Character Analysis of Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay

Their Eyes Were Watching God

Character Analysis

Janie and Tea Cake truly show their love for each other. Tea Cake entered Janies life and changed Janie for the better. I at first questioned their love for one another so I decided to examine both of the characters and also their relationship. Was it a healthy relationship? Was Janie a good wife in her marriages, and is Tea Cake to full of self pride to be able to appreciate Janie and all she does for him? There are so many questions that need to be answered. The novel makes the reader really think if Tea Cake is just a gambling player or if he is truly in love with Janie. Janie and Tea Cake show their love for one another and they also show disrespect in some situations. Is this true love?

In the beginning of the story sixteen -year-old Janie Crawford opens her eyes to the beautiful and sensual things in life. She finds a fond interest into Johnny Taylor and wants to feel his lips against hers and maybe the comfort of a man in her life, but nothing serious. Nanny, whom is her grandmother, Catches Janie and Johnny kissing and doesnt want Janie to be experience any men except the one she has in line for her, Mr. Logan Killicks. Nanny just wants to know that Janie will be secure and have the life she didnt have. Janie is then forced into marriage with Mr. Logan Killicks. She resents everything in their marriage and he doesnt appreciate her either. Janie cant take it anymore, and just when she needs a knight and shining armor, she meets a true gentleman Mr. Joe Starks.

Mr. Starks offers to give Janie all that she is worth, a better life and a better man in general. With no drought in her mind, she runs away with him and leaves Mr. Killicks in the dust behind her. Mr. Starks wants her because he says that she has class. She was a very happy woman in the beginning with Mr. Starks, happy enough to marry him. Mr. Starks is proud, ambitious, and selfish. He makes a big chunk of money along with the money he already has by buying some land and then makes it a small town called Eatonville. He becomes mayor of the town and also more selfish to Janies needs. He treats her as a prized possession and starts treating her like she is a slave. He doesnt give her the love she needs anymore and just disrespects her. The power Joe has went straight to his head and he thought he was almost like a king in his own kingdom and Janie was his servant. He never asked Janie what she really wants in life. He just assumed that his town, his house, his store, and his position as mayor were enough for her. No one in Janies life so far had given her the option of what she wants in life. It was never about her especially when it came to Nanny and Joe. Janie was always seeking for someone to ask what she wants in her life. She is nowhere near satisfied in her life even with all of the possessions she has and the money that surrounds her. The material things dont even amount to what she would rather have in her life. Alls she wants is to love, be respected, and have someone to give her the same amount of love in return.

Janie is with Joe for 20 years or so and he gets ill and is told that he is going to die soon. Janie tries to make amends with Joe before he passes away and he was still a cold and bitter person to her. He was done with her and didnt think he was ever wrong in their relationship, when he was the one who treated her badly all the time. Joe dies, and life was so carefree for Janie, she hadnt felt like this in a long time. She in her mind I feel was looking for that special someone to give her the love she craved. About a year had passed and a she meets a man by the name of Vergible Woods who goes by the name of Tea Cake. She is instantly attracted to him because he is different than her past experiences with men. He is exciting and does things with her that her other husbands would never let her do, like fishing and shooting guns. She cant help but fall in love with Tea Cake and his fun loving ways. She marries once again to hopefully make up the real love she never received before. In this marriage Janie finds the love she was looking for. Tea Cake is a man who respects her and sees her as an intelligent and exciting companion. Tea Cakes love and comfort gives Janie a whole new outlook on love. She also is now open to all people and does not think of the workers on the muck as crude people as she was once told by Nanny and Joe. Tea Cake proved to Janie that the love was real and she needed that assurance. He was able to give her the dream of love that Joe Starks never understood. Tea Cake gave her love all the way to his death which was unfortunately too little of time together. I think Tea cake should have not been so stubborn and left when the Indians were leaving in case of a storm. Tea Cake and Janie are then caught up in a storm; this would have changed the whole ending to maybe a much happier one.

I think that it was a happy ending in a sense. Tea Cakes heroism makes me sympathize for him. Tea Cake didnt make some wise choices throughout the novel, with his gambling addiction and his flirting ways, but truly I feel that Tea Cake loved and appreciated Janie until his death. Janie transcends the pain of being defined by someone else and discovers who she is, what she can do in her life, and how fulfilling love can be. Tea Cake and Janie were happy in their relationship and it gave Janie a new meaning for love. She never experienced love like she did with Tea Cake unless she found someone after his death. This book gives lots of hope to readers, which like to know that love is out there you just have to find it.