katie2

Chapters 1 & 2 - Reflection and Connection
Okay, so I won't lie, I'm having a hard time trying to enjoy this novel. I have compassion for Janie, and I think her character is very significant for the role of women in literature, but at the same time I can't really personally connect with Janie as a character other than her strong relationship with her Nanny. I think that regardless of when it was written, the theme of struggling with love/relationships vs. independence is still very much present today. The only part of the book that I have enjoyed so far is the opening paragraph, when Hurston juxtaposes men and women. "Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board. For some they come in with the tide. For others they sail forever on the horizon, never out of sight, never landing until the Watcher turns his eyes away in resignation, his dreams mocked to death by Time. That is the life of men. Now, women forget all those things they don’t want to remember, and remember everything they don’t want to forget. The dream is the truth. Then they act and do things accordingly." (p. 1) Women will follow their dreams, won't settle until all the things they wish for are fulfilled, but men will settle and some never chase their dreams.

This leads me to my connection, and it may be a stretch, but as soon as I read "Ships at a distance...." it instantly reminded of Pirates of the Caribbean, I think it's the second one, when Orlando Bloom becomes Davy Jones and the ship is in the distance while Kiera Knightley waits for him to return after 10 years. So in reality, I got a lot of imagery out of Hurston's mention of ships.

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** Chapters 3 & 4 - Reflection and Connection **
The beginning of chapter 3 (p. 21) became one of my favorite quotes of all time: "There are years that ask questions and years that answer...". But other than that, I felt that chapter 3 was really slow and it was difficult for me to get into it. However, chapter 4 kept me interested, particularly the disrespect Janie receives from her husband, "You done been spoilt rotten." (p. 26) Ooookay so I did NOT take this well at all! I hate hate hate when people tell ME that I'M spoiled like it's any of their business.. just because someone cares about you and wants to provide you with everything they possibly can does not equal being spoiled. But I was glad on p. 30 when Janie tells Logan: "Ah might take and find somebody dat did trust me and leave yuh." Logan Killicks makes it seem as though he leans on Janie, and Janie wants no part in playing the role of a controlled housewife... completely understandable. I think these chapters ties back to the beginning with the juxtaposition of men and women, and although this doesn't really classify as feminist, I do think that Hurston was pointing out the fact that sometimes men are very sexist toward women (not ALL men). Janie's characterization really came shining through her independence and her willingness to take chances, even without a man/husband there to support her.

My connection is to a song by Kate Voegele called 'Who You Are Without Me'. The song talks about a girl who is clearly breaking away from a guy who feels like he needs her to be who he is and who puts her so high up on a pedestal that she feels pressured to be his 'anchor'. I'm going to recognize the parts I feel connect/remind me of Janie in bold in the lyrics:

You expect the impossible And it's too much to carry around
 * Put me up on a pedestal **
 * I've got nowhere to go but down **

But it seems that you're certainly Something I'm not gonna find
 * Well you tell me I'm beautiful **
 * It feels empty and I don't know why ---> "The house was absent of flavor, too. But anyhow Janie went on inside to wait for love to begin." (p. 22) **

I'm not your anchor, so don't hold on I'm not the answer, you've got me wrong I'm not your savior, save your energy <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To find out who you are <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Yeah, who you are without me

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Wide awake, lying next to you <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Being careful to get the words right <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">See it hurts me tell you this
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But it kills me to keep it inside **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And I'm at one with the present tense <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Making plans is overrated to me <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And I don't speak in guarantees <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Or at least not the kind that you need

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'm not your anchor, so don't hold on <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'm not the answer, you've got me wrong <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'm not your savior, save your energy <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To find out who you are <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Yeah, who you are without me

I'll be leaving now, I've said it
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Oh

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'm not your anchor, so don't hold on <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'm not the answer, you've got me wrong <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'm not your savior, save your energy <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And find out who you are

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'm not a mirror, looks inside yourself <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'm not a hero, you know too well <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'm not your savior, save your energy <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To find out who you are <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Yeah, who you are without me <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Who you are without me yeah <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Oh-oh-oh

**<span style="background-color: #00a5ff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Chapter 5 - Reflection & Connection **
Alright, I officially hate Joe Starks. Who even is he? Dumb. And I am so so so so beyond disappointed in Janie for not sticking up for herself, especially on page 43, when Joe says: "Thank yuh fuh yo' compliments, but mah wife don't know nothin' 'bout no speech-makin'. Ah never married her for nothin' lak dat. She's uh woman and her place is in de home." I feel like she is abandoning who she was, and I'm glad Hurston writes of her recognizing it (also on page 43) when she writes: "It must have been the way Joe spoke out without giving her a chance to say anything one way or another...". I really wanted to like this book, but the more I read it, the more disappointed I am. However, I particularly liked when the townspeople were talking about Joe and said: "...he's uh man dat changes everything, but nothin' don't change him." (p. 49) Joe IS one of those men that think that they can walk around like they own everything just because they are secure and 'powerful' when really, the only reason he is powerful is because people are too afraid of his 'power' to stand up to him.

