Their Eyes Were Watching God, written by Zora Neale Hurston, follows the life of a mixed black woman’s search for love. The speaker of the novel, Janie Crawford, tells her story to a friend upon returning to Eatonville, Florida. When published, the novel didn’t receive much positive feedback; instead it received criticism for portraying a black community in such a way that opens up more discrimination from the white men surrounding them. However, Hurston presents the black community in a way that she observed and further uses it to represent humanity as a whole. The stories of love and ambition surrounding Janie aren’t only associated with the black community, but with everyone. Throughout Janie’s life, she attempts to find love through three
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At first, Janie believed that Tea Cake was the “kind of man who lived with various women but never married” and he is far too young for her (100). However, the age does not stop Janie from being with Tea Cake. From their first meeting in the store, Janie and Tea Cake talk and joke as if they have been friends their whole lives. Tea Cake is a kind man, staying around and offering to help close the store after everyone has left. Janie finds Tea Cake attractive because of his energetic and carefree personality. Despite the fact that Janie is a woman, Tea Cake takes the time to teach her checkers when they first meet, which shows that he believes her to be far more intelligent that Logan and Jody thought about her. When the couple moves to the Everglades in search of new work, Tea Cake invites Janie to work alongside him. This is important because Janie’s other two husbands didn’t ask her to work; they forced her to work for them. Tea Cake talks and listens to Janie, expressing his opinions and feelings while also listening to Janie’s. Her other husbands didn’t do this; Logan didn’t express his feelings and Jody never listened to Janie. His ability or willingness to be open with Janie allows them to have excellent communication. Tea Cake lives in the present. He isn’t concerned with the past nor is he worried about the future. After receiving his pay for the work day, Tea Cake spends it on enjoying himself. He lives day by day. Tea Cake is a loving, carefree man who takes care of Janie up until his last
At first, Janie believed that Tea Cake was the “kind of man who lived with various women but never married” and he is far too young for her (100). However, the age does not stop Janie from being with Tea Cake. From their first meeting in the store, Janie and Tea Cake talk and joke as if they have been friends their whole lives. Tea Cake is a kind man, staying around and offering to help close the store after everyone has left. Janie finds Tea Cake attractive because of his energetic and carefree personality. Despite the fact that Janie is a woman, Tea Cake takes the time to teach her checkers when they first meet, which shows that he believes her to be far more intelligent that Logan and Jody thought about her. When the couple moves to the Everglades in search of new work, Tea Cake invites Janie to work alongside him. This is important because Janie’s other two husbands didn’t ask her to work; they forced her to work for them. Tea Cake talks and listens to Janie, expressing his opinions and feelings while also listening to Janie’s. Her other husbands didn’t do this; Logan didn’t express his feelings and Jody never listened to Janie. His ability or willingness to be open with Janie allows them to have excellent communication. Tea Cake lives in the present. He isn’t concerned with the past nor is he worried about the future. After receiving his pay for the work day, Tea Cake spends it on enjoying himself. He lives day by day. Tea Cake is a loving, carefree man who takes care of Janie up until his last