Their Eyes Were Watching
God
Chapters 7-9
Jose, Eli, Maggie
After Jody’s death, Janie finally begins
to find her true “self” because he is no
longer there to suppress her. Janie now
has the opportunity to think and act for
herself. A little prior in the chapter we
see Janie switch roles with Jody with
her being the individual and Jody
becoming suppressed. This irony lets
the audience know that she has been
thinking about this freedom for a while
and acted on her instincts when she
saw Jody vulnerable.
r
ho
ap
et
M
ny
Janie
Iro
Self-sufficient-emotionally and
intellectually independent
Passive-accepting or
allowing what happens or
what others do, without
active response or
resistance
“Besides she liked being lonesome
for a change. This freedom feeling
was fine”
Pg. 90
“The years took all the fight
out of Janie’s face.”
Pg. 76
Janie’s face is representative of her
outward actions, or what she chooses to
show everyone on the surface. In this
chapter we see Janie acting the part of
the Mayor’s wife while dreaming about
what she wants in life in her head. While
in the “rut in the road” that is Jody and
the town Janie begins to have a
stronger grasp on what she wants out of
life, but she is not ready to make the
step of moving away from this part of
her life until Jody dies.
Condescending- having or
showing a feeling of patronizing
superiority.
n
Joe “Jody” Starks
Susceptible- likely or liable to be
influenced or harmed by a particular
thing.
ny
Iro
Only until recently have gender
roles become more equal.
When this was written, society
was male-oriented and women
were inferior. Jody becomes
more manipulative in the store
especially with people around.
The repetition of “I god” gives
the reader a sense of how Jody
feels about himself around
others; a god. Also, Jody
continues to ignore the fact he
is ageing by pointing out Jaine’s
ageing.
Dictio
“I god amighty! A woman stay
round uh store till she get old as
Methusalem and still can’t cut a
little thing like a plug of
tobacco!” pg.78
Joe up until this point has been a static
character, being bold and loud and in-charge.
But after his public spat with Janie, that
bravado was stripped from him, causing the
roles of the relationship to reverse, giving him
the passive and susceptible traits that before
belonged to Janie. The irony is that Janie
shouldn’t have the power to tear down a man
of his status, considering she is a woman and
that is something that up until now seemed
like an insult.
“Then Joe Starks realized all the
meanings and his vanity bled like a flood.
Janie had robbed him of his illusion of
irresistible maleness that all men cherish,
which was terrible.”
Pg. 79
Wannabe- aspiring or
wanting to be a specified
type of person.
ny
Iro
“But she hid that feeling by
sending Hezekiah who was
the best imitation of Joe that
his seventeen years could
make.”
Pg. 92
Hezekiah
Hezekiah is a fairly static character,
but he serves the purpose of
displaying the effect Joe had on the
community he led. Hezekiah is only
seventeen and poses as a leader after
Jody’s death. He wants desperately to
be like Joe, adopting his way of
speaking and his mannerisms, trying
to make himself into a leader and
Janie’s “chaperone”, adopting a bit of
the idea that women have a certain
place, and that is below men. The
irony is, however, that Janie is still in
charge and can tell Hezekiah what to
do, even though that would have never
happened with Joe. The role reversal
seen between Joe and Janie carries
on here, with her being a confident,
take charge kind of woman.
Dear- regarded with
deep affection;
cherished by someone;
expensive
“So she went straight to
her bosom friend
Pheoby Watson, and
told her about it.”
Metaphor
Pheoby Watson
Pheoby is displayed early on in the
story as Janie’s friend and confidant.
In chapter 8, she is introduced as
such, creating the connection
between the two women. They are
“kissin-friends”, which is why Pheoby
is the one Janie will tell her story to.
Pheoby, while she also values
Janie’s friendship, also values the
status gained from hearing the story
first hand. The friendship gives
Pheoby a sort of currency in the
town, as talk is what keeps things
moving in Eatonville. It gives her the
ability to consider herself above the
sitters and closer to where Janie is,
which is a cherished feeling by both.
