“Chapters 1 - 4.” Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston et al., Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 2013. Originally published by J. B. Lippincott on September 18, 1937.
To Henry Allen Moe
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.
So the beginning of this was a woman and she had come back from burying the dead. Not the dead of sick and ailing with friends at the pillow and the feet. She had come back from the sodden and the bloated; the sudden dead, their eyes flung wide open in judgment.
The people all saw her come because it was sundown. The sun was gone, but he had left his footprints in the sky. It was the time for sitting on porches beside the road. It was the time to hear things and talk. These sitters had been tongueless, earless, eyeless conveniences all day long. Mules and other brutes had occupied their skins. But now, the sun and the bossman were gone, so the skins felt powerful and human. They became lords of sounds and lesser things. They passed nations through their mouths. They sat in judgment.
Seeing the woman as she was made them remember the envy they had stored up from other times. So they chewed up the back parts of their minds and swallowed with relish. They made burning statements with questions, and killing tools out of laughs. It was mass cruelty. A mood come alive. Words walking without masters; walking altogether like harmony in a song.
“What she doin’ coming back here in dem overhalls? Can’t she find no dress to put on?—Where’s dat blue satin dress she left here in?—Where all dat money her husband took and died and left her?—What dat ole forty year ole ’oman doin’ wid her hair swingin’ down her back lak some young gal?—Where she left dat young lad of a boy she went off here wid?—Thought she was going to marry?—Where he left her?—What he done wid all her money?—Betcha he off wid some gal so young she ain’t even got no hairs—why she don’t stay in her class?—”
When she got to where they were she turned her face on the bander log and spoke. They scrambled a noisy “good evenin’ ” and left their mouths setting open and their ears full of hope. Her speech was pleasant enough, but she kept walking straight on to her gate. The porch couldn’t talk for looking.
The men noticed her firm buttocks like she had grape fruits in her hip pockets; the great rope of black hair swinging to her waist and unraveling in the wind like a plume; then her pugnacious breasts trying to bore holes in her shirt. They, the men, were saving with the mind what they lost with the eye. The women took the faded shirt and muddy overalls and laid them away for remembrance. It was a weapon against her strength and if it turned out of no significance, still it was a hope that she might fall to their level some day.
But nobody moved, nobody spoke, nobody even thought to swallow spit until after her gate slammed behind her.
Pearl Stone opened her mouth and laughed real hard because she didn’t know what else to do. She fell all over Mrs. Sumpkins while she laughed. Mrs. Sumpkins snorted violently and sucked her teeth.
“Humph! Y’all let her worry yuh. You ain’t like me. Ah ain’t got her to study ’bout. If she ain’t got manners enough to stop and let folks know how she been makin’ out, let her g’wan!”
“She ain’t even worth talkin’ after,” Lulu Moss drawled through her nose. “She sits high, but she looks low. Dat’s what Ah say ’bout dese ole women runnin’ after young boys.”
Pheoby Watson hitched her rocking chair forward before she spoke. “Well, nobody don’t know if it’s anything to tell or not. Me, Ah’m her best friend, and Ah don’t know.”
“Maybe us don’t know into things lak you do, but we all know how she went ’way from here and us sho seen her come back. ’Tain’t no use in your tryin’ to cloak no ole woman lak Janie Starks, Pheoby, friend or no friend.”
“At dat she ain’t so ole as some of y’all dat’s talking.”
“She’s way past forty to my knowledge, Pheoby.”
“No more’n forty at de outside.”
“She’s ’way too old for a boy like Tea Cake.”
“Tea Cake ain’t been no boy for some time. He’s round thirty his ownself.”
“Don’t keer what it was, she could stop and say a few words with us. She act like we done done something to her,” Pearl Stone complained. “She de one been doin’ wrong.”
“You mean, you mad ’cause she didn’t stop and tell us all her business. Anyhow, what you ever know her to do so bad as y’all make out? The worst thing Ah ever knowed her to do was taking a few years offa her age and dat ain’t never harmed nobody. Y’all makes me tired. De way you talkin’ you’d think de folks in dis town didn’t do nothin’ in de bed ’cept praise de Lawd. You have to ’scuse me, ’cause Ah’m bound to go take her some supper.” Pheoby stood up sharply.
“Don’t mind us,” Lulu smiled, “just go right ahead, us can mind yo’ house for you till you git back. Mah supper is done. You bettah go see how she feel. You kin let de rest of us know.”
“Lawd,” Pearl agreed, “Ah done scorched-up dat lil meat and bread too long to talk about. Ah kin stay ’way from home long as Ah please. Mah husband ain’t fussy.”
“Oh, er, Pheoby, if youse ready to go, Ah could walk over dere wid you,” Mrs. Sumpkins volunteered. “It’s sort of duskin’ down dark. De boogerman might ketch yuh.”
“Naw, Ah thank yuh. Nothin’ couldn’t ketch me dese few steps Ah’m goin’. Anyhow mah husband tell me say no first class booger would have me. If she got anything to tell yuh, you’ll hear it.”
Pheoby hurried on off with a covered bowl in her hands. She left the porch pelting her back with unasked questions. They hoped the answers were cruel and strange. When she arrived at the place, Pheoby Watson didn’t go in by the front gate and down the palm walk to the front door. She walked around the fence corner and went in the intimate gate with her heaping plate of mulatto rice. Janie must be round that side.
She found her sitting on the steps of the back porch with the lamps all filled and the chimneys cleaned.
“Hello, Janie, how you comin’?”
“Aw, pretty good, Ah’m tryin’ to soak some uh de tiredness and de dirt outa mah feet.” She laughed a little.
“Ah see you is. Gal, you sho looks good. You looks like youse yo’ own daughter.” They both laughed. “Even wid dem overhalls on, you shows yo’ womanhood.”
“G’wan! G’wan! You must think Ah brought yuh somethin’. When Ah ain’t brought home a thing but mahself.”
“Dat’s a gracious plenty. Yo’ friends wouldn’t want nothin’ better.”
“Ah takes dat flattery offa you, Pheoby, ’cause Ah know it’s from de heart.” Janie extended her hand. “Good Lawd, Pheoby! ain’t you never goin’ tuh gimme dat lil rations you brought me? Ah ain’t had a thing on mah stomach today exceptin’ mah hand.” They both laughed easily. “Give it here and have a seat.”
“Ah knowed you’d be hongry. No time to be huntin’ stove wood after dark. Mah mulatto rice ain’t so good dis time. Not enough bacon grease, but Ah reckon it’ll kill hongry.”
“Ah’ll tell you in a minute,” Janie said, lifting the cover. “Gal, it’s too good! you switches a mean fanny round in a kitchen.”
“Aw, dat ain’t much to eat, Janie. But Ah’m liable to have something sho nuff good tomorrow, ’cause you done come.”
Janie ate heartily and said nothing. The varicolored cloud dust that the sun had stirred up in the sky was settling by slow degrees.
“Here, Pheoby, take yo’ ole plate. Ah ain’t got a bit of use for a empty dish. Dat grub sho come in handy.”
Pheoby laughed at her friend’s rough joke. “Youse just as crazy as you ever was.”
“Hand me dat wash-rag on dat chair by you, honey. Lemme scrub mah feet.” She took the cloth and rubbed vigorously. Laughter came to her from the big road.
“Well, Ah see Mouth-Almighty is still sittin’ in de same place. And Ah reckon they got me up in they mouth now.”
“Yes indeed. You know if you pass some people and don’t speak tuh suit ’em dey got tuh go way back in yo’ life and see whut you ever done. They know mo’ ’bout yuh than you do yo’ self. An envious heart makes a treacherous ear. They done ‘heard’ ’bout you just what they hope done happened.”
“If God don’t think no mo’ ’bout ’em then Ah do, they’s a lost ball in de high grass.”
“Ah hears what they say ’cause they just will collect round mah porch ’cause it’s on de big road. Mah husband git so sick of ’em sometime he makes ’em all git for home.”
“Sam is right too. They just wearin’ out yo’ sittin’ chairs.”
“Yeah, Sam say most of ’em goes to church so they’ll be sure to rise in Judgment. Dat’s de day dat every secret is s’posed to be made known. They wants to be there and hear it all.”
“Sam is too crazy! You can’t stop laughin’ when youse round him.”
“Uuh hunh. He says he aims to be there hisself so he can find out who stole his corn-cob pipe.”
“Pheoby, dat Sam of yourn just won’t quit! Crazy thing!”
“Most of dese ziggaboos is so het up over yo’ business till they liable to hurry theyself to Judgment to find out about you if they don’t soon know. You better make haste and tell ’em ’bout you and Tea Cake gittin’ married, and if he taken all yo’ money and went off wid some young gal, and where at he is now and where at is all yo’ clothes dat you got to come back here in overhalls.”
