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Mar 18

This highlights their opposing views on men: “Oh, to be a pear tree—any tree in bloom!” Young Janie, amid her self-discovery, had a strong desire for womanhood, as she expressed. The desire to experience awakening physicality shrouds her judgment, while in the case of her grandmother, her perception isn’t clouded by adolescence but molded from a lifetime of encounters with men.

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Mar 18

“The people all saw her come because it was sundown. The sun was gone, but he had left his footprints in the sky.” These two sentences paint an idea that illustrates how, even in the time of women, there is still the shadow of men’s influence.

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Mar 18

This sentence shows how dreams are what children rely on, but once you stop relying on your dreams, then you are no longer a child and must grow up and become an adult who deals with everything life throws their way.

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Mar 18

Having many names means she probably did not feel as connected to any her names as we do. This could lead to her feeling left out or not as important due to not being able to keep just one name that everyone knew her by.

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Mar 18

I think that by Phoeby calling the man she liked Tea Cake shows how she viewed him as the best person for her. Tea Cakes tend to look boring and the same from the outside, but once you eat one, your opinion about it may change. This is just like the man Phoeby liked. On the outside, others just saw him as another man, but once one got to know him, they realized his great personality.

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Mar 18

doing so to shrink the distance between them and their dreams — accepting as reality what they desire and blinding themselves to the otherwise more immediate world. However, in another effective instance of establishing Janie’s independence from expectations and the greater cultural ideas of her peers men and women by herself accepting both woe and shine in her life as all one great growth that spread from its base in splintered but connected branches, not rejecting or winnowing out what suits her dreams from her perspective or life

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Mar 18

While she seems to have legitimate reason and desire to defend the reputation of Janie, but this seems to be mixed with an almost status-oriented clash. In this, Pheoby’s behaviour suggests a desire to align herself more definitely with clear labels to Janie, sacrificing some respect and tolerance of the gossiping group, but gaining favour with Janie — a confident, unswayed, and highly if poorly regarded. This may be as part of her own desire to escape the tidepool of influence that the women of the town pull against each other with; competing and gossiping and degrading confidences by weighing acceptance as a condition over one another

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Mar 18

Their gossip is revealed as stemming predominantly from fundamental jealousy towards her and possibly between women of Janie’s culture overall. There is an implied sense of competition by statements such as this one, and other’s which weigh Janie’s ‘true’ value as determined by the women of the town

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Mar 18

This effectively implements the reader into the situation themselves, having to rely on a patchwork image of a character through others accounts, and even building the traits of the characters gossiping through their attitudes and the things they say

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Mar 18

to change that. I cant help but wonder if Janie and Logan’s marriage would have ended up differently if Nanny had given Janie some advice on how to like Logan better rather than brushing her off because Janie does want to want him, as she says here. I think that Janie being told to initially deny herself of what she wants (love, in this case) is really going to be the trigger for the rest of this novel as Janie learns to be an adult

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Mar 18

she doesn’t want. however, in learning how Nanny had to fight for her own and her daughter’s life only to have her daughter be raped and traumatized so young it is a lot more reasonable that Nanny wants Janie married and more protected. Even if Janie is not happy or in love, at least she will not be hurt like Nanny’s daughter was. Additionally this story throws new light onto why Janie’s mother is so absent. Again, it would be easy to simply state that she is an absentee alcoholic mother, which she is, but it makes much more sense when we learn that she was raped and bore a child from it at a very young age. I think this is setting a precedent for the rest of the novel that characters, especially those who can easily be demonized (like the town does to grown Janie), are a lot more complex than they seem

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Mar 18

I see this as a lack of known heritage of black people because of slavery. Because slaves were sold or born into slavery, there is little information of where they had come from and who their background or “roots” are. Additionally, roots are seen as a firm foundation of a tree. Nanny states that they are branches without roots, demonstrating that while a white person could fall back on to their family and their privileges, black men and women lacked those same privileges or foundation.

