english to dialect to show the heightened emotional state of Janie

way Janie heard it, is focused more on the wrongness and shame of what Annie did than what Annie sought. She is reduced, like many women, to other’s judgement of her. She has no voice, no way to speak for herself or what her life was missing. Janie fears being left, yes, but I think she also fears being silenced again for she has been silent for so long.

not intelligent, in fact quite the opposite. These characters are deeply complicated and Hurston still choosing to use eye dialect is, to be, a subversion of how people view those who speak in dialect (like our characters). Hurston is asserting that, despite our assumptions based on the dialect, these characters have rich inner lives. This is also asserted by the contrast between the narrator and the dialogue. Because of the more ‘formal’ English of the narrator, we understand the complexity of Janie’s inner world. To the world of story, however, Janie’s dialogue is informal and alone does not clue the reader into the intricacies of her mind. Hurston is reminding readers to check their biases i think :)

Is that actually how rabies make you act? I thought that you just got and infection and got really sick? I don’t know if Hurston is just exaggerating here or they didn’t know what the effects were back then but that’s a little crazy that you go insane and try to bite other people.

I feel like the pacing of this last section is all off. She’ll focus details on some things, but then just skip past others. If I was skimming this book or reading fast, I think that I would miss almost half of the plot. Like they ran away and ended back in the muck in one line?

Motor Boat understands me on a deep level. I have never felt so seen in my life.

It’s interesting to me because Janie’s entire character has been based around her being flighty. She ran from her first husband, and left town as soon as her second husband died. Now, she has finally found love with her third husband (even though it may be questionable), and her character changes from unsettled to one of unquestionable loyalty. She would rather face the storm in a small shack than be safe in a large house because she wants to be with her husband.

I always feel like Hurston’s language will go from dialogue and everyday life to very interesting and detailed imagery as shown here.

SO Tea Cake literally admits that it’s not her fault he got angry, but he just needed to beat me anyway. I’m appalled. This is atrocious. ugh

THIS IS MY THIRD TIME TYPING THIS. it won’t save but if there’s more than one not my fault. Anyway we already know that this relationship is going to end badly, because of the beginning. But is Tea Cake going ot cheat on Janie or are they just going to have a falling out.

at least Janie didn’t have to run away and Tea Cake Died.

I agree the author also uses the terms shanties to further the comparison to escaping a storm in a ship or something

It seems as if they are both questioning god and watching to see if he is going to do somethings

It seems as if Tea Cake has finally shown his true colors and janie is going to have to run away again

probably getting beat by Krystal

but bitterly sulks at it now

The baby rabbit appears to act as a symbol of Janie. Not only does it show her fear in regards to the storm, but it shows how she felt hidden and unloved/unwanted in the past. This is especially interesting as (despite his many issues) Tea Cake does not make Janie feel unloved or unwanted during the storm, while her other husbands most likely would have.

That may just be the headline for this novel because wow. I think Hurston was tired of men at this point and was basically like ‘do I have to spell it out for you?’ Janie does all of these things for Tea Cake and now SHE, not Tea Cake, is the one being penalized by the plot gods.

I think it’s super interesting Janie’s attitude toward Nature’s role because as you mention nature is unavoidable but Janie has spent this whole book talking about Nature in a way that suggests she has influence over it, not the other way around. It’s one of the Hurston full circle gotcha moments that is insanely prevalent throughout this book.

As I read it, I was thinking: are these two words even that different? Watching is to be wary or at least taking note of and I think that is the heart of questioning. Especially in this intense moment, the fear they have is so close to expectation that they’re almost inextricably connected. I also found a couple of definitions that were nearly identical for the two words.

I love the ancestral religious idea presented here. These people are presented as different but their skin color, their heritage is a commonality for them.

It’s WILD to me, reading this from the comforts of being in the 2000s (and as a man), that the treatment of these women – plural because we can see the other husbands’ reactions – is so normal. It’s like Tea Cake and Janie are becoming ‘othered’ not like how Jody and Janie were with the spit cups and house but by how Tea Cake hits her. And now she doesn’t even “holler” for the rest of the chapter by not speaking…at all. JANIE IS SILENCED I GREATLY ABHOR YOUR WORK HURSTON