Janie's Relationships in Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay

In the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston, the main character Janie goes through a series of different relationships with three very different men. As time goes by, and her husbands change, she starts learning more and more about herself. In the beginning of the story, she has no confidence and hardly knows how to live her life, but by the end of the story, she is strong-minded and pleased with the way her life turned out.

Before she knew how her life was going to turn out, Janie was married at a very young age to a much older man named Logan Killicks. It was not Janies choice to marry at such an early age, nor was Logan a man of her choice. Her Grandmother, in fact, decided to marry her off as soon as she found out that Janie had shown a slight interest in the opposite sex. She saw a dust-bearing bee sink into the sanctum of a bloom; the thousand sister-calyxes arch to meet the love embrace and the ecstatic shiver of the tree from root to tiniest branch creaming in every blossom and frothing with delight. So this was a marriage! She had been summoned to behold a revelation. This was when Janie first envisioned love of any sort, and ended up kissing a boy she saw soon after, which was when her grandmother finds out of her liking. Unfortunately for Janie, she was not ready, nor did she want to marry anyone at this time in her life, especially if it was to someone old enough to be an elderly uncle of hers. After her marriage to Logan Killicks, Janie was forced to work on the fields with him and follow all of his orders. As soon as she saw someone else who had an interest in her, it didnt take long for her to pack her bags and leave her then husband behind for that new man.

Joe Starks was a younger, well-dressed, wealthy black man that came strolling by Logan Killicks farm, complimenting and flattering Janie while she was out working on the field. She thought that hed be worth a try, and would probably be a better man for her than Logan was. The two of them went on to find a newly made town of black folk called Eatonville. When they arrived, it wasnt quite what they had expected, and Joe, also known as Jody, ended up investing quite a bit in it, and made the town prosper. Him and Janie married not too long after, and he became the mayor of the newly thrived town, making Janie the better than the rest wife. At first Janie had a liking to Jody, and thought that he was a good man, but later she found out his true personality, which was vain. He didnt care about how Janie felt and was really only interested in the idea of the mayors wife. He felt like he always needs to have the power. Janie said that Jody needed to have his way all his life, trample and mash down and then die ruther than tuh let himself heah bout it. He didnt let Janie socialize with the community, even when its what she wanted to do, and he tried as much as he could to stop her from emerging in any way. When Jody was at his deathbed, Janie got her revenge through a rampage of harsh words to him. Janie finally expressed herself via social nuance, and began expanding the proud feeling she has for herself.

As this development grew, she met a younger man named Tea Cake. Instead of being someone who was raucous and malicious, she found him to be lively and imaginative. He didnt try to hold Janie back from growing, and even helps contribute by showing her different skills. They loved each other for who each of them were, and not for what they had. They married each other and left Eatonville. Tea Cake is the only one of her husbands to actually treat her like a respected person, entertain her, and give her the love that she always wanted. Janie learned to make her own choices, and her voice grew, even when she chose to be silent. Towards the end of the story, a terrible hurricane hit right where Janie and Tea Cake were staying. In the midst of their struggle to find safety, a dog with rabies ended up biting Tea Cake. As time went on, Tea Cakes rabies got worse and worse. Towards the end of his life, he forgot whom him and Janie really were, and tried to shoot her. Janie, however, hesitantly shot him right before he was able to pull the trigger on his gun. Janie was heartbroken, and people later blamed her for the murder of Tea Cake, without knowing the real reason behind it. Once at court, everyone learned of Janies defense. She later returned to Eatonville alone, and goes to her best friend Pheoby.

In the end, when she was alone, Janie still seemed to be pleased and at peace with herself, even if she was without the love of her life. She grew considerably in the sense of her confidence and knowledge, and she was easily happy with herself and the life she lived.