Plot Line:
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Janie outwardly gives up-the years have made her submissive
She is beaten down by the wheels-the thing that once brought her “freedom”
Tries to live only in the present and not dream or think of a better future
No feelings between Joe and Janie anymore- he “bought” her but she doesn’t value it
Considers running away again but believes herself too old
“It could be worse” mentality
Even if she doesn’t lie she will still have what she had before- she is trying to be optimistic and look for the love that was once there
“She doesn’t read books” she has chosen to be ignorant because she doesn’t want to have the opportunity to think about what she might be
missing out on/what is wrong with the way she is living
She is relying on others for her own happiness, instead of trying to discover herself in order to create happiness
Mind is absent from her work and interactions with Jody
Noticed Joe aging-non judgemental way; just describing his new attributes
Janie Is degraded for “being old”-Jody afraid of her seeing him age
The more people around the more Jody talked down Janie’s looks-he was insecure with his own appearance and tried to distract from that
by deflecting the attributes onto her (similar to how the sitters drag her down to make them feel above her)
Mixon bought a plug of tobacco and Janie miscut it
“Uh woman and uh knife, don’t b’long tugether”-irony-in the traditional roles women possess, knifes were a central part (preparing food,
trimming fabric/clothing, gardening)
Stands up for herself-pointing out the flaws in Jody’s jabs and causing him to lose the little confidence and status he had in his
mind(emasculated him)~turning point for characters
Jody strikes Janie-trying to regain his manly respect
Physical display of Janie and Jody’s separation
Describes Joe’s aging appearance again
Joe seems to change-befriends and trusts people he never would before and doesn’t listen to her at all
Joe won’t eat her cooking-thinks she is poisoning him
Janie expresses her feelings to Pheoby
Joe too sick to leave bed
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Others allowed into his room but not Janie-people who didn’t care before care now
The village took over Joe’s position of keeping an eye on Janie in the store
Janie brings in an outside doctor who says there is no hope-that he needed help years ago
Janie thinks of Death-not very optimistic of his chances
She makes up her mind to enter Joe’s room anyway but he acts strange- not himself and cold toward her
She becomes very confident in the truth and speaks her mind to Joe even though he is stubborn in his views- ironic role
reversal
Joe dies
Took off her haircloth-sees what she has become for herself-no longer any control
Joe’s funeral-lavish funeral is contrasted with how he died
Sets her face for the funeral-does the same thing after he died- she was putting up the facade that she knew would be expected
of her
She burned the haircloths-coming more into her own (letting her hair down)
Goes on as she always did-saw her entire future to change things to her liking
Considers returning home-finds she hated her grandmother and doesn’t care about her mother-blames her grandmother for
taking her potential future from her
She reflects on her past-finds she knew her self-worth all along but she was beaten down before she had a chance to truly
explore it
Men begin to try and “help” her-they all think she can’t survive on her own without a man
Ike Green comes onto her-she shoots him down faster than you can blink
Is in mourning for 6 months
Still feels like she is below the owner even though she is the absolute owner of the store
Hezekiah acts like Joe- she isn’t intimidated or controlled by him, just found his antics cute and laughable
Her mourning is up-a lot of suitors approached her but she always denied them before they could even reach the house
Men “change tactics” in trying to win her over, to no avail.
