ммммммммммммм ммм мммм мллллллллплпппппллм ммппппмммм млм мллллллллмммммлпп плл пллллллллллллллм плл млллмллммм пллллм плллллллмллмммллн лп пппллллллллллм он лллллллллллпплмоллл лллллм пплллоп мллм плллллллнл оллллллллл олллл олллллн плп мллллллл ллллллллн оллллллллн ллл лллллл млллллллн олллллллл олллллллл п оллллллм мл млллллллн лллллллл ллллллллн оолллллллллп млплллллл мм ллллллллн ллолллллн оллллллпп млпллллллмллллмолллллллл ол пллллл м лнллллл м мл оллллллллллп ллллллллл плм плллмм ммлллп ол олллн ммлл лл ллллллллп ллллллллллм плм пплллллллллп мммп ллллмммммммлллллп плм млллп пллллллллллм ппмм ппмллпп пллм ппплплллллллпп ппппп ппллп ппппп ппппппппппппп ARRoGANT CoURiERS WiTH ESSaYS Grade Level: Type of Work Subject/Topic is on: [ ]6-8 [ ]Class Notes [About the novel "Their ] [x]9-10 [ ]Cliff Notes [Eyes are Watching God" ] [ ]11-12 [x]Essay/Report [ ] [ ]College [ ]Misc [ ] Date: 06/94 # of Words:1300 School:All Girls/Priv State: NY ФФФФФФФФФ>ФФФФФФФФФ>ФФФФФФФФФ>Chop Here>ФФФФФФФФФ>ФФФФФФФФФ>ФФФФФФФФФ>ФФФФФФФФФ In the novel "Their Eyes Were Watching God", the author, Zora Neale Hurston, attempts to bring into light problems caused by prejudism. However, as she tries to show examples of inequality through various character relationships, examples of equality are revealed through other relationships. Janie, the novel's main character, encounters both inequality and equality through the treatment she receives during her three marriages. Janie's first marriage is to Logan Killicks. Logan enters the marriage with a large portion of land. However, Janie enters the marriage with practically nothing. This ends up becoming a relationship based on inequality because Logan starts to use his ownership of the land to control Janie. He tries to make her feel that she owes him for part of the land, which he is sharing with her. What begins as a relationship in which Logan struggles to make Janie happy, turns into a relationship in which Janie is expected to make Logan happy. She is often reprimanded for not doing enough work or for not working in certain areas such as the fields. It is during that unhappy marriage that Janie meets Jody Stark, who comes along with dreams of power, wealth, and happiness. " De day you puts yo' hand in mine, Ah wouldn't let de sun go down on us single. Ah'm a man wid principles. You ain't never knowed what it was like to be treated lak a lady and Ah wants to be de one tuh show yuh." (Pg.28) Janie is promised that she will be treated quite well. So naturally, she leaves Logan and sets out for a new town with Jody. This relationship can be classified as equal in some aspects. However, for the most part, this too becomes a marriage based on inequality. Joe gains the power he wanted and Janie gains part of the wealth and fame associated with his power. Therefore, both Joe and Janie are looked up to by the townspeople. To some extent, this could be considered a form of equality. Unfortunately, this is about where the equality stops. While Joe gains prominence through his own actions and words, Janie gains some prominence by doing what she is told to do. She is not permitted to voice her own opinions or join in the lighthearted gossiping which occurs outside of their store. Janie is expected to be the dutiful wife. If she makes a mistake, then she should have known better and therefore should accept her punishment quietly. Joe holds the obvious upper hand in the relationship until his death whereupon Janie inherits a large amount of money and learns to enjoy the freedom of living as her own person. Then Janie meets Tea Cake. Their courtship and marriage involve many different forms of equality which are not seen in Janie's past relationships. The equalities exhibited include Tea Cake and Janie's equality to one another as persons, and equality in "age," love, and money. As two different people, Janie and Tea Cake are allowed to live their lives as equals. When living with Joe, Janie is never allowed to do things such as speaking her mind, playing games, or doing anything which is not completely ladylike. Tea Cake encourages her to do things which were previously not open to her, such as playing chess, speaking openly about her feelings, and hunting. He teaches Janie to shoot and hunt wild game. "Oh you needs tuh learn how. Tain't no need uh you not knowin how tuh handle shootin' tools. Even if you didn't never find no game, it's always some trashy rascal dat needs uh good killin'." (Pp.124-125) This would have been unheard of in her marriage to Joe. Another contrast in her marriages is that when married to Joe, Janie works in the store because she is forced into it. However, when married to Tea Cake, she works in the fields out of love. As far as their age difference goes, it is only noticeable in the physical aspect. Obviously by years, there exists a large gap between their actual ages. However, psychologically, they are at the same age level. Tea Cake enables Janie to experience a part of her life which was previously overlooked. He lets her feel young again. The age difference between them is only noticeable because it is specifically stated in the story when they meet. By feeling and acting younger, Janie, in a way, becomes a younger person equal, psychologically, to Tea Cake. Just as Tea Cake teaches Janie how to be young again, he also teaches her how to love someone. Neither of Janie's previous marriages are based on love. They both come about either by force or the need to escape. Janie's marriage to Logan is forced upon her by her grandmother who feels that it is time that Janie moves on in her life, and her marriage to Joe Stark occurs out of Janie's desire to get away from Logan. In contrast to these two marriages, Janie chooses to marry Tea Cake because she enjoys being with him and not having to obey him. For once, she likes being married. She learns what it feels like to truly love someone. However, just as much as Janie loves Tea Cake, Tea Cake loves Janie. He does not force her to do anything which she does not want to do. If she wants to do something new, he will help her to learn how, instead of telling her that she is not allowed to try it. Tea Cake even gives up his life to save her from a mad dog. But, just as he is willing to give up his life to save her from any harm, she risks her life and happiness to help him. By continually taking care of him after he contracts rabies, she takes the chance of him infecting her or even killing her. Then, by shooting him to save her life and end his torment, she faces charges of his murder. This could possibly lead to her death. However, she never once regrets shooting him because she knows that he is much happier now. By both risking their lives for one another, they truly exhibit great amounts of love for each other. It is through this great love, however, that they are able to live happily on only a small amount of money. Although Janie enters the marriage to Tea Cake with a large sum of money, he will not allow her to use it during the marriage. " Ah no need no assistance tuh help me feed mah woman. From now on, you gointuh eat whutever mah money can buy yuh and wear de same. When Ah ain't got nothin' you don't git nothin'." (Pg.122) The only money they use is the money earned while they are married. Most of this is earned through the work which they do together on the muck. In Janie's previous marriages, she hardly owns anything which is totally hers. Either her husband already owns it or he earns it. In the marriage to Tea Cake, Janie plays an active role in acquiring the money they use. It belongs as much to her as it does to him. Overall, these are the main forms of equality shared by Tea Cake and Janie. It is through these equalities, encouraged by Tea Cake, that they are enabled to live happy and fulfilling lives. Never once is Janie made to feel inadequate to Tea Cake, like she is to Logan and Joe. The happiness this has caused in their marriage is best summed up in a quote by Janie describing Tea Cake, " He kin take most any lil thing and make summertime out of it when times is dull. Then we lives offa dat happiness he made till some mo' happiness come along." (Pg.135)