“Ah don’t mean to bother wid tellin’ ’em nothin’, Pheoby. ’Tain’t worth de trouble. You can tell ’em what Ah say if you wants to. Dat’s just de same as me ’cause mah tongue is in mah friend’s mouf.”
“If you so desire Ah’ll tell ’em what you tell me to tell ’em.”
“To start off wid, people like dem wastes up too much time puttin’ they mouf on things they don’t know nothin’ about. Now they got to look into me loving Tea Cake and see whether it was done right or not! They don’t know if life is a mess of cornmeal dumplings, and if love is a bed-quilt!”
“So long as they get a name to gnaw on they don’t care whose it is, and what about, ’specially if they can make it sound like evil.”
“If they wants to see and know, why they don’t come kiss and be kissed? Ah could then sit down and tell ’em things. Ah been a delegate to de big ’ssociation of life. Yessuh! De Grand Lodge, de big convention of livin’ is just where Ah been dis year and a half y’all ain’t seen me.”
They sat there in the fresh young darkness close together. Pheoby eager to feel and do through Janie, but hating to show her zest for fear it might be thought mere curiosity. Janie full of that oldest human longing—self revelation. Pheoby held her tongue for a long time, but she couldn’t help moving her feet. So Janie spoke.
“They don’t need to worry about me and my overhalls long as Ah still got nine hundred dollars in de bank. Tea Cake got me into wearing ’em—following behind him. Tea Cake ain’t wasted up no money of mine, and he ain’t left me for no young gal, neither. He give me every consolation in de world. He’d tell ’em so too, if he was here. If he wasn’t gone.”
Pheoby dilated all over with eagerness, “Tea Cake gone?”
“Yeah, Pheoby, Tea Cake is gone. And dat’s de only reason you see me back here—cause Ah ain’t got nothing to make me happy no more where Ah was at. Down in the Everglades there, down on the muck.”
“It’s hard for me to understand what you mean, de way you tell it. And then again Ah’m hard of understandin’ at times.”
“Naw, ’tain’t nothin’ lak you might think. So ’tain’t no use in me telling you somethin’ unless Ah give you de understandin’ to go ’long wid it. Unless you see de fur, a mink skin ain’t no different from a coon hide. Looka heah, Pheoby, is Sam waitin’ on you for his supper?”
“It’s all ready and waitin’. If he ain’t got sense enough to eat it, dat’s his hard luck.”
“Well then, we can set right where we is and talk. Ah got the house all opened up to let dis breeze get a little catchin’.
“Pheoby, we been kissin’-friends for twenty years, so Ah depend on you for a good thought. And Ah’m talking to you from dat standpoint.”
Time makes everything old so the kissing, young darkness became a monstropolous old thing while Janie talked.
Janie saw her life like a great tree in leaf with the things suffered, things enjoyed, things done and undone. Dawn and doom was in the branches.
“Ah know exactly what Ah got to tell yuh, but it’s hard to know where to start at.
“Ah ain’t never seen mah papa. And Ah didn’t know ’im if Ah did. Mah mama neither. She was gone from round dere long before Ah wuz big enough tuh know. Mah grandma raised me. Mah grandma and de white folks she worked wid. She had a house out in de back-yard and dat’s where Ah wuz born. They was quality white folks up dere in West Florida. Named Washburn. She had four gran’chillun on de place and all of us played together and dat’s how come Ah never called mah Grandma nothin’ but Nanny, ’cause dat’s what everybody on de place called her. Nanny used to ketch us in our devilment and lick every youngun on de place and Mis’ Washburn did de same. Ah reckon dey never hit us ah lick amiss ’cause dem three boys and us two girls wuz pretty aggravatin’, Ah speck.
“Ah was wid dem white chillun so much till Ah didn’t know Ah wuzn’t white till Ah was round six years old. Wouldn’t have found it out then, but a man come long takin’ pictures and without askin’ anybody, Shelby, dat was de oldest boy, he told him to take us. Round a week later de man brought de picture for Mis’ Washburn to see and pay him which she did, then give us all a good lickin’.
“So when we looked at de picture and everybody got pointed out there wasn’t nobody left except a real dark little girl with long hair standing by Eleanor. Dat’s where Ah wuz s’posed to be, but Ah couldn’t recognize dat dark chile as me. So Ah ast, ‘where is me? Ah don’t see me.’
“Everybody laughed, even Mr. Washburn. Miss Nellie, de Mama of de chillun who come back home after her husband dead, she pointed to de dark one and said, ‘Dat’s you, Alphabet, don’t you know yo’ ownself?’
“Dey all useter call me Alphabet ’cause so many people had done named me different names. Ah looked at de picture a long time and seen it was mah dress and mah hair so Ah said:
“ ‘Aw, aw! Ah’m colored!’
“Den dey all laughed real hard. But before Ah seen de picture Ah thought Ah wuz just like de rest.
“Us lived dere havin’ fun till de chillun at school got to teasin’ me ’bout livin’ in de white folks’ back-yard. Dere wuz uh knotty head gal name Mayrella dat useter git mad every time she look at me. Mis’ Washburn useter dress me up in all de clothes her gran’chillun didn’t need no mo’ which still wuz better’n whut de rest uh de colored chillun had. And then she useter put hair ribbon on mah head fuh me tuh wear. Dat useter rile Mayrella uh lot. So she would pick at me all de time and put some others up tuh do de same. They’d push me ’way from de ring plays and make out they couldn’t play wid nobody dat lived on premises. Den they’d tell me not to be takin’ on over mah looks ’cause they mama told ’em ’bout de hound dawgs huntin’ mah papa all night long. ’Bout Mr. Washburn and de sheriff puttin’ de bloodhounds on de trail tuh ketch mah papa for whut he done tuh mah mama. Dey didn’t tell about how he wuz seen tryin’ tuh git in touch wid mah mama later on so he could marry her. Naw, dey didn’t talk dat part of it atall. Dey made it sound real bad so as tuh crumple mah feathers. None of ’em didn’t even remember whut his name wuz, but dey all knowed de bloodhound part by heart. Nanny didn’t love tuh see me wid mah head hung down, so she figgered it would be mo’ better fuh me if us had uh house. She got de land and everything and then Mis’ Washburn helped out uh whole heap wid things.”
Pheoby’s hungry listening helped Janie to tell her story. So she went on thinking back to her young years and explaining them to her friend in soft, easy phrases while all around the house, the night time put on flesh and blackness.
She thought awhile and decided that her conscious life had commenced at Nanny’s gate. On a late afternoon Nanny had called her to come inside the house because she had spied Janie letting Johnny Taylor kiss her over the gatepost.
It was a spring afternoon in West Florida. Janie had spent most of the day under a blossoming pear tree in the back-yard. She had been spending every minute that she could steal from her chores under that tree for the last three days. That was to say, ever since the first tiny bloom had opened. It had called her to come and gaze on a mystery. From barren brown stems to glistening leaf-buds; from the leaf-buds to snowy virginity of bloom. It stirred her tremendously. How? Why? It was like a flute song forgotten in another existence and remembered again. What? How? Why? This singing she heard that had nothing to do with her ears. The rose of the world was breathing out smell. It followed her through all her waking moments and caressed her in her sleep. It connected itself with other vaguely felt matters that had struck her outside observation and buried themselves in her flesh. Now they emerged and quested about her consciousness.
She was stretched on her back beneath the pear tree soaking in the alto chant of the visiting bees, the gold of the sun and the panting breath of the breeze when the inaudible voice of it all came to her. She saw a dust-bearing bee sink into the sanctum of a bloom; the thousand sister-calyxes arch to meet the love embrace and the ecstatic shiver of the tree from root to tiniest branch creaming in every blossom and frothing with delight. So this was a marriage! She had been summoned to behold a revelation. Then Janie felt a pain remorseless sweet that left her limp and languid.
After a while she got up from where she was and went over the little garden field entire. She was seeking confirmation of the voice and vision, and everywhere she found and acknowledged answers. A personal answer for all other creations except herself. She felt an answer seeking her, but where? When? How? She found herself at the kitchen door and stumbled inside. In the air of the room were flies tumbling and singing, marrying and giving in marriage. When she reached the narrow hallway she was reminded that her grandmother was home with a sick headache. She was lying across the bed asleep so Janie tipped on out of the front door. Oh to be a pear tree—any tree in bloom! With kissing bees singing of the beginning of the world! She was sixteen. She had glossy leaves and bursting buds and she wanted to struggle with life but it seemed to elude her. Where were the singing bees for her? Nothing on the place nor in her grandma’s house answered her. She searched as much of the world as she could from the top of the front steps and then went on down to the front gate and leaned over to gaze up and down the road. Looking, waiting, breathing short with impatience. Waiting for the world to be made.