She was enjoying the freedom given to her by her husband’s death-pheoby warns against showing that enjoyment, saying that
people will think the wrong thing about Janie
Extended Metaphors:
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Death-”Death, that strange being with the huge square toes who lived way in the West.” Pg. 84
Fishing-”She and Pheoby Watson visited back and forth and once in awhile sat around the lakes and fished.” pg. 93
Jewel- “She had found a jewel down inside herself and she had wanted to walk where people could see her and gleam it
around.” pg.90
-”But she had been set in the market-place to sell.” pg. 90
-”Janie had tried to show her shine.” pg. 90
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Ships- “Some people could look at a mudpuddle and see an ocean with ships.” pg. 89
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Road- “She was a rut in the road.” pg. 76
-”Now and again she thought of a country road at sun-up and considered flight.” pg.76
-”Listen, Jody, you ain't de Jody ah run off down de road wid.” pg. 86
-”"All dis bowin' down, all dis obedience under yo' voice—dat ain't whut Ah rushed off down de road tuh find out about you."” pg. 87
-” But she had been whipped like a cur dog, and run off down a back road after things.” pg. 89
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food/eating/mouth- "but he is something in my mouth.” pg. 76
-”Saw the cunning thoughts race in and out through the caves and promontories of his mind long before they darted out of the tunnel of
his mouth.” pg. 77
-”His eyes buckled in a vacant-mouthed terror and she saw the awful surprise in his face and answered it.” pg. 86
-”Another time she overheard him using Joe's favorite expression for pointing out the differences between himself and the
careless-living, mouthy town.” pg.92
-”She was worried about his not eating his meals, till she found out he was having old lady Davis to cook for him.” pg. 82
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Hair -”while all the time she herself sat under a shady tree with the wind blowing through her hair and her clothes.” pg. 77
-“She tore off the kerchief from her head and let down her plentiful hair. The weight, the length, the glory was there.” pg. 87
-”She took careful stock of herself, then combed her hair and tied it back up again.” pg. 87
-”Before she slept that night she burnt up every one of her head rags and went about the house next morning with her hair in one thick
braid swinging well below her waist.” pg. 89
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Starching and ironing- “Then she starched and ironed her face, forming it into just what people wanted to see,” pg. 87
-”Janie starched and ironed her face and came set in the funeral behind her veil.” pg. 88
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Eyes- “Eyes a little absent too.” pg. 77
-”Don't stand dere rollin' yo' pop eyes at me wid yo' rump hangin' nearly to yo' knees!" pg. 78
-”For what can excuse a man in the eyes of other men for lack of strength?” pg.80
-”Raggedy-behind squirts of sixteen and seventeen would be giving him their merciless pity out of their eyes while their mouths said
something humble.” pg. 80
-”His eyes buckled in a vacant-mouthed terror and she saw the awful surprise in his face and answered it.” pg. 86
-”but his eyes stared unwillingly into a corner of the room so Janie knew the futile fight was not with her.” pg. 87
-”Joe's funeral was the finest thing Orange County had ever seen with Negro eyes.” pg.88
Literary Devices:
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Personification-”Death, that strange being with the huge square toes who lived way in the West.” pg.
84
Extended metaphor-“She had found a jewel down inside herself and she had wanted to walk where
people could see her and gleam it around.” pg.90
Irony-role reversal- Janie becomes confident and makes decisions for Jody who has lost confidence
in himself
Analysis“So Janie began to think of Death. Death, that strange being with the huge square toes who lived way in the West. The great one who lived in the straight house like a platform without sides to it, and
without a roof. What need has Death for a cover, and what winds can blow against him? He stands in his high house that overlooks the world. Stands watchful and motionless all day with his sword
drawn back, waiting for the messenger to bid him come. Been standing there before there was a where or a when or a then. She was liable to find a feather from his wings lying in her yard any day
now.” (pg. 84)
“And you could have but you was so busy worshippin' de works of yo' own hands, and cuffin' folks around in their minds till you didn't see uh whole heap uh things yuh could have." "Leave heah, Janie.
Don't come heah—" "Ah knowed you wasn't gointuh lissen tuh me. You changes everything but nothin' don't change you—not even death.” (pg. 86)
“All things concerning death and burial were said and done. Finish. End. Nevermore. Darkness. Deep hole. Dissolution. Eternity. Weeping and wailing outside. Inside the expensive black folds were
resurrection and life. She did not reach outside for anything, nor did the things of death reach inside to disturb her calm. She sent her face to Joe's funeral, and herself went rollicking with the
springtime across the world.” (pg. 88)
“. ‘Tain't dat Ah worries over Joe's death, Pheoby. Ah jus' loves dis freedom.’ ‘Sh-sh-sh! Don't let nobody hear you say dat, Janie. Folks will say you ain't sorry he's gone." "Let 'em say whut dey wants
tuh, Pheoby. To my thinkin' mourning oughtn't tuh last no longer'n grief.’ “ (pg. 93)
Personification:
The personification of death makes all of the characters that die around Janie more of a mystical occurrence that is beyond her control. No matter how
much she tries to warn people of danger they never listen to her. At this point in the story Janie is at a standstill in her journey and Jody’s death motivates her to
keep moving along the path of self discovery and emotional escape that she started on after leaving Logan. The narrator also mentions death living in the west
with further emphasises the divine and unknown nature of death that Janie can not control. Death is also figurative in the story with the death of her childhood
after Nanny forced her into marriage. After being surrounded by death throughout the story Janie comes to accept the fact that there things that are beyond her
control, but she decides to never let go of what she can control without the fear that she once had.