I really liked the allusion of Isaac and Rebecca at the well... when I looked it up, Abraham(Isaac's father) needed a wife for his son so he sent his servant and he chose Rebecca (presented her with family jewels). The part that I thought was ironic was the third time Rebecca appears in the Bible, after her marriage to Isaac, manipulated a situation so that Isaac would give his dying blessing to their son Jacob, not their first born Esau, because she wanted the tribe to be led by someone intelligent instead of a shallow but popular man so that all decisions would not be made on impulse, but based on wisdom. Perhaps Janie is going to turn out being like Rebecca and taking a stand?

My connection is short and is self explanatory with the quotes... but Hurston's imagery of Joe Starks "standing with his legs wide apart" (p. 39) instantly reminded me of F. Scott Fitzgerald's imagery of Tom Buchanan's stance on p. 6 of The Great Gatsby: "...and Tom Buchanan in riding clothes was standing with his legs apart on the front porch." So, I looked up the significance of standing with your legs apart and got this information: "Legs which are held apart when standing provide a stable base for the person. Standing with feet about the width of the shoulders is a normal, relaxed pose. Slightly wider indicates that the person feels grounded and confident. A wider stance makes the body wider and hence appear bigger and is a signal of power and dominance. This also takes up more territory and shows domination. Taking a stable position is readying the body in case the other person attacks and can be a cautious position." from this link: [] Hopefully that's enough for you guys to recognize how the power that Joe Starks holds in Their Eyes Were Watching God is same as the power that Tom felt that he held in The Great Gatsby.



Chapter 6 - Reflection & Connection
Maybe it's just me, but I can not tolerate guys who think that they can walk all over women and that is all he is doing to Janie. I really am struggling to like Janie because I want to, but it's so difficult because I am waiting for the day she stands up for herself. I like to see myself as independent, I don't depend on others to make me happy and I know Janie is probably similar, but Joe is putting Janie in the dark because of how amazing she is, and it's not fair. She wants the men to stop what they are doing to Matt Bonner, so Joe makes himself look like the peace-maker by buying his mule. I hated this chapter, and I really hope Joe is out of the picture soon.

My connection may be a stretch, but I'm really into the band Mumford & Sons lately, and there is a line in one of their songs, "Sigh No More", that I love and I put it in bold. From the beginning of the story, Janie has been looking for love. Real love, and even though she had high expectations for Joe, clearly his love is not what Janie has been seeking. So what the song is saying is love shouldn't betray you, it shouldn't make you feel trapped like Joe has Janie, it should make you feel alive and free. (I suggest looking the song up, it's honestly so amazing).

**Love it will not betray you** **Dismay or enslave you, it will set you free** Be more like the man you were made to be There is a design, an alignment, a cry Of my heart to see, The beauty of love as it was made to be

Chapters 7-10 - Reflection & Connection
I'm finally starting to enjoy this book.... did I just say that? It is probably because Joe Starks is finally gone.. thank you, Zora Neale Hurston! I am so so so proud of Janie, I knew she had it in her to stick up to him! "Joe Starks didn't know the words for all this, but he knew the feeling. So he struck Janie wth all his might and drove her from the store." (p. 80) I hated him even more after that, and I feel like he deserved the fate of his death. Obviously it was inevitable (as death is), but I love how the second Janie stood up to Joe, she was free. "She was just basking in freedom for the most part without the need for thought." (p. 93) Pheoby and Janie's conversation following this quote on page 93 made me so happy because I feel like Janie is finally herself again, especially when she says: "Let 'em say whut dey wants tuh, Pheoby." (p.93)

Now, on to my connection...

I feel like there were strong references to Janie's freedom in these chapters, especially in the beginning of chapter 7 on page 76 when Hurston writes: "Now and again she thought of a country road at sun-up and considered flight. To where? To what?" I immediately thought of this song, and when I looked up the lyrics, it made even more sense because it reads: "Though my love is true, I'm like a bird, I'll only fly away; I don't know where my soul is; I don't where my home is." Janie, whether Joe wanted to believe it or not, was always true to him and despite her unhappiness was very loyal to their marriage. But, Janie is a free bird and she is still young enough to be searching for her home, or somewhere where she belongs.