Through pollinated air she saw a glorious being coming up the road. In her former blindness she had known him as shiftless Johnny Taylor, tall and lean. That was before the golden dust of pollen had beglamored his rags and her eyes.
In the last stages of Nanny’s sleep, she dreamed of voices. Voices far-off but persistent, and gradually coming nearer. Janie’s voice. Janie talking in whispery snatches with a male voice she couldn’t quite place. That brought her wide awake. She bolted upright and peered out of the window and saw Johnny Taylor lacerating her Janie with a kiss.
“Janie!”
The old woman’s voice was so lacking in command and reproof, so full of crumbling dissolution,—that Janie half believed that Nanny had not seen her. So she extended herself outside of her dream and went inside of the house. That was the end of her childhood.
Nanny’s head and face looked like the standing roots of some old tree that had been torn away by storm. Foundation of ancient power that no longer mattered. The cooling palma christi leaves that Janie had bound about her grandma’s head with a white rag had wilted down and become part and parcel of the woman. Her eyes didn’t bore and pierce. They diffused and melted Janie, the room and the world into one comprehension.
“Janie, youse uh ’oman, now, so—”
“Naw, Nanny, naw Ah ain’t no real ’oman yet.”
The thought was too new and heavy for Janie. She fought it away.
Nanny closed her eyes and nodded a slow, weary affirmation many times before she gave it voice.
“Yeah, Janie, youse got yo’ womanhood on yuh. So Ah mout ez well tell yuh whut Ah been savin’ up for uh spell. Ah wants to see you married right away.”
“Me, married? Naw, Nanny, no ma’am! Whut Ah know ’bout uh husband?”
“Whut Ah seen just now is plenty for me, honey, Ah don’t want no trashy nigger, no breath-and-britches, lak Johnny Taylor usin’ yo’ body to wipe his foots on.”
Nanny’s words made Janie’s kiss across the gatepost seem like a manure pile after a rain.
“Look at me, Janie. Don’t set dere wid yo’ head hung down. Look at yo’ ole grandma!” Her voice began snagging on the prongs of her feelings. “Ah don’t want to be talkin’ to you lak dis. Fact is Ah done been on mah knees to mah Maker many’s de time askin’ please—for Him not to make de burden too heavy for me to bear.”
“Nanny, Ah just—Ah didn’t mean nothin’ bad.”
“Dat’s what makes me skeered. You don’t mean no harm. You don’t even know where harm is at. Ah’m ole now. Ah can’t be always guidin’ yo’ feet from harm and danger. Ah wants to see you married right away.”
“Who Ah’m goin’ tuh marry off-hand lak dat? Ah don’t know nobody.”
“De Lawd will provide. He know Ah done bore de burden in de heat uh de day. Somebody done spoke to me ’bout you long time ago. Ah ain’t said nothin’ ’cause dat wasn’t de way Ah placed you. Ah wanted yuh to school out and pick from a higher bush and a sweeter berry. But dat ain’t yo’ idea, Ah see.”
“Nanny, who—who dat been askin’ you for me?”
“Brother Logan Killicks. He’s a good man, too.”
“Naw, Nanny, no ma’am! Is dat whut he been hangin’ round here for? He look like some ole skullhead in de grave yard.”
The older woman sat bolt upright and put her feet to the floor, and thrust back the leaves from her face.
“So you don’t want to marry off decent like, do yuh? You just wants to hug and kiss and feel around with first one man and then another, huh? You wants to make me suck de same sorrow yo’ mama did, eh? Mah ole head ain’t gray enough. Mah back ain’t bowed enough to suit yuh!”
The vision of Logan Killicks was desecrating the pear tree, but Janie didn’t know how to tell Nanny that. She merely hunched over and pouted at the floor.
“Janie.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“You answer me when Ah speak. Don’t you set dere poutin’ wid me after all Ah done went through for you!”
She slapped the girl’s face violently, and forced her head back so that their eyes met in struggle. With her hand uplifted for the second blow she saw the huge tear that welled up from Janie’s heart and stood in each eye. She saw the terrible agony and the lips tightened down to hold back the cry and desisted. Instead she brushed back the heavy hair from Janie’s face and stood there suffering and loving and weeping internally for both of them.
“Come to yo’ Grandma, honey. Set in her lap lak yo’ use tuh. Yo’ Nanny wouldn’t harm a hair uh yo’ head. She don’t want nobody else to do it neither if she kin help it. Honey, de white man is de ruler of everything as fur as Ah been able tuh find out. Maybe it’s some place way off in de ocean where de black man is in power, but we don’t know nothin’ but what we see. So de white man throw down de load and tell de nigger man tuh pick it up. He pick it up because he have to, but he don’t tote it. He hand it to his womenfolks. De nigger woman is de mule uh de world so fur as Ah can see. Ah been prayin’ fuh it tuh be different wid you. Lawd, Lawd, Lawd!”
For a long time she sat rocking with the girl held tightly to her sunken breast. Janie’s long legs dangled over one arm of the chair and the long braids of her hair swung low on the other side. Nanny half sung, half sobbed a running chantprayer over the head of the weeping girl.
“Lawd have mercy! It was a long time on de way but Ah reckon it had to come. Oh Jesus! Do, Jesus! Ah done de best Ah could.”
Finally, they both grew calm.
“Janie, how long you been ’lowin’ Johnny Taylor to kiss you?”
“Only dis one time, Nanny. Ah don’t love him at all. Whut made me do it is—oh, Ah don’t know.”
“Thank yuh, Massa Jesus.”
“Ah ain’t gointuh do it no mo’, Nanny. Please don’t make me marry Mr. Killicks.”
“ ’Tain’t Logan Killicks Ah wants you to have, baby, it’s protection. Ah ain’t gittin’ ole, honey. Ah’m done ole. One mornin’ soon, now, de angel wid de sword is gointuh stop by here. De day and de hour is hid from me, but it won’t be long. Ah ast de Lawd when you was uh infant in mah arms to let me stay here till you got grown. He done spared me to see de day. Mah daily prayer now is tuh let dese golden moments rolls on a few days longer till Ah see you safe in life.”
“Lemme wait, Nanny, please, jus’ a lil bit mo’.”
“Don’t think Ah don’t feel wid you, Janie, ’cause Ah do. Ah couldn’t love yuh no more if Ah had uh felt yo’ birth pains mahself. Fact uh de matter, Ah loves yuh a whole heap more’n Ah do yo’ mama, de one Ah did birth. But you got to take in consideration you ain’t no everyday chile like most of ’em. You ain’t got no papa, you might jus’ as well say no mama, for de good she do yuh. You ain’t got nobody but me. And mah head is ole and tilted towards de grave. Neither can you stand alone by yo’self. De thought uh you bein’ kicked around from pillar tuh post is uh hurtin’ thing. Every tear you drop squeezes a cup uh blood outa mah heart. Ah got tuh try and do for you befo’ mah head is cold.”
A sobbing sigh burst out of Janie. The old woman answered her with little soothing pats of the hand.
“You know, honey, us colored folks is branches without roots and that makes things come round in queer ways. You in particular. Ah was born back due in slavery so it wasn’t for me to fulfill my dreams of whut a woman oughta be and to do. Dat’s one of de hold-backs of slavery. But nothing can’t stop you from wishin’. You can’t beat nobody down so low till you can rob ’em of they will. Ah didn’t want to be used for a work-ox and a brood-sow and Ah didn’t want mah daughter used dat way neither. It sho wasn’t mah will for things to happen lak they did. Ah even hated de way you was born. But, all de same Ah said thank God, Ah got another chance. Ah wanted to preach a great sermon about colored women sittin’ on high, but they wasn’t no pulpit for me. Freedom found me wid a baby daughter in mah arms, so Ah said Ah’d take a broom and a cook-pot and throw up a highway through de wilderness for her. She would expound what Ah felt. But somehow she got lost offa de highway and next thing Ah knowed here you was in de world. So whilst Ah was tendin’ you of nights Ah said Ah’d save de text for you. Ah been waitin’ a long time, Janie, but nothin’ Ah been through ain’t too much if you just take a stand on high ground lak Ah dreamed.”
Old Nanny sat there rocking Janie like an infant and thinking back and back. Mind-pictures brought feelings, and feelings dragged out dramas from the hollows of her heart.
“Dat mornin’ on de big plantation close to Savannah, a rider come in a gallop tellin’ ’bout Sherman takin’ Atlanta. Marse Robert’s son had done been kilt at Chickamauga. So he grabbed his gun and straddled his best horse and went off wid de rest of de gray-headed men and young boys to drive de Yankees back into Tennessee.
“They was all cheerin’ and cryin’ and shoutin’ for de men dat was ridin’ off. Ah couldn’t see nothin’ cause yo’ mama wasn’t but a week old, and Ah was flat uh mah back. But pretty soon he let on he forgot somethin’ and run into mah cabin and made me let down mah hair for de last time. He sorta wropped his hand in it, pulled mah big toe, lak he always done, and was gone after de rest lak lightnin’. Ah heard ’em give one last whoop for him. Then de big house and de quarters got sober and silent.
