Gender stereotypes are generalized images of the characteristics, distinctions, appearances, and responsibilities of men and women. Gender stereotypes have always played a part in society, but the stereotypes have changed over time. During the 1900s, the gender roles of the period were that women stayed at home while men were the bread-winners. Men are seen as more powerful than women; there is an obvious difference between the two. In Zora Neal Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie struggles to develop her identity while gender stereotypes of the time are imposed upon her. In the beginning of the novel, Janie is a young girl who dreams of a perfect marriage. From the beginning of her adolescence, gender stereotypes are put into place.
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Joe helped her understand that an object is not what she wants to be, which in turn helps her identity blossom. Unmarried Janie (from Joe and Tea Cake) brings an entirely different situation in terms of gender roles. When Jody dies, people warn her about approaching men. The townspeople think that Janie is weak and cannot fend for herself. A townsperson in the novel has the nerve to say “Uh woman by herself is a pitiful thing […] Dey needs aid and assistance […] Womenfolks is easy taken advantage of " (Hurston 90). Some people pity her, but more often than not, a man wants her for her looks and her money. To the men, Janie is fragile and miserable now that her husband is gone and they will do anything that they can to have possession over her. After Tea Cake dies, the people on the porch have a different approach on the situation, therefore, a different stereotype put on Janie. They see her with no man and in overalls which is a significant change since the last time they saw Janie. They believe that a woman should always have a man, and always dress modestly and proper. You can clearly see this in the novel by the way they ogle at Janie. The townspeople are jealous that Janie no longer obeys the stereotype of a woman they so diligently …show more content…
Near the end of the novel, it is clear that Janie learns from her life experiences and forms her identity to the best of her ability with what she has dealt with. With this comes the stereotype, or lack thereof, of who she really is rather than who people want her to be. Janie does not need a man for protection like Nanny said, she just needs herself and her confidence. She is not going to be labeled by others and force to do certain “womanly duties” because of her gender. Janie is standing up for herself when others try and belittle her. Most of all, Janie has formed her own identity as a strong, independent woman who has her own opinions and does not care what other people think. That is the “stereotype” that women should truly be known for. While gender stereotypes of Janie’s time did cause struggles for her, they untimely formed her identity and helped turn her into the astonishing woman she
Joe helped her understand that an object is not what she wants to be, which in turn helps her identity blossom. Unmarried Janie (from Joe and Tea Cake) brings an entirely different situation in terms of gender roles. When Jody dies, people warn her about approaching men. The townspeople think that Janie is weak and cannot fend for herself. A townsperson in the novel has the nerve to say “Uh woman by herself is a pitiful thing […] Dey needs aid and assistance […] Womenfolks is easy taken advantage of " (Hurston 90). Some people pity her, but more often than not, a man wants her for her looks and her money. To the men, Janie is fragile and miserable now that her husband is gone and they will do anything that they can to have possession over her. After Tea Cake dies, the people on the porch have a different approach on the situation, therefore, a different stereotype put on Janie. They see her with no man and in overalls which is a significant change since the last time they saw Janie. They believe that a woman should always have a man, and always dress modestly and proper. You can clearly see this in the novel by the way they ogle at Janie. The townspeople are jealous that Janie no longer obeys the stereotype of a woman they so diligently …show more content…
Near the end of the novel, it is clear that Janie learns from her life experiences and forms her identity to the best of her ability with what she has dealt with. With this comes the stereotype, or lack thereof, of who she really is rather than who people want her to be. Janie does not need a man for protection like Nanny said, she just needs herself and her confidence. She is not going to be labeled by others and force to do certain “womanly duties” because of her gender. Janie is standing up for herself when others try and belittle her. Most of all, Janie has formed her own identity as a strong, independent woman who has her own opinions and does not care what other people think. That is the “stereotype” that women should truly be known for. While gender stereotypes of Janie’s time did cause struggles for her, they untimely formed her identity and helped turn her into the astonishing woman she