“Love is lak de sea”. It’s uh movin’ thing, but still ans all, it takes its shapes from de shore it meets, and it’s different with everyshore.” (Hurston 191) In Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God we explore the dynamics of Janie’s three marriages throughout her life. We begin with Logan Killicks, her first husband, who Janie’s grandma arranged for her to marry. Following her grandmother’s death, Janie questions her relationship with Logan and moves on to a man who was traveling through her town, Joe Starks. Joe promises her an easy life where she is pampered in a new town. After 20 years, Joe dies of kidney failure, and a new man, Tea Cake, starts visiting Janie’s shop, eventually leading to marriage, which is her last in the book. Janie’s marriage roles
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Even if you are stingy, you can be wide. Yo’ Grandma and me myself spoilt yuh now, and Ah recon Ah have tuh keep on wid it.”(26) He doesn’t hit her or make her do anything, he simply just gives her the option. This changes later on after Janie brings up the possibility of leaving Logan, causing him to be on edge, so when he asks Janie to work outside and Janie refuses, going on a rant about how he “ain’t done me no favor by marryin’ me.”(31) Logan becomes hostile, and even threatens to kill her with an ax, which is consistent with domestic violence increasing during the great depression. Even after this threat, Janie does not feel scared, she made food and decided that she was done wasting time, running off with Joe Starks. Joe Starks and Janie’s relationship fit’s the role of what would be the norm in marriages during that time. Joe disapproved Logan’s expectations of Janie, stating “A pretty doll-baby lak you is made to sit on de front porch and rock and fan yo’self”(29) They moved to a town called Eatonville, where Joe takes a position of power as the mayor and builds up the town
Even if you are stingy, you can be wide. Yo’ Grandma and me myself spoilt yuh now, and Ah recon Ah have tuh keep on wid it.”(26) He doesn’t hit her or make her do anything, he simply just gives her the option. This changes later on after Janie brings up the possibility of leaving Logan, causing him to be on edge, so when he asks Janie to work outside and Janie refuses, going on a rant about how he “ain’t done me no favor by marryin’ me.”(31) Logan becomes hostile, and even threatens to kill her with an ax, which is consistent with domestic violence increasing during the great depression. Even after this threat, Janie does not feel scared, she made food and decided that she was done wasting time, running off with Joe Starks. Joe Starks and Janie’s relationship fit’s the role of what would be the norm in marriages during that time. Joe disapproved Logan’s expectations of Janie, stating “A pretty doll-baby lak you is made to sit on de front porch and rock and fan yo’self”(29) They moved to a town called Eatonville, where Joe takes a position of power as the mayor and builds up the town