“It was de cool of de evenin’ when Mistis come walkin’ in mah door. She throwed de door wide open and stood dere lookin’ at me outa her eyes and her face. Look lak she been livin’ through uh hundred years in January without one day of spring. She come stood over me in de bed.
“ ’Nanny, Ah come to see that baby uh yourn.’
“Ah tried not to feel de breeze off her face, but it got so cold in dere dat Ah was freezin’ to death under the kivvers. So Ah couldn’t move right away lak Ah aimed to. But Ah knowed Ah had to make haste and do it.
“ ‘You better git dat kivver offa dat youngun and dat quick!’ she clashed at me. ‘Look lak you don’t know who is Mistis on dis plantation, Madam. But Ah aims to show you.’
“By dat time I had done managed tuh unkivver mah baby enough for her to see de head and face.
“ ‘Nigger, whut’s yo’ baby doin’ wid gray eyes and yaller hair?’ She begin tuh slap mah jaws ever which a’way. Ah never felt the fust ones ’cause Ah wuz too busy gittin’ de kivver back over mah chile. But dem last lick burnt me lak fire. Ah had too many feelin’s tuh tell which one tuh follow so Ah didn’t cry and Ah didn’t do nothin’ else. But then she kept on astin me how come mah baby look white. She asted me dat maybe twenty-five or thirty times, lak she got tuh sayin’ dat and couldn’t help herself. So Ah told her, ‘Ah don’t know nothin’ but what Ah’m told tuh do, ’cause Ah ain’t nothin’ but uh nigger and uh slave.’
“Instead of pacifyin’ her lak Ah thought, look lak she got madder. But Ah reckon she was tired and wore out ’cause she didn’t hit me no more. She went to de foot of de bed and wiped her hands on her handksher. ‘Ah wouldn’t dirty mah hands on yuh. But first thing in de mornin’ de overseer will take you to de whippin’ post and tie you down on yo’ knees and cut de hide offa yo’ yaller back. One hundred lashes wid a raw-hide on yo’ bare back. Ah’ll have you whipped till de blood run down to yo’ heels! Ah mean to count de licks mahself. Ahd if it kills you Ah’ll stand de loss. Ahyhow, as soon as dat brat is a month old Ah’m going to sell it offa dis place.’
“She flounced on off and let her wintertime wid me. Ah knowed mah body wasn’t healed, but Ah couldn’t consider dat. In de black dark Ah wrapped mah baby de best Ah knowed how and made it to de swamp by de river. Ah knowed de place was full uh moccasins and other bitin’ snakes, but Ah was more skeered uh whut was behind me. Ah hide in dere day and night and suckled de baby every time she start to cry, for fear somebody might hear her and Ah’d git found. Ah ain’t sayin’ uh friend or two didn’t feel mah care. And den de Good Lawd seen to it dat Ah wasn’t taken. Ah don’t see how come mah milk didn’t kill mah chile, wid me so skeered and worried all de time. De noise uh de owls skeered me; de limbs of dem cypress trees took to crawlin’ and movin’ round after dark, and two three times Ah heered panthers prowlin’ round. But nothin’ never hurt me ’cause de Lawd knowed how it was.
“Den, one night Ah heard de big guns boomin’ lak thunder. It kept up all night long. Ahd de next mornin’ Ah could see uh big ship at a distance and a great stirrin’ round. So Ah wrapped Leafy up in moss and fixed her good in a tree and picked mah way on down to de landin’. The men was all in blue, and Ah heard people say Sherman was comin’ to meet de boats in Savannah, and all of us slaves was free. So Ah run got mah baby and got in quotation wid people and found a place Ah could stay.
“But it was a long time after dat befo’ de Big Surrender at Richmond. Den de big bell ring in Atlanta and all de men in gray uniforms had to go to Moultrie, and bury their swords in de ground to show they was never to fight about slavery no mo’. So den we knowed we was free.
“Ah wouldn’t marry nobody, though Ah could have uh heap uh times, cause Ah didn’t want nobody mistreating mah baby. So Ah got with some good white people and come down here in West Florida to work and make de sun shine on both sides of de street for Leafy.
“Mah Madam help me wid her just lak she been doin’ wid you. Ah put her in school when it got so it was a school to put her in. Ah was ’spectin’ to make a school teacher outa her.
“But one day she didn’t come home at de usual time and Ah waited and waited, but she never come all dat night. Ah took a lantern and went round askin’ everybody but nobody ain’t seen her. De next mornin’ she come crawlin’ in on her hands and knees. A sight to see. Dat school teacher had done hid her in de woods all night long, and he had done raped mah baby and run on off just before day.
“She was only seventeen, and somethin’ lak dat to happen! Lawd a’mussy! Look lak Ah kin see it all over again. It was a long time before she was well, and by dat time we knowed you was on de way. And after you was born she took to drinkin’ likker and stayin’ out nights. Couldn’t git her to stay here and nowhere else. Lawd knows where she is right now. She ain’t dead, ’cause Ah’d know it by mah feelings, but sometimes Ah wish she was at rest.
“And, Janie, maybe it wasn’t much, but Ah done de best Ah kin by you. Ah raked and scraped and bought dis lil piece uh land so you wouldn’t have to stay in de white folks’ yard and tuck yo’ head befo’ other chillun at school. Dat was all right when you was little. But when you got big enough to understand things, Ah wanted you to look upon yo’self. Ah don’t want yo’ feathers always crumpled by folks throwin’ up things in yo’ face. And Ah can’t die easy thinkin’ maybe de menfolks white or black is makin’ a spit-cup outa you: Have some sympathy fuh me. Put me down easy, Janie, Ah’m a cracked plate.”
There are years that ask questions and years that answer. Janie had had no chance to know things, so she had to ask. Did marriage end the cosmic loneliness of the unmated? Did marriage compel love like the sun the day?
In the few days to live before she went to Logan Killicks and his often-mentioned sixty acres, Janie asked inside of herself and out. She was back and forth to the pear tree continuously wondering and thinking. Finally out of Nanny’s talk and her own conjectures she made a sort of comfort for herself. Yes, she would love Logan after they were married. She could see no way for it to come about, but Nanny and the old folks had said it, so it must be so. Husbands and wives always loved each other, and that was what marriage meant. It was just so. Janie felt glad of the thought, for then it wouldn’t seem so destructive and mouldy. She wouldn’t be lonely anymore.
Janie and Logan got married in Nanny’s parlor of a Saturday evening with three cakes and big platters of fried rabbit and chicken. Everything to eat in abundance. Nanny and Mrs. Washburn had seen to that. But nobody put anything on the seat of Logan’s wagon to make it ride glorious on the way to his house. It was a lonesome place like a stump in the middle of the woods where nobody had ever been. The house was absent of flavor, too. But anyhow Janie went on inside to wait for love to begin. The new moon had been up and down three times before she got worried in mind. Then she went to see Nanny in Mrs. Washburn’s kitchen on the day for beaten biscuits.
Nanny beamed all out with gladness and made her come up to the bread board so she could kiss her.
“Lawd a’mussy, honey, Ah sho is glad tuh see mah chile! G’wan inside and let Mis’ Washburn know youse heah. Umph! Umph! Umph! How is dat husband uh yourn?”
Janie didn’t go in where Mrs. Washburn was. She didn’t say anything to match up with Nanny’s gladness either. She just fell on a chair with her hips and sat there. Between the biscuits and her beaming pride Nanny didn’t notice for a minute. But after a while she found the conversation getting lonesome so she looked up at Janie.
“Whut’s de matter, sugar? You ain’t none too spry dis mornin’.”
“Oh, nothin’ much, Ah reckon. Ah come to get a lil information from you.”
The old woman looked amazed, then gave a big clatter of laughter. “Don’t tell me you done got knocked up already, less see—dis Saturday it’s two month and two weeks.”
“No’m, Ah don’t think so anyhow.” Janie blushed a little.
“You ain’t got nothin’ to be shamed of, honey, youse uh married ’oman. You got yo’ lawful husband same as Mis’ Washburn or anybody else!”
“Ah’m all right dat way. Ah know ’tain’t nothin’ dere.”
“You and Logan been fussin’? Lawd, Ah know dat grassgut, liver-lipted nigger ain’t done took and beat mah baby already! Ah’ll take a stick and salivate ’im!”
“No’m, he ain’t even talked ’bout hittin’ me. He says he never mean to lay de weight uh his hand on me in malice. He chops all de wood he think Ah wants and den he totes it inside de kitchen for me. Keeps both water buckets full.”
