“Black women, therefore, were in a double hand. They could expect neither gender solidarity from white women nor racial solidarity from black men…” In this quote, Tyson explains Janie’s struggles as an African-American woman in that place and during that time. All troubles aside, Janie felt natural and free with Tea Cake. He may have been crazy but she felt a sense of safety around him. Still, she “learned what it felt like to be jealous.” Yet she genuinely has strong feelings for Tea Cake. People never wanted them together because she was supposed to be classy and get married to the mayor. The people also expected her to grieve “normally” and act a certain way all the time. This shows exactly what she was living through and how society had
