It is interesting that this book if following the story line of so many others that we have already read. Janie has feeling of not belonging or fitting in, being avoided, and just being different. It is an interesting twist for Janie though, she is in a town that is only black people and she has the same feelings that we saw from the narrator in Autobiography, from Claire in Passing, and even from poems from Hughes and McKay. But with everyone else they were living in a world amongst others that made them feel different and excluded. Janie has the opportunity to explore and make history with other people of her race, but she still has that feeling of not belonging.
Joe is interesting too; he is creating a town from the ground up but feels that the people in the town, his own people, are trashy and unworthy! Maybe he is simply saying that because he stepped in and convinced Janie to leaver her husband, quite easily, and possibly he feels that she will leave him with the same ease?
It seems that Janie has been on the hunt for a fairy tale romance since the beginning of the book and is in one unhappy relationship after another until she meets Tea Cake, and finds happiness. Huston continually refers to nature to express love and sexual desires. This is similar to Toomer’s references to lustful thoughts in nature.The porch sitters pass a lot of judgment in this book. At the beginning they are openly passing judgment on Janie and now passing judgment about her relationship with Tea Cake. I think this may be Hurston’s way of sending messages of African American being judged by others as well as writers of the Harlem Renaissance passing judgment about the works of writers of the same era and how they seem to pass judgment on what should be written about the African American race and how it should be represented.
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I agree with the points you made about Janie’s lost identity and her search for the perfect fairy tale romance. However I never thought that Janie leaving Logan so easily could have fueled some of Joe’s (Jody’s) insecurities with her. That’s an interesting view of the situation. I can now see why Joe was insecure with Janie’s appearance and actions.
I think Janie is an interesting character. I think Janie uses relationships as a way to find out who she is and the identity she has longed for. I find it interesting that Janie does have the opportunity to explore and make history with other people of her race, but there is still the sense that she does not belong or feel whole in the situation she is in. It will be interesting to see where the book takes us and if she will ever feel like she belongs.
I like how you hypothesized about the meaning of the book i didnt think about the african americans being so judgmental and the "porch sitters" passing so much judgement-- i wonder if this is where the term "porch monkeys" came from. i also hadnt thought about janie in eatonville feeling so uncomfortable as a black (or white) women. You bring up some interesting points that made me think. Good job.
I, too, think that Janie is on the hunt for a "fairy tale" romance. I just have this feeling that she is stuck in a pattern of unhealthy relationships and I still can't tell if Tea Cake is going to turn out to be a blessing in disguise or a little sneak. So far, he's a sneak in my eyes because he stole Janie's money, but maybe he'll redeem himself as time passes.
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