“Humph! don’t ’spect all dat tuh keep up. He ain’t kissin’ yo’ mouf when he carry on over yuh lak dat. He’s kissin’ yo’ foot and ’tain’t in uh man tuh kiss foot long. Mouf kissin’ is on uh equal and dat’s natural but when dey got to bow down tuh love, dey soon straightens up.”
“Yes’m.”
“Well, if he do all dat whut you come in heah wid uh face long as mah arm for?”
“ ’Cause you told me Ah mus gointer love him, and, and Ah don’t. Maybe if somebody was to tell me how, Ah could do it.”
“You come heah wid yo’ mouf full uh foolishness on uh busy day. Heah you got uh prop tuh lean on all yo’ bawn days, and big protection, and everybody got tuh tip dey hat tuh you and call you Mis’ Killicks, and you come worryin’ me ’bout love.”
“But Nanny, Ah wants to want him sometimes. Ah don’t want him to do all de wantin’.”
“If you don’t want him, you sho oughta. Heah you is wid de onliest organ in town, amongst colored folks, in yo’ parlor. Got a house bought and paid for and sixty acres uh land right on de big road and. . . . Lawd have mussy! Dat’s de very prong all us black women gits hung on. Dis love! Dat’s just whut’s got us uh pullin’ and uh haulin’ and sweatin’ and doin’ from can’t see in de mornin’ till can’t see at night. Dat’s how come de ole folks say dat bein’ uh fool don’t kill nobody. It jus’ makes you sweat. Ah betcha you wants some dressed up dude dat got to look at de sole of his shoe everytime he cross de street tuh see whether he got enough leather dere tuh make it across. You can buy and sell such as dem wid what you got. In fact you can buy ’em and give ’em away.”
“Ah ain’t studyin’ ’bout none of ’em. At de same time Ah ain’t takin’ dat ole land tuh heart neither. Ah could throw ten acres of it over de fence every day and never look back to see where it fell. Ah feel de same way ’bout Mr. Killicks too. Some folks never was meant to be loved and he’s one of ’em.”
“How come?”
“ ’Cause Ah hates de way his head is so long one way and so flat on de sides and dat pone uh fat back uh his neck.”
“He never made his own head. You talk so silly.”
“Ah don’t keer who made it, Ah don’t like de job. His belly is too big too, now, and his toe-nails look lak mule foots. And ’tain’t nothin’ in de way of him washin’ his feet every evenin’ before he comes tuh bed. ’Tain’t nothin’ tuh hinder him ’cause Ah places de water for him. Ah’d ruther be shot wid tacks than tuh turn over in de bed and stir up de air whilst he is in dere. He don’t even never mention nothin’ pretty.”
She began to cry.
“Ah wants things sweet wid mah marriage lak when you sit under a pear tree and think. Ah. . . .”
“ ’Tain’t no use in you cryin’, Janie. Grandma done been long uh few roads herself. But folks is meant to cry ’bout somethin’ or other. Better leave things de way dey is. Youse young yet. No tellin’ whut mout happen befo’ you die. Wait awhile, baby. Yo’ mind will change.”
Nanny sent Janie along with a stern mien, but she dwindled all the rest of the day as she worked. And when she gained the privacy of her own little shack she stayed on her knees so long she forgot she was there herself. There is a basin in the mind where words float around on thought and thought on sound and sight. Then there is a depth of thought untouched by words, and deeper still a gulf of formless feelings untouched by thought. Nanny entered this infinity of conscious pain again on her old knees. Towards morning she muttered, “Lawd, you know mah heart. Ah done de best Ah could do. De rest is left to you.” She scuffled up from her knees and fell heavily across the bed. A month later she was dead.
So Janie waited a bloom time, and a green time and an orange time. But when the pollen again gilded the sun and sifted down on the world she began to stand around the gate and expect things. What things? She didn’t know exactly. Her breath was gusty and short. She knew things that nobody had ever told her. For instance, the words of the trees and the wind. She often spoke to falling seeds and said, “Ah hope you fall on soft ground,” because she had heard seeds saying that to each other as they passed. She knew the world was a stallion rolling in the blue pasture of ether. She knew that God tore down the old world every evening and built a new one by sun-up. It was wonderful to see it take form with the sun and emerge from the gray dust of its making. The familiar people and things had failed her so she hung over the gate and looked up the road towards way off. She knew now that marriage did not make love. Janie’s first dream was dead, so she became a woman.
Long before the year was up, Janie noticed that her husband had stopped talking in rhymes to her. He had ceased to wonder at her long black hair and finger it. Six months back he had told her, “If Ah kin haul de wood heah and chop it fuh yuh, look lak you oughta be able tuh tote it inside. Mah fust wife never bothered me ’bout choppin’ no wood nohow. She’d grab dat ax and sling chips lak uh man. You done been spoilt rotten.”
So Janie had told him, “Ah’m just as stiff as you is stout. If you can stand not to chop and tote wood Ah reckon you can stand not to git no dinner. ’Scuse mah freezolity, Mist’ Killicks, but Ah don’t mean to chop de first chip.”
“Aw you know Ah’m gwine chop de wood fuh yuh. Even if you is stingy as you can be wid me. Yo’ Grandma and me myself done spoilt yuh now, and Ah reckon Ah have tuh keep on wid it.”
One morning soon he called her out of the kitchen to the barn. He had the mule all saddled at the gate.
“Looka heah, LilBit, help me out some. Cut up dese seed taters fuh me. Ah got tuh go step off a piece.”
“Where you goin’?”
“Over tuh Lake City tuh see uh man about uh mule.”
“Whut you need two mules fuh? Lessen you aims to swap off dis one.”
“Naw, Ah needs two mules dis yeah. Taters is goin’ tuh be taters in de fall. Bringin’ big prices. Ah aims tuh run two plows, and dis man Ah’m talkin’ ’bout is got uh mule all gentled up so even uh woman kin handle ’im.”
Logan held his wad of tobacco real still in his jaw like a thermometer of his feelings while he studied Janie’s face and waited for her to say something.
“So Ah thought Ah mout as well go see.” He tagged on and swallowed to kill time but Janie said nothing except, “Ah’ll cut de p’taters fuh yuh. When yuh comin’ back?”
“Don’t know exactly. Round dust dark Ah reckon. It’s uh sorta long trip—specially if Ah hafter lead one on de way back.”
When Janie had finished indoors she sat down in the barn with the potatoes. But springtime reached her in there so she moved everything to a place in the yard where she could see the road. The noon sun filtered through the leaves of the fine oak tree where she sat and made lacy patterns on the ground. She had been there a long time when she heard whistling coming down the road.
It was a cityfied, stylish dressed man with his hat set at an angle that didn’t belong in these parts. His coat was over his arm, but he didn’t need it to represent his clothes. The shirt with the silk sleeveholders was dazzling enough for the world. He whistled, mopped his face and walked like he knew where he was going. He was a seal-brown color but he acted like Mr. Washburn or somebody like that to Janie. Where would such a man be coming from and where was he going? He didn’t look her way nor no other way except straight ahead, so Janie ran to the pump and jerked the handle hard while she pumped. It made a loud noise and also made her heavy hair fall down. So he stopped and looked hard, and then he asked her for a cool drink of water.
Janie pumped it off until she got a good look at the man. He talked friendly while he drank.
Joe Starks was the name, yeah Joe Starks from in and through Georgy. Been workin’ for white folks all his life. Saved up some money—round three hundred dollars, yes indeed, right here in his pocket. Kept hearin’ ’bout them buildin’ a new state down heah in Floridy and sort of wanted to come. But he was makin’ money where he was. But when he heard all about ’em makin’ a town all outa colored folks, he knowed dat was de place he wanted to be. He had always wanted to be a big voice, but de white folks had all de sayso where he come from and everywhere else, exceptin’ dis place dat colored folks was buildin’ theirselves. Dat was right too. De man dat built things oughta boss it. Let colored folks build things too if dey wants to crow over somethin’. He was glad he had his money all saved up. He meant to git dere whilst de town wuz yet a baby. He meant to buy in big. It had always been his wish and desire to be a big voice and he had to live nearly thirty years to find a chance. Where was Janie’s papa and mama?
“Dey dead, Ah reckon. Ah wouldn’t know ’bout ’em ’cause mah Grandma raised me. She dead too.”
“She dead too! Well, who’s lookin’ after a lil girl-chile lak you?”
“Ah’m married.”
“You married? You ain’t hardly old enough to be weaned. Ah betcha you still craves sugar-tits, doncher?”
“Yeah, and Ah makes and sucks ’em when de notion strikes me. Drinks sweeten’ water too.”
“Ah loves dat mahself. Never specks to get too old to enjoy syrup sweeten’ water when it’s cools and nice.”
“Us got plenty syrup in de barn. Ribbon-cane syrup. If you so desires—”
“Where yo’ husband at, Mis’ er-er.”
