dezz writes essays

tewwg & self discovery

Their Eyes Were Watching God
Janie's Everlasting Journey to Self-Discovery

—

   In Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie is a woman dependent on her idea of love. She is reliant on her multiple husbands, as they forcefully take characteristics that Janie used to call her own. She also faces hardships throughout the book, such as oppression and finding her voice. In the end, she must prove- in order to find true self-discovery- to not only herself, but others, that she is capable of defending and loving herself.

    The story begins here: Janie, a young woman seeking her own representation of  "true love," is rushed into womanhood, and alongside that, an unwanted marriage with a man named Logan Killicks. Her grandmother, named Nanny, persuades her into this marriage, in hopes that what will become of Janie is a strong, big-hearted woman with the ability to provide for her children and herself. Killicks in the story is a traditional man who focuses solely on his work-life and ability to put food on the table. At this point in the story, Janie feels trapped in her declining mental state and her relationship with Killicks. Janie, seeking freedom, hurries along to another man, Joe Starks,  who will eventually show her what it means to be independent.

   In finding an illusion of freedom, Janie drops everything to pursue her "ideal" relationship. Joe Starks- also known as Jody, and the man she is now wed to, finds power in dominating Janie. He encapsulates her into practically becoming his property, and by this, Jody not only makes himself feel more and more powerful by not letting Janie speak, but also manipulates her by providing false reasoning for his actions. And with this, Janie finds herself in the opposite direction in relation to true self-discovery. However, she soon progresses to eventually challenge Starks by standing up for herself.  She insults Jody, damaging his reputation as mayor and as her husband, while also making a fool out of him. This raises her confidence enough to begin to grow her independence.

   After the unfortunate passing of Jody, a man named Tea Cake comes around; and he changes everything for Janie. Jody left an imprint in Janie- something she will never forget. This is her voice, and knowing when to use it. In the past with Jody, Janie had no ability to use her voice. But in time, Janie learned to stand up for herself and others;  such as when a mistreated mule was being taunted. She didn't say anything at that moment (due to the dominance of Jody), but she took that and applied it to her life and her current circumstances.

   In the past, Nanny had told her that, "black women are the mules of the world," meaning that black women would always be oppressed and silenced. While Nanny was wrong in the end, this is something Janie struggles with throughout the text. She had been constantly suppressed by her past two husbands. However, when Tea Cake comes into her life, Janie is happier than ever before. She feels carefree and loved, something she had long awaited. But when the time came, Janie did something she never thought she had the ability to do.

   After a quarrel with a dog, Tea Cake acquired rabies, leaving Janie helpless. She becomes nurturing towards him, trying to take care of  him, but he refuses her offer in order to prove to everyone that he would be okay. But as Tea Cake's health- both mentally and physically- deteriorated, Janie had to do the unthinkable. Tea Cake, in a crazed state, attempts to kill Janie, leaving her with only two options. Would she save herself, or risk it all in an attempt to replenish the love they once had? Janie had to step up now; this would be the finishing moment of self-discovery for her.

  Janie, in the end, saves herself. This results in a change of pace for her. While it may seem selfish from a different perspective, context for the situation proves that Janie knows and understands herself enough to do what she did. She denies the emotional aspect of keeping her husband and chooses what will be most important in her life. She chose to live, and that's the best thing she could've done. Therefore, Janie has achieved true self-discovery; even if it took a while. She was determined, which resulted in her eventual discovery of who she is.