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Mar 18

love but rather plain old curiosity and instead of being youthful, this kiss is the end of her childhood. But I agree completely, Hurston is able to pack such a punch by stating it so plainly as the end of something, especially childhood is something that is so hard for us to admit to ourselvles

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Mar 18

I personally find this kind of political commentary much more moving and I think that the fact that this novel’s discussion of race and gender is through the eyes of an individual rather than a monolith makes it that much more profound. In their eyes were watching god, Janie’s personal life is political. It is a radical act for her to marry and remarry and run away and everything else she does (idk yet but i guess we will find out). Additionally, I think it is really interesting how this novel shows the different perspectives of Black people on race through different characters. Nanny obviously views her blackness differently than Janie views hers. this is a really long comment sorry julia

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Mar 18

In contrast with the newly awakened Janie, Nanny holds a more guarded view of men, particularly those unmarried, seeing them as potentially hazardous. This apprehension is demonstrated by her depiction of Johnny’s kiss as “lacerating.”

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Mar 18

Open doors often do symbolzie new beginnings where once you enter there’s no looking back. Like the saying when one door closes another opens. Janie closes the oven’s door, domestic life filled with boring, mundane aspects, to the open gates, where there’s a wide empty road ahead.

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Mar 18

Janie’s encounter beneath the pear tree prompts a transformation in her perception of young men, awakening an awareness of her own physicality and desires. From this she finds herself romantically drawn to a previously overlooked boy, Johnny.

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Mar 18

Janie is still young at this point but is expected to manage a house. By asking if she still likes sweetness is kinda painting the picture of Joe Starks viewing her as a child again, which is a little disturbing since he’s willing to marry her

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Mar 18

so much of the beginning of her chapters starts with this feeling of emptiness and waiting for something. Since this is from Janie’s perspective, one can assume that this is what Janie’s whole life has been like, a sense of waiting for more. I bet once we meet Tea Cakes, the chapter beginnings are going to change.

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Mar 18

Girls were married so young in the past in an attempt to prevent rape and allow them security, whether that be for their families or the girl themselves, is circumstantial. It’s like girls always had a countdown over their heads before they were deemed ready to be wed off.

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Mar 18

Race seems like such a downplayed part of the novel. It’s not the central idea, and it’s to the point where Janie herself doesn’t even recognize it. I might be getting ahead of myself since what im about to cite is from farther into the story but the only person who seems inflicted with the racial tension was Janie’s grandmother. She talks about race within her dialogue and how that influenced her actions greatly. While on the other head, the main character of this book, Janie, doesn’t comment really at all over it. These are just some parallels I found, might be off the topic.

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Mar 18

To add to your idea, porches showcase this balance of hospitality and separation. Janie sits on her back porch, away from eyes, to the point that Pheoby has to go in through the back like it’s a secret. Nonetheless, Janie welcome her and they end up sitting comfortably with the breeze. I think the idea of porches showing relationships within the book is going to become more prevalent once we hear the stories with Janie’s past husbands.

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Mar 18

Initially, the community of people who sit on porches are usually either grody men or nosy gossips, but later when Janie sits on the porch with Pheoby, it shows that she has a place where she can share her own story.

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Mar 18

Janie walks away from the questioning townsfolk leaving them to wonder instead of giving in to their questions and derision. Her simple clothes, messy hair, and aloofness all show that Janie no longer cares what these people think.

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Mar 18

I think Logan’s cruelty is starting to truly show, like now Nanny said it would/

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Mar 18

Already, this new mystery-man is depicted as someone who does not fit in this town. His description makes him seem worldly and well-travelled.

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Mar 18

Nanny stated that Logan’s kindness would only last so long. As readers, we obviously want her to be incorrect, but Hurston seems to stick to lifelike fates, not adding any frills or flourishes to the lives of her characters (thus far).

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Mar 18

This is heartbreaking to me; Janie could only truly mature through the demise of her hopes and dreams, which seems to be a common occurrence in not only this work, but the lives of women in general.

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Mar 18

Beginning this selection with such a profound and deep thought is so interesting to me; “cosmic loneliness” is SUCH a great line!!!

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Mar 18

This paragraph is so heartbreaking to me. Nanny wishing her daughter was dead so that she could finally have peace shows how truly deep her love is for her.

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Mar 18

Nanny telling Janie that slavery shouldn’t limit her dreaming reminds me of Hurston’s own beliefs regarding the topic.

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