“Mah name is Janie Mae Killicks since Ah got married. Useter be name Janie Mae Crawford. Mah husband is gone tuh buy a mule fuh me tuh plow. He left me cuttin’ up seed p’taters.”
“You behind a plow! You ain’t got no mo’ business wid uh plow than uh hog is got wid uh holiday! You ain’t got no business cuttin’ up no seed p’taters neither. A pretty doll-baby lak you is made to sit on de front porch and rock and fan yo’self and eat p’taters dat other folks plant just special for you.”
Janie laughed and drew two quarts of syrup from the barrel and Joe Starks pumped the water bucket full of cool water. They sat under the tree and talked. He was going on down to the new part of Florida, but no harm to stop and chat. He later decided he needed a rest anyway. It would do him good to rest a week or two.
Every day after that they managed to meet in the scrub oaks across the road and talk about when he would be a big ruler of things with her reaping the benefits. Janie pulled back a long time because he did not represent sun-up and pollen and blooming trees, but he spoke for far horizon. He spoke for change and chance. Still she hung back. The memory of Nanny was still powerful and strong.
“Janie, if you think Ah aims to tole you off and make a dog outa you, youse wrong. Ah wants to make a wife outa you.”
“You mean dat, Joe?”
“De day you puts yo’ hand in mine, Ah wouldn’t let de sun go down on us single. Ah’m uh man wid principles. You ain’t never knowed what it was to be treated lak a lady and Ah wants to be de one tuh show yuh. Call me Jody lak you do sometime.”
“Jody,” she smiled up at him, “but s’posin’—”
“Leave de s’posin’ and everything else to me. Ah’ll be down dis road uh little after sun-up tomorrow mornin’ to wait for you. You come go wid me. Den all de rest of yo’ natural life you kin live lak you oughta. Kiss me and shake yo’ head. When you do dat, yo’ plentiful hair breaks lak day.”
Janie debated the matter that night in bed.
“Logan, you ’sleep?”
“If Ah wuz, you’d be done woke me up callin’ me.”
“Ah wuz thinkin’ real hard about us; about you and me.”
“It’s about time. Youse powerful independent around here sometime considerin’.”
“Considerin’ whut for instance?”
“Considerin’ youse born in a carriage ’thout no top to it, and yo’ mama and you bein’ born and raised in de white folks back-yard.”
“You didn’t say all dat when you wuz begging Nanny for me to marry you.”
“Ah thought you would ’preciate good treatment. Thought Ah’d take and make somethin’ outa yuh. You think youse white folks by de way you act.”
“S’posin’ Ah wuz to run off and leave yuh sometime.”
There! Janie had put words in his held-in fears. She might run off sure enough. The thought put a terrible ache in Logan’s body, but he thought it best to put on scorn.
“Ah’m gettin’ sleepy, Janie. Let’s don’t talk no mo’. ’Tain’t too many mens would trust yuh, knowin’ yo’ folks lak dey do.”
“Ah might take and find somebody dat did trust me and leave yuh.”
“Shucks! ’Tain’t no mo’ fools lak me. A whole lot of mens will grin in yo’ face, but dey ain’t gwine tuh work and feed yuh. You won’t git far and you won’t be long, when dat big gut reach over and grab dat little one, you’ll be too glad to come back here.”
“You don’t take nothin’ to count but sow-belly and cornbread.”
“Ah’m sleepy. Ah don’t aim to worry mah gut into a fiddle-string wid no s’posin’.” He flopped over resentful in his agony and pretended sleep. He hoped that he had hurt her as she had hurt him.
Janie got up with him the next morning and had the breakfast halfway done when he bellowed from the barn.
“Janie!” Logan called harshly. “Come help me move dis manure pile befo’ de sun gits hot. You don’t take a bit of interest in dis place. ’Tain’t no use in foolin’ round in dat kitchen all day long.”
Janie walked to the door with the pan in her hand still stirring the cornmeal dough and looked towards the barn. The sun from ambush was threatening the world with red daggers, but the shadows were gray and solid-looking around the barn. Logan with his shovel looked like a black bear doing some clumsy dance on his hind legs.
“You don’t need mah help out dere, Logan. Youse in yo’ place and Ah’m in mine.”
“You ain’t got no particular place. It’s wherever Ah need yuh. Git uh move on yuh, and dat quick.”
“Mah mamma didn’t tell me Ah wuz born in no hurry. So whut business Ah got rushin’ now? Anyhow dat ain’t whut youse mad about. Youse mad ’cause Ah don’t fall down and wash-up dese sixty acres uh ground yuh got. You ain’t done me no favor by marryin’ me. And if dat’s what you call yo’self doin’, Ah don’t thank yuh for it. Youse mad ’cause Ah’m tellin’ yuh whut you already knowed.”
Logan dropped his shovel and made two or three clumsy steps towards the house, then stopped abruptly.
“Don’t you change too many words wid me dis mawnin’, Janie, do Ah’ll take and change ends wid yuh! Heah, Ah just as good as take you out de white folks’ kitchen and set you down on yo’ royal diasticutis and you take and low-rate me! Ah’ll take holt uh dat ax and come in dere and kill yuh! You better dry up in dere! Ah’m too honest and hard-workin’ for anybody in yo’ family, dat’s de reason you don’t want me!” The last sentence was half a sob and half a cry. “Ah guess some low-lifed nigger is grinnin’ in yo’ face and lyin’ tuh yuh. God damn yo’ hide!”
Janie turned from the door without answering, and stood still in the middle of the floor without knowing it. She turned wrongside out just standing there and feeling. When the throbbing calmed a little she gave Logan’s speech a hard thought and placed it beside other things she had seen and heard. When she had finished with that she dumped the dough on the skillet and smoothed it over with her hand. She wasn’t even angry. Logan was accusing her of her mamma, her grandmama and her feelings, and she couldn’t do a thing about any of it. The sow-belly in the pan needed turning. She flipped it over and shoved it back. A little cold water in the coffee pot to settle it. Turned the hoe-cake with a plate and then made a little laugh. What was she losing so much time for? A feeling of sudden newness and change came over her. Janie hurried out of the front gate and turned south. Even if Joe was not there waiting for her, the change was bound to do her good.
The morning road air was like a new dress. That made her feel the apron tied around her waist. She untied it and flung it on a low bush beside the road and walked on, picking flowers and making a bouquet. After that she came to where Joe Starks was waiting for her with a hired rig. He was very solemn and helped her to the seat beside him. With him on it, it sat like some high, ruling chair. From now on until death she was going to have flower dust and springtime sprinkled over everything. A bee for her bloom. Her old thoughts were going to come in handy now, but new words would have to be made and said to fit them.
“Green Cove Springs,” he told the driver. So they were married there before sundown, just like Joe had said. With new clothes of silk and wool.
They sat on the boarding house porch and saw the sun plunge into the same crack in the earth from which the night emerged.
0 General Document comments
0 Sentence and Paragraph comments
0 Image and Video comments
The author uses a metaphor to convey this particular message. The author refers to wishes as ocean waves, some coming in with the tide others sailing on the horizon forever.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
The things that are far out of reach are the things that everyone wants the most.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
These first two paragraphs show us that the book will have something to do with the differences between men and women and/or equality.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
This author uses this introduction as a metaphor. The author uses the men’s dreams and wishes like the tide coming in.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
The author is saying that men do as they please. They have their differences, but they stick to their dreams and goals in life. At this point in time, men could do what they wanted because they had all the power.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
The beginning of the book shows shows when the story takes place with the heavy talking of difference in equality towards men and women.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
I think when he says his dreams are mocked to death by time , I think it means that he ran out of time to pursue his dreams.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
The author uses a metaphor to convey this message. The author refers to men’s wishes as ocean waves and conveys the message that some do come true and also that some never come true and the dreamer finally accepts that.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
The introduction explains how back in those times women and men did not have the same rights and expectations
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
The author uses figurative language helps the readers connect more with the text.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
Right off the bat, I had a hard time reading with the southern accent the author uses in this book. It makes it hard to comprehend if I didn’t have the audio.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
I take this line
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
The author compares the dreams of men to ships at a distance in this line of text.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
This section of the text about dreams touches on lovely metaphors on the lifelong search for a fulfilling purpose in life, this particular section describes them as coming with the tide. This shows that these men’s dreams are plentiful and come and go as often and as regularly as the tide, a very fleeting way to have dreams.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
This sentence describes how people, specifically men in this context, see a dream they wish to achieve, but it’s too far to reach. It sits just on the horizon, easily seen, but not able to grab.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
This sentence outlines the lives of men, always having dreams, rarely ever able to achieve or capture those hopes, dreams, and wishes. Many times, these dreams are laughed at and mocked by others, aiding in the result of a man turning away from his dream, no longer working towards achieving such.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
When you want something you look for it. When you have an idea of what you want or what it is you want you are always on the lookout, trying to find it. Some men’s wishes stay sailing on the horizon never landing until the person looking looks away. Sometimes the key to finding what you desire is to look away and let it find you.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
Men can dream and wish forever and never reach their dream. This is price that is payed sometimes for it. Everyone has dreams, its what you do to achieve them that makes it count.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
It seems as though what the author is trying to portray in this sentence is that The life of a man should be them searching for their dreams, wants, and desires while each second brings them closer to death and for those who fail will be sailing forever on the horizon.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
In stark contrast from men, rather than simply turning away from the dreams due to mockery from others, women take action and take no prisoners on their way to attaining a goal or capturing a dream.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
A bit of foreshadowing into what the main character will potentially encounter throughout the plot is introduced here, as we see that our main character, a woman, will be driven to forget what others say she cannot do, and will power through to achieve whatever it is that she truly desires.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
By establishing the thoughts of the first two paragraphs, as it applies to the lives of men and women, we get to see the ideas and perspective of the narrator from the earliest piece of the text, allowing the audience to settle in and have an idea of what to expect.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
This is foreshadowing the lives of woman during this time. Furthermore along the book character’s will try to diminish what she truly desires.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
" Now, Women forget all those things they don’t want to remember, and remember everything they don’t want to forget." This line shows how women were treated in the prospects of society. Women were often taken advantage of and they always remember saying no and the things that happened to them.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
The author creates perspective for the reader on how things operated back then for both women and men. However, in order women to live “accordingly” they had to give up on their dreams and for those women who had their dreams shattered,that is how they became a woman
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
During this time especially, women had very little hope to do things they wanted. Instead they did whatever they were told and let their hopes and dreams subside.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
The author writes about the different perspectives of life between men and women in the story.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
The text gives a metaphor for when it starts, it uses this to give an example on how time is running low and people need to put the work in before it’s too late.