You're beautiful, that's for sure You'll never ever fade You're lovely, but it's not for sure That I won't ever change
 * Nelly Furtado - I'm Like a Bird**

And though my love is rare Though my love is true

I'm like a bird, I'll only fly away I don't know where my soul is I don't know where my home is And baby all I need for you to know is I'm like a bird, I'll only fly away I don't know where my soul is I don't know where my home is And I need for you to know is

Your faith in me brings me to tears Even after all these years in And it pains me so much to tell That you don't know me that well

And though my love is rare Though my love is true

I'm like a bird, I'll only fly away I don't know where my soul is I don't know where my home is And baby all I need for you to know is I'm like a bird, I'll only fly away I don't know where my soul is I don't know where my home is And baby all I need for you to know is

It's not that I wanna say goodbye It's just that every time you try To tell me, me that you love me Each and every single day I know, I'm going to have to eventually Give you yea yea yea yea yea yea And though my love is rare, rare, rare And though my love is true, yea Hey I'm just scared yea yea That we may fall through, yea yea yea yea

I'm like a bird I don't know where my soul is I don't know where my home is And baby all I need for you to know is I'm like a bird, I'll only fly away I don't know where my soul is I don't know where my home is And baby all I need for you to know is

I'm like a bird, I'll only fly away I don't know where my soul is I don't know where my home is And baby all I need for you to know is I'm like a bird, I'll only fly away I don't know where my soul is I don't know where my home is And baby all I need for you to know is

I'm like a bird, I'll only fly away I don't know where my soul is I don't know where my home is And baby all I need for you to know is I'm like a bird, I'll only fly away I don't know where my soul is I don't know where my home is And baby all I need for you to know is

Chapters 11-14 - Reflection & Connection
Okay so I'm glad that Janie is happy with Tea Cake, but I really don't like him. It seems as though he really cares, but then he goes and does something to make it seem like he doesn't; however, it was very easy to relate with Janie's fear and anxiety about her new man, because I think that it takes time to trust someone new, especially after her experience with Joe. I really hope that Tea Cake is what Janie has been searching for because if he's not I give up on this book. Alright I don't like Tea Cake, I don't like gamblers, and I don't like that Janie married him so quickly. I'm not saying that there isn't such a thing as love at first sight or even that you can't fall in love after a couple of months, but I think that marriage is too sacred to just spontaneously decide to do so. However, I guess that is part of the historical context of the novel because marriage was an expectation, not an option. here I go with another song connection... Janie and Tea Cake all of a sudden decide to wed, and it reminded me of the song "Marry You" by Bruno Mars. I suggest taking a listen, it's catchy :) []

Chapters 15-17 - Reflection & Connection
I'm gonna start out with my connection.. "Janie learned what it felt like to be jealous." (p. 136) the jealous Janie feels in chapter 15 immediately reminded me of the bible verse Corinthians 13: 4-7 -- **"**Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance."

Which leads to my reflection, I do not approve Janie and Tea Cake. I don't like them individually, and I certainly don't like them together. How could Janie say she loves him when she's jealous of some insignificant woman? Tea Cake married HER for a reason that was supposed to be love. Love isn't supposed to be jealousy, and it shouldn't be Tea Cake being possessive and abusive, either. Hitting her just to show who's boss? This book disgusts me. I don't believe that the kind of love Janie was seeking was like the love Tea Cake provides and it makes me angry that she settled.

Chapter 18 - Reflection & Connection
I can't say that I hated this chapter, but basically the only reason I enjoyed it was because I finally understand the title of the book. I was moved by the paragraph on page 160 "The wind came back with triple fury, and put out the light for the last time. They sat in company with the others in toher shanties, their eyes straining against crude walls and their souls asking ifi he mean to measure their puny might against His. They seemed to be staring at the dark, but their eyes were watching God." When Joe Starks lit the street lamp in Eatonville, it was like God was lighting the way for hope for the town. But now, the light in Janie's life has gone out, her inner turmoil with herself and nature has ended, and she has accepted her life as it is. I love that Hurston does this, because she allows Janie's acceptance and faith to be through the light of the Lord, and as a Christian, I believe when things get hard and your light goes out, God is always there.

My connection is to how in most Christian churches, there is always a flame of some sort burning to represent the eternal light of God in the world. It can be called a sanctuary lamp, altar lamp, eternal flame, or everlasting light.

Chapters 19 & 20 - Reflection and Connection
This book is officially my least favorite ever... like worse than Speak. Hurston writes beautifully, and I mean that, but I do not like this novel at all. How does killing her husband create inner peace for Janie? And how could she say she has lived her dreams? Unreal. I'm so glad this book is over, I did not enjoy the characters, I felt as though they got even worse towards the end of the story. "Here was peace. She pulled in her horizon like a great fish-net. Pulled it from around the waist of the world and draped it over her shoulder. So much of life in its meshes! She called in her soul to come and see." (p.193) Really? Worst ending ever. Mad about it.

Connection: "Two things everybody's got tuh do fuh theyselves. They got tuh go tuh God, and they got tuh fidn out about livin' fuh theyselves." (p.192) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">this quote instantly reminded me of a quote I know about finding yourself: "You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover is yourself." -Alan Alda I think Janie would have agree, you must step outside of your comfort zone at some point and feel around the world for yourself or you will never truly know who you are.