Character Analysis Of Janie's 'Logan Killicks'

Beast, abusive and enraged these are words that can be used to describe Logan Killicks, Janie's first spouse, who at first is a symbol for protection and financial support but soon becomes a scorn in Janie’s life who treats her like a mule. "She began to cry "Ah want things sweet wid mah marriage lak when you sit under a pear tree and think, Ah...""(Hurston-41). Walking into her marriage Janie had a fairytale-like outlook on relationships and she even has a conversation with Nanny in tears regarding the lack of expectations met with Logan, it was breaking her. He was slowly pulling apart the pieces of her that were still in that child mindset, and in a way it forces her to grow up. "Come help me move dis manure pile befo' de sun gits …show more content…
Evidently without Logan she was poor, and alone, but on top of these crushing factors Janie was a negro woman, someone who is already viewed as the mule of the world. It was safe to say that without Logan there wasn’t much left in her life, these factors all contribute to Janie's desperation and lack of choice. This lack of opportunity, however, leads to something more significant it is the foundation for her relationship with Joey Starks, and for these very same reasons the relationship was doomed from the start and eventually disintegrated. The marriage begins after Janie leaves Logan for the promises made by this stranger in hopes that her life with Joey would be at the very least better. “You ain’t never knowed what it was to be treated lak a lady and Ah wants to be de one tuh show yuh”(Hurston-46). Joe’s promise obviously caught Janies attention, she had been regarded as worthless for so long by Logan that just the possibility of having that romance that she desired from her childhood was enough to push her over the edge and into Joeys arms. Hurston uses the dialogue between Jainie and Logan later on to emphasize on the tipping point for Janie and his choice of words from Joey to coerce her to follow him. Ironically she could not have been more wrong about her relationship with Joey being a better off, her marriage with Joey ends up being even worse and more suffocating the the …show more content…
Being pressured to do nothing and just represent by looking pretty was not what Janie wanted, and it is for this lesson that from his death and on, Janie was extremely careful with the choices made in her love life. This is the period where “Tea Cake” her third and final spouse is introduced into her life and eventually becomes the love of her life. Her relationship from t = 0 to infinity is completely juxtaposed and paradoxical to her previous one with Joey. Unlike with Joey, Janie now has a lot of experience and knows what she is getting into with Tea Cake, and regardless she decides to pursue a relationship with him which signifies that she unlike with Logan and Joey she cares for this man, Tea Cake. Janie's relationship with Tea Cake, however, does not take off running, the two initially must reconcile many insecurities and levels of trust with each other. This is demonstrated in Tea Cakes constant feeling of not measuring up. “But de minute Ah marries ‘im everybody is gointuh be makin’ comparisons, so us is going off somewhere all over in Tea Cake’s way.” (Hurston-136). The reasoning behind moving away and starting over fresh with Tea Cake is that if they were to stay in the town then Tea Cake would have to live up to may expectations and be judged in Joey’s place. This position is a place where Tea Cake does not feel