a plug of tobacco” (78). In both of these instances Joe is trying to make Janie feel that she is inferior to him. By using this phrase he is subconsciously trying to claim ultimate control, and basically explain that God’s power is shown vicariously through him.

The use of this phrase is shown at other points in the novel as when. When Mrs. Robbins come to Joe begging for food he casually reaffirms his authority over her by saying “I god, Mrs. Robbins, whut make you come heah and worry me when you see Ah’m readin’ mah newspaper” (72)? Joe is simply fooling around with Mrs. Robbins here, but he still uses this phrase to make her feel that she is beneath him and that she should show him more respect. The phrase even appears after Joe’s death when Hezekiah tries to fill Joe’s shoes and yells to Tipp Crawford, “I god, dis ain’t Gimme, Florida, dis is Eatonville” (92). Clearly part of Hezekiah’s method for imitating Joe’s superior role in society is the use of this phrase. Time and time again, Hurston uses the phrase “I god” in her novel as a motif representing an exertion of authority and supernatural superiority.

Joe's Archetype

So far in Janie's "Hero Journey" she has met only a few major characters that can be fit into the Archetype roles. A significant character is Joe Starks, who we meet in chapter four. At first he seems like the perfect husband for Janie, compared to her first husband, Logan. On page 35 it says that he (Joe) "...didn't make many speeches with rhymes to her." This shows that he is not like Logan, who treated her like royalty for the first few months until the novelty of a pretty young wife wore off. Instead of trying to charm an impressionable Janie with sweet talk and compliments, Joe seems practical. He shows his affection when he "...bought her the best things the butcher had, like apples and a glass lantern full of candies." He is also educated and wealthy, unlike the farmer Logan, who had expected Janie to help him with the rough work on the farm (including the work with the manure).

However, I don't think Joe will end up being the perfect husband for Janie. After they arrived in Eatonville, he becomes more possessive and demanding. He constantly tells Janie what type of clothes to wear (such as the wine-colored dress on page 41 so that she can outrank the other women at the social gathering), or a certain way to act (like when he prohibits her from joining in on the "mule" stories taking place outside of the store).

His actions make him a shapeshifter in the Hero Journey archetypes. His presence definitely causes doubts in the hero's (Janie's) mind. Joe is challenging Janie's self-confidence by dictating her life. Instead of giving Janie the chance to assert herself by making decisions, Joe assumes that he knows what is best for her. By making the decisions for his wife, and by expecting her to follow his wishes, he is undermining Janie's ability to think for herself. An example of this is one page 43 when Joe becomes the mayor of Eatonville. The people of the town proposes a speech by Janie, but Joe quickly makes the decision for her by saying, "Thank yuh fuh yo' compliments, but mah wife don't know nothin' 'bout no speech-makin'. Ah never married her for nothin' lak dat. She's uh woman and her place is in de home." He is assuming total responsibility over her by claiming that she does not want to make the speech without asking her first. Janie feels discomforted about her husband's actions since she "...went down the road behind him that night feeling cold." However, she is reluctant to go against his wishes. She is overcome by him and his demands, and so she is still confused about her identity.

This is how Joe the shapeshifter is misleading Janie the Hero. Janie's Hero Journey is a path where she gains self-realization and confidence. We know this from the first chapter, since she comes back to Eatonville with pride and self-confidence (which is very different from her younger days of obedience and passiveness). She must have overcome the shapeshifter, who wants to squash these very aspects of Janie, in order to gain this new personality. She can overcome Joe's demands however, with the last line in chapter five: "They [the town, and also Janie in this case] bowed down to him...because he was all of these things, and then again he was all of these things because the town bowed down (50)".