I feel this is showing the differences of reality for men and women, and how during this time period they did not have as many opportunities
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
In the previous paragraph the author lets us know right away that men turn away from their dreams, but in thsi paragraph the author conveys the message that women do they want and make it happen.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
New Conversation
In this sentence, the author is trying to explain women’s thoughts. In this time, it was easier to stay stuck on negative things that have happened because more bad things happened to women than good.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
This sentence is true for every woman out there. The author is trying to put a perspective on women’s thoughts. We all remember the bad and forget the good
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
At this point in time the author is explaining many truths. The psychology of a woman’s mind as she progresses and reflects on her thoughts. We do not want to remember the bad times, so we don’t. We as women try to focus on the positive experiences we have had.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
New Conversation
This quote in particular stood out to me because someone that has a dream could make it the truth if they put enough work into it.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
If one can dream of something, they can achieve that same thing. Often times when people have goals and want to accomplish something they feel as though that dream may be too far stretched. By thinking this way that goal will never be achieved. But when one realizes that they can make this “dream” of theirs really happen they will put much more effort into it and believe they can really accomplish this goal.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
I think this quote went over a lot of peoples head. The author is telling us that women do what needs to be done in order to make things happen, yet men get all the credit for the smallest thing if it happens to come true. I think that women deserve more credit because of th dedication that we have to do thing accordingly and not just give up.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
This sentence illustrates a women who is coming back from burying people that have passed on which could show that maybe she came back from burying loved ones or she just works with burying the dead.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
This quote sticks out to me because burying the dead is such a harrowing task. It is filled with sorrow and grief. Putting that on a women is something this era never did.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment Hide Thread Detail
Heather,
I agree with you. A women should not have to deal with that much guilt, but I think burying those feelings and finally putting them aside would definitely be in her favor
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
The word choice and how everything is carefully worded in order makes the paragraph so much more meaningful
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
New Conversation
The author further identifies the situation the woman is facing. She did not deal with people who had died of a natural death. She experienced those who went down fighting, bloody, and raw. This is not the typical experience one would want to have, hence the reason this is such a difficult time for her.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
This sentence in the book is very strong to me. It talks about how she had to take care of the bodies of those that died suddenly.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment Hide Thread Detail
I agree, she is having to take care of those who have lost themselves suddenly
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
This part of the text seems to explain that the death she had witnessed was not one of peaceful drifting away, but a painful and sudden death. One that shocked the person’s body enough to keep their eyes open.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
This is the start of the story, the tone setter. By saying “their eyes flung wide open in judgement,” the author is setting a serious tone, hinting at anguish for the reader in the future. It is a form of foreshadowing that happens to be less foreshadowing, and more just downright telling you what is going to happen. It’s a dance around the inevitable.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
The author’s choice of words made this paragraph very easy to picture. The words choices were very specific and lead me, as the reader, to be able to picture the scene and setting.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
The writer personifies the sun in this line by stating, “he left footprints in the sky.” The “he” represents the sun, and the “footprints” represent the sunset, the remnants of that day’s sun.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
The author attempts to engage the reader by allowing theme to create the scenery described while also creating a perspective for them as a possible character in the novel.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
Hurston provides a beautiful example of imagery and personification in this line. She creates in the readers minds dusk as the picture Janie walking home.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
The sun was setting all around and “it was the time for sitting on porches beside the road.” The author uses an interesting approach when describing setting in this passage. The reader can visualize hard workers coming home, sitting on their porch just cooling down after a long day. Or many it was a mother sitting down and watching her kids play until the sun went down. Sitting on a porch and watching the sun fall symbolizes the end of the day.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
The author uses this line to say that sundown when people weren’t working was a time when they would come together and socialize.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
These people during the day have been forced to be purposeless throughout the tireless day. They are viewed as tongueless, earless, and eyeless. But once they arrive home they are a brother, a sister, a mother, or a father.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
New Conversation
After the sun sets, they are able to have meaningful conversations amongst themselves freely without the worry of being beaten or scolded.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
I’m sure we all can connect to this statement. We get home on Friday afternoon after a hard week of school, we then relax.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
This last sentence in this part of the passage seems to summarize this paragraph pretty well. This paragraph is filled with gossip and judgement. As the woman makes her way through the town, fellow citizens throw insults and attack the woman with harsh words behind her back.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment Hide Thread Detail
This last sentence seems to ‘sum up’ in a way what has been happening as she simply makes her way through town.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
This is the paragraph that my English class was assigned to analyze. In completing this assignment, I developed a deeper understanding and appreciation for this piece of text.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
“Seeing the women as she was made them remember the envy they had store up from other times.” The women comes back into town and all the people in the town are jealous of her. They want or wanted what she had. She they made up rumors about her and used them to try and hurt her. They laughed about what they heard.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
“A mood came alive.” People were so filled with envy,they used this women and her looks to connect with others. Creating conversation over her appearance and her personal life. In a cruel way, she brought this town closer together because they all had one thing in common. Envy.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
In this paragraph we can see what the characters are experiencing in terms of jealousy of the woman. They begin to talk about her and where she has been and what she has been doing. All of the gossip and rumors being spread are not necessarily true. When the text says “ words walking without masters”, I think this is referring to the gossip that is being spread about how there really is no limit to it. Additionally I think the people in the city are not considering how their words would make this woman feel; they are irreverent to her thoughts and feelings.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
In this paragraph, the audience may feel sorrow for the women as she walks through the town. The narrator uses pathos to bring emotion into the text and pulls the readers in. For example the text says, “They made burning statements with questions, and killing tools out of laughs. It was mass cruelty.” You can feel the judgement through the passage and it really makes the reader feel as if they are with the woman as she is getting insulted.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
“Seeing the woman as she was made them remember the envy they had stored up from other times.”
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
“They made burning statements with questions, and killing tools out of laughs.” This probably rings too close to home for me and many of my classmates. Often time gossip in school can seem as just that burning statements and killing tools of laughs. Has anyone else seen gossip in this more dire light?
