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Janie's relationships with men

Jessica Wylie

Created on November 19, 2024

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Transcript

Janie's Relationshops with men in the novel

and the roles she fulfilled within them

Mayor's wife

Farmer's Wife

Janie

Joe Starks
Logan Killicks

No clear roles

Tea Cake

Janie's Voice

  • Janie doesn't get a voice in her relationship with Jody. He refuses to let her talk to the townspeople and even doesn't give her a choice to give a speech to the people.
  • When Janie starts to speak up for herself Jody becomes sick and loses his power over Janie.
  • This novel is told from Janie's perspective giving her the choice to speak on her life, without others restricting her.

Tea Cake

Third Husband
  • He "ain't got doodly squat." (117)
  • Easy-going and kind ("Ah figgured you needed somebody tuh help yuh shut up de place." (112)
  • A gambler "You done married one uh de best gamblers God ever made" (142)

Jody Starks

Second Husband
  • He wanted to be "a big voice" (32) in Eatonville
  • He met Janie on his way to Eatonville and tells her he will treat her "lak a lady" (34) (and she is tired of her life with Logan), so she leaves with him for Eatonville
  • He becomes the mayor of Eatonville and owns the post office and general store there

Married to Tea Cake

Janie With Tea Cake

Janie's Thoughts

Janie

Janie is the central character, the story revolves around her and the relationships she has with the men she marries, and the subsequent roles she fulfills within these marriages.

Janie's Husbands

  • Logan Killicks
  • Jody Starks
  • Tea Cake

Logan Killicks

First Husband
  • A farmer with "sixty acres" (24)
  • Chosen by Nanny for Janie's "protection" (18)
  • "He look like some ole skullhead in de grave yard" (Janie, 16)

Desire and love

The Pear tree
  • Janie sat under a blossoming pear tree in the spring, watching bees pollinate the flowers on the tree, thinking of the bees and the flowers "This was a marriage!"(13)
  • Janie has her first kiss on the day she watches this pollination (14) making this a symbol of Janie's developing desire.
  • The only time this symbol of the pear tree is mentioned in corrspondence with Janie's relationships is in Janie's relationship with Tea Cake, "He could be a bee to a blossom-a pear tree blossom in the spring." (121)

Role as the Mayor's wife

Trophy wife
Janie's thoughts

Role as a Farmer's Wife

Mule
Janie's thoughts