“ [Death]... Stands watchful and motionless all day with his sword drawn back, waiting for the messenger to bid him come. Been standing there before
there was a where or a when or a then. She was liable to find a feather from his wings lying in her yard any day now.” There is a parallel between Janie waiting
on people to bring her news about Jody much like death waits for the messenger. Janie is also the first to really give Jody the news that he is going to die.
While Janie does not kill him she wounded his pride and standing with the other members of the community by telling the truth and pointing out the flaws with
the roles of men and women.For Death being one of the uncontrollable aspects of Janie’s journey it propelled her into the experiences that make her strong and
independent. You can really see the change in Janie come to fruition in the final quote with her not caring what others heard about her thoughts and has
accepted that she should live by her own moral code and not anyone else's.
Extended Metaphor Analysis:
-“She had found a jewel down inside herself and she had wanted to walk where people could see her and gleam it around.” pg.90
-”But she had been set in the market-place to sell.” pg. 90
-”When God had made The Man, he made him out of stuff that sung all the time and glittered all over.” pg. 90
-”So they beat him down to nothing but sparks but each little spark had a shine and a song.” pg. 90
-”And the lonesomeness in the sparks make them hunt for one another,” pg. 90
-”Janie had tried to show her shine.” pg. 90
Analysis:
Janie up until now hasn’t really contemplated her own worth. She is mostly valued as much as those she is connected to,
nothing more. Before now, she isn’t ever just Janie; she’s someone’s wife. With Jody, she is held in high standard only
because Jody was the mayor, not because the people of Eatonville believed her to be such a worthy person. The jewel, or
her self worth, wasn’t ever something that she realized she had until she began thinking of such things. She realized that
she believed in her worth in the beginning, but everyone she met-her nanny, Logan, and Jody, all defined her worth for her,
telling her what she was and what she must do. She was “set in the market-place to sell.” She went from one person to
another, each with different expectations and while some seemed better that the other, she wasn’t ever herself. She was
what the others made her into. Nanny treasured her, but didn’t want her to be stolen away, so she sold her to a man who
only wanted her for her practical use and physical beauty. Janie chose to go with Jody, but he only wanted her to show off,
for others to admire what he had won.
Analysis“Then too, Janie took the middle of the floor to talk right into Jody’s face, and that was something that hadn’t been done before” (p.78)
“Stop mixin’ up mah doings wid mah looks, Jody.” (p.78)
“How come you can’t talk about dat sometimes instead of always pointin’ at me?” (p.79)
“You big-bellies round here and put out a lot of brag, but ‘tain’t nothin’ to it but yo’ big voice. Humph! Talkin’ ‘bout me lookin’ old! When you pull down
yo’ britches, you look lak de change uh life.” (p.79)
“Then Joe Starks realized all the meanings and his vanity bled like a flood. Janie had robbed him of his illusion of irresistible maleness that all men
cherish, which was terrible.” (p.79)
IronyIn this section of the book, Janie is seen as switching roles with Jody, her husband. For the most part, Jody was the suppressing
spouse while Janie is the one being suppressed. Throughout her marriage with Jody, Janie has kept herself from thinking as to what
might there be outside her marriage and if leaving would be worth it; she tried to conform. Jody becomes ill and is near death meaning
that Jody is vulnerable. At this point, Janie sees an opportunity and speaks her mind to Jody knowing that he is at an all time low. Janie
tells Jody about how he suppressed her and how he’s changed. Jody becomes the spouse to listen and Janie the one who speaks.
Jody cannot respond or has difficulty opposing her due to his condition. This circumstance has caused the couple’s personalities to
switch when society at the time told us the complete reverse. The reason as to why we see this sudden change at this moment was
because Janie has been holding this feeling of inferiority for a while now. Logan’s and Jody’s suppression has built up this moment to
where she has found her true identity and there is a chance for her to expose her true self.