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
“They made burning statements with questions, and killing tools out of laughs.” For discussion thread
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
This particular metaphor lends to the story, as it describes the hate and malice behind the words of the men and women talking on their porches, it showed how much they disliked Janie without providing any dialogue to make an example of it.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
The way people talk about Janie can be compared to bullying of today’s world. The bullying is mass cruelty towards a group or person who is innocent. Janie did not invite the chatter and none of the other people who are bullied do.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
I take this line
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
Throughout the text thus far the author seems to use a lot of figurative language to not only guide but engage the reader while navigating the text. In this particular case, the author gives “words” the human quality of walking.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
Words without Masters refers to the blatant use of words without moral obligation or worry that it may hurt another’s feelings.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment Hide Thread Detail
I agree with this because the “Words without masters” makes me think of everyone saying things without any risk of negative repercussions.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
In this moment one can feel the intensity of the mood they must be facing. This is not a positive nor negative mood, but rather uncertainty. Everyone is feeling unjust and is trying to navigate to their next step. This is a trying time.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
This is a good use of figurative language. Words can be very powerful in a way. They can speak in many ways and can contribute to many things.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
I appreciate the inclusion of the dialogue, it allows the reader to understand the way in which people communicated during the time the book was written, allowing the reader to make a deeper connection to the text.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
I really like the way the author uses dialogue in this book. It really makes it easier for the audience to picture what is going on with the characters.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
In this paragraph, the author gives dialogue of people gossiping about Janie. This shows that the people are jealous and envy her, while also giving us a feel of the crowd around the people in the town.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
I think it is crazy how different people thought back then. Now everyone is trying to cancel each-other for small things, and when you really think about it this was only about 100 years ago, and that not the long ago when you think about how long humans have been on Earth.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
The use of region-specific dialect in the text adds to the feeling of immersion.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
As I read this paragraph I think of my moms side of the family because they are country and I see them talking like that.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
It is crazy that this book was written in 1936, and even now in 2021 we are still seeing very similar conversations come up and be discussed. The dialogue in this paragraph is something that many AFAB’s still face to this day. The fact that people feel the need to judge and comment on what people wear or look like is astounding to me.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
New Conversation
When the woman commented on Janie’s overalls, she suggests that she should be wearing something more fancy than overalls since she was the mayor’s former wife.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
When the women comes back the town people see her in overalls. They expected her to be wearing the satin dress that she left in. They expected her to have money from the man that she married. They expect her to either wear her hair up or have it cut short. The people in the town are stereotyping her and expecting to dress like all the other women are dressing.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
New Conversation
This moment is meant purely to make the reader wonder. It gives the reader answers to questions they didn’t know they were supposed to ask, in turn just leaving the reader with more questions.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
These questions are showing the setting. They show what the time period was like and how everyone thought, specifically the women. Also these are all rhetorical questions, causing the reader to wonder the answer to them.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
New Conversation
This line shows an early look into Janie’s personality, it shows she is a brash and confident individual who seems to take joy in making these gossipers scramble for words, as they must now stop gossiping with her as their main receptacle of their ridicule.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
I find this line funny because the women are all talk until she confronts them and then they want to be nice to get the inside scoop. They aren’t talking to her to be nice, they want information.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
New Conversation
The people in town gossiped about Janie when she returned, showing how rude people tend to be in a small town.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
This paragraph shows the way men react to women. Not seeing her mental state, but only her physical looks. They do not pay attention to the mood she is in, that does not benefit them. The men here only care for her appearance.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
This paragraph is showing us the different ways the men are perceiving the main character and how the wwomen are as well. The men are so concerned with the body and the physical aspects while women are sort of jealous.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
This is a very sad paragraph as this is only hat men focus on and noting else. No one focused on her mind and how she felt, they only focused on hat she looked like and what they thought of her.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
A simile is show in this sentence when the men compared Janie’s hips to those of grapefruits
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
Men and women often view young, beautiful women quite differently. Men only see them as an object and places their physical features as their only trait. Women may look at other women and tear their appearances apart in desperation win an nonexistent competition.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
This sentence has both of these within it. It compared her black hair to a great rope and it said her buttocks is like grape fruits.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
The men stood and watched her body moved but did not stand to see her mind waver in pain. They recalled only her physique, not even the way she carried herself.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
keeping the memory for a later time while they could. talking about her outfit and comparing her hips to grapefruits
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
these men just kept the image of her in their minds comparing her to other things and scouting her body
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
Janies hair was what she loved about herself and what others noticed on her too.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
“…still it was a hope that she might fall to their level some day.” The women hold this woman that just come into town at a higher standards then they do each other.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
It is pretty obvious that these women are jealous of her and are insecure about themselves. It sounds pretty malicious and pathetic to use that as “a weapon against her strength” as if the way a person dresses has anything to do with how strong they are mentally or physically.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
New Conversation
People never want to say things to a person’s face because they want to talk without consequences. The people in the story would not talk about Janie until she was out of earshot. They did not want to start anything with their words but were completly ok with saying it anyway.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
This is something that I can connect with as a person living in the Internet age, as it is common to see people say things online that they would not say to their face, and this is its older counterpart.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
This line is relatable to our current generation. With the existence of the Internet and social media, people do not have to talk to others face to face. They talk only behind their back, but this is not okay.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
Before, when she could not hear them, people were so quick to talk about her looks and what they think she should be doing. When they get the chance to actually say it to her, they stay completely silent which proves that scared to say something to her face because of who she is.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
The author used precise details to describe what Mrs. Sumpkin’s emotions were.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
Snorted violently is a figure of speech and while reading this the author using it all the time because I think he thinks that kids like it more.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
The author uses great detail in this sentence by using “Snorts Violently” and “Sucks her teeth in”.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
using imagery to give a detailed description of what Mrs.Sumpkins is doing. Giving insight to her emotions.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
Mrs. Sumpkins laughs in this passage as she believes that the other women shouldn’t let Janie bother them, as Janie doesn’t have any manners, as she won’t explin to everyone where she’s been for all this time. Her idea of manners means for others to tell every detail of their waking day or to be ridiculed and gossiped about by the town, personally the opposite of manners, which would be saying good evening and letting her go on her way.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
The fact that these women think that she owes them anything blows my mind. She is not obligated to share anything she doesn’t want to.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
I take this line
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
New Conversation
Hide Thread Detail
Nowadays this is someone “telling you about yourself”
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
This sentence tells me that even though she is her best friend, she still doesn’t know that much about her.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
This quote was meant to say that the woman did not LOOK way past forty, even if she really was. This is further proof that people did not care about the personalities and love aspect of the relationships. Her personality would (most likely) be significantly older acting than that of the man. Also, it is highly unlikely that she looked young for her age because anybody who can be friends with people like that are… iffy.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
How is it okay for Janie to get married at 16 to a man much older than her, but he can’t go off with a younger man? No one was saying anything about her getting married off, but now they have a problem with it. Do they have an issue with Janie or are they jealous she left with Tea Cake and they didn’t?
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
This line does not make much sense compared to the rest of the story. Janie is only 16, and is going to marry a man way older than she is. Tea Cake is closer in age but that is somehow a problem.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
Tea cake was meaning that the boy was younger than her. Janie’s grandma was nor happy she had ran off with a boy, but they will allow Janie to get married to a man four times her age.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
New Conversation
I dont like how the author didn’t introduce any of these characters and is writing like its the middle of the book. If we didnt watch the summary video in class I would be very confused.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment Hide Thread Detail
New Conversation
It sounds like he is not worried about her, he does no care how she feels. He thinks its her fault anyway.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
This particular person is upset that she did not stop and enlighten them on her business. I feel as though this still stands true to this day. People do not like privacy, and everyone wants to be in the know of everyone’s personal life. There is a fine line between caring about someone’s life, and snooting into it.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
potential line
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
Here Pheoby backs up the girl opposed to the rest of the townsfolk.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
The text stays authentic to how the characters speak – without proper spelling/grammar/etc. I feel this helps the text stay true to the reality of the characters and their development. It gives the reader a good picture of their personality.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
I understand why the author wrote the dialogue in this way but I defiantly do not enjoy reading it written this way. It’s not jsut hard to understand, its also hard to read.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
Pheoby taking Janie food shows how she is a kind person, and she does not hold any ill will against Janie like the other people do. I think this may change later in the book, and the people will stop judging her once they learn more
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
In this series of paragraphs you can see a lot of conversation between Janie and Pheoby.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
Throughout the beginning of the chapter, a lot of emphasis was placed on the outfit that Janie was wearing, which were the decidedly “unfeminine” overalls. Still, the men outside still ogled her. Here, Janie’s friend speaks about how despite her outfit, she still shows her “womanhood.” Womanhood and what it means and how other people view it continues to be a major theme in the book later.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
You realize as you read this more and more that the way they pronounce and spell things is much different than the what we do now.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
This shows me that the only thing that Janie’s friends wanted from her was herself.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
New Conversation
I think the choice of words here is very significant. It is different compared to how I speak, so it states out to me. It also makes the conversation stick with me more because the words are not ones that I use.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
The author could’ve simply said here: “It cooled down outside.” Instead, the sentence was enhanced by figurative language such as personification, use of stronger adjectives, etc. This adds structure and character to the text and makes it more picturable in the reader’s mind.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
I think it is really interesting the way the author continues to write how they would be saying it in real life. I feel it adds character to the story based on the accent presented in the text.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
When trying to bring a story back into the time period, the author has to really delve deep into the older dialog of the time.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
Nicknames hold power and stem from biases created by events in a persons life. They can help or hurt a person’s ego
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
New Conversation
They talk about her in a harsh way and pick at her, but they are actually just jealous that they can not be her. They pick on how she has money and that she looks younger than she is like it is an awful thing to do, but deep down they all wish to be like her