Conflict:: Joe and Janie

Through chapters 6-8, the central conflict between Janie and Joe develops and peaks as Janie finds herself being treated inferior and being forced to act as Joe sees fit. Joe sees Janie as a woman who is not very knowledgeable and who should be grateful to be his wife and act so as to positively influence his reputation. Joe forces Janie to work in the new store in Eatonville, but also doesn't trust her to do anything correctly. Joe watches Janie's every move and discourages her from talking to people or expressing herself.
"He didn't want her her talking after such trashy people." (54)
"But then when Lige or Sam or Walter or some of the other big picture talkers were using a side of the world for a canvas, Joe would hustle her off inside the store to sell something. Look like he took pleasure in doing it." (54)
Both of these quotes show Janie's frustration with Joe keeping her on such a short string and not allowing her the freedom of spirit that she values so highly in her life. Joe uses her as a sort of trophy wife, and is so jealous of the other men in the village that he wont let her talk to them or let her hair down either. Joe doesnt want Janie to associate with the lower people of the town and thinks that she should just work in the store and do as she is told. Janie hates working in the store, but Joe forces her to be quiet and do as he sees fit for her.
Janie doesnt fight back against Joe, but inside she fights a battle against always succumbing to Joe.
At the climax of their conflict is the moment when Joe actually uses physical force against Janie.
"Joe Starks didnt know the words for all this, but he knew the feeling. So he struck Janie with all his might and drove her from the store." (80). Joe is trying to deny the fact that he is getting old and falling from his "prime" mayor appearance. Therefore he focuses on Janie and tries to draw attention to her growing old as well. Janie calls Joe out on his denial of what is happening to his own appearance and Joe is angered by this. Joe ridicules Janie in order to feel better about himself and in order to make him feel the power that he wants from being mayor. Joe is conceited and uninterested and treats Janie in a way to benefit his own feelings and reputation. Joe feeds off of putting Janie, which creates conflict as Janie inwardly fights against Joe but doesnt give Joe the opportunity to get into a large 2 sided argument with her.

Motifs

Throughout Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston describes nature periodically. In most of these examples are shown connections between Janie and nature. One specific example of Janie connected to nature is her relation with trees. Therefore there is the idea that nature symbolizes Janie's true life and feelings. For example in the second chapter Hurston quotes "Janie saw her life like a great tree in leaf with the things suffered, things enjoyed, things done and undone. Dawn and doom was in the branches" (p 8). As shown Janie expresses how the leafed tree reflects what has happened in Janie's life. It also shows what will happen, which Hurston reveals as "doom".

Also on p. 11 Hurston describes Janie as a tree and makes the comparison that Janie" had glossy leaves and bursting buds and she wanted to struggle with life but it eluded her". This is a direct imagery of Janie being a tree. Janie is described as having glossy leaves which could be her hair and also bursting buds which symbolize her growing to be a woman. This quote shows Janie's true feelings with the tree because of Janie wanting to struggle with life but it would not struggle with her.

At first I believed the imagery of the tree to be a symbol of Janie. Yet looking closer I saw the image of the tree reaccured various times. Some show the tree being compared to Janie yet others are just images of a tree. For example "scrub oaks" (p 29) are shown where Janie goes to meet with Joe Starks scretly. This is not a comparison with Janie. Even though not the exact image each time, the tree always reflects Janie's true feelings. I am still not entirely sure about the imagery of the tree, but as shown from the many times a tree is described it is an important factor in this novel.

Janie's Hair as a Motif

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.

Stages of the Hero Journey (ch6-10) - The Ordeal

The Ordeal stage of the Hero Journey occurs on pages 84-87, and is made up of Janie's confrontation of Joe when he is about to die; this is her confrontation with death, although she is not herself threatened by death. After the incident in the store, Janie has been pushed away by Joe since she inflicted such damage to his pride. He now lays in his deathbed with his kidneys failing, and Janie takes advantage of this to finally confront him. Janie has made it all the way into the Special World, into the Eatonville her husband helped create, but feels subjugated by him, treated as an inferior. Joe's degraded state gives Janie a chance to rises up above him and teach him as a last lesson his follies. Says Janie to Joe: "All dis bowin' down, all dis obedience under yo' voice--dat ain't whut Ah rushed off down de road tuh find out about you."(87). In a final blow to Joe's pride and ego, his wife repudiates the control he had over her; with him stripped of all his powers, he dies.

In this sense, the novel does not exactly follow the Hero Journey. Janie herself is not faced with death, nor is she faced with her greatest fear. She faces death in the loosest sense, the death of her husband; her Ordeal was her final rejection of the bonds Joe had placed upon her. It is made clear that this is the Ordeal stage of the Hero Journey, as it is followed by a sort of Reward: "Years ago, she had told her girl self to wait for her in the looking glass. [...] She went over to the dresser and looked hard at her skin and features. The young girl was gone, but a handsome woman had taken her place. She tore off the kerchief from her head and let down her plentiful hair. The weight, the length, the glory was there"(87). With the Ordeal complete, she is free once more from the sort of servitude Joe had placed upon her; he had ordered her to always wear a kerchief to keep her hair hidden. In the earlier quote, it is clear that she did not approve of how Joe had subjugated her in these ways. Thus, by facing death she had acquired her reward: freedom.