The Theme Of Death In The Death Of Janie

The constant death that encircles Janie is a persistent reminder that no one can defend against their finite lifespan, so instead of suffering through pain, one should give in so that new beginnings can rise. The motif of death relates to the book as a whole because both Tea Cake and Jody fear death and try to avoid it, often emotionally and physically harming Janie to their dying breath.
A fear of death causes a person to live a life void of true freedom and peace. As Janie’s grandmother nears death, she states, “[The] angel [with the] sword is [going to] stop by here”(15). Expressing that death is a divine angel that arrives only when necessary. Furthermore, this description concludes that Grandma does not fear death, “let [these] golden moments rolls on a few days longer”(15). The days before death are golden, spiritual, and satisfying because of her acceptance of death. Unlike Jody and Tea Cake, Janie’s grandmother does not fear death and instead accepts her last moments and live in a state of …show more content…
Before Jody’s death, Janie was in a constant state of seclusion because of Jody’s lust for power, “You change everything, but nothing changes you–not even death”(86). Janie states that not even the omnipotent Death himself can rewrite Jody’s maniacal ways. Jody’s gaining of power within the village brings the idea of change, with the authority making him a cruel leader. While Jody is a forgotten memory of Janie’s past, Tea Cake is able to defy the grips of death as if reborn in Janie’s memory, “Of course he wasn’t dead. He could never be dead until she herself had finished feeling and thinking” (193). Terminating Tea Cake’s life prior to a death from old age or sickness, Janie is able to keep him alive eternally through memory. While Jody’s death allows Janie to find love in Tea Cake, Tea Cake’s death is a time of agony for his