Author Zora Neale Hurston acknowledged and challenged societal expectations and standards placed on women in her works. Early in the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, the protagonist Janie observes a scene on her husband’s storefront that illustrates the view of women at this point in society. She remarks “There was some more good natured laughter at the expense of women” (Hurston, 78). Janie is witness to disparagement of women by her husband and other members of the community. Her husband Joe’s view of men’s and women’s roles and his interpretation of shows of love speak to the societal imbalances of the sexes at this time. In search of passion, Janie runs away to be with Joe. His promise to her before departure from her old life is an
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Den all de rest of yo natural life you can live like you oughta” (Hurston, 29). While this could be construed with a positive connotation, as it was by Janie at first, this promise foreshadows the stubborn quality behind Joe’s convictions. The “leave the s’posin to me” would become a restrictive agent in their marriage. Janie’s voice, her “s’posings” were treated as less valuable by Joe. In a dispute she tells him, “Ah knows few things and womenfolks think sometimes too” (Hurston, 71). To this he responds, “Aw naw they don’t. They just think they’s thinkin. When Ah see one thing Ah understand ten. Yo see ten and don’t understand one” (Hurston, 71). Her voice is publicly inhibited by Joe’s view of women when Janie is asked to speak a few words of encouragement as Mrs. Mayor Starks. Joe intervenes saying, “Thank yuh fuh yo compliments but mah wife don’t know nothin’ bout no speech-makin’...She’s uh woman and her place is in de home” (Hurston, 39). In this instance, Joe makes clear that women have a set role, one that is not on equal footing with men, and especially not comparable to himself. His jealousy …show more content…
Into the marriage, Janie is forced to put in a facade when she realizes her relationship with the Joe she first met expired to be replaced with a secretly jealous and outwardly controlling and critical Joe. To Joe he may be unsure of how to show true affection without having a motive of gaining something. Many men throughout the novel, present themselves as loving simply to “acquire” companionship. The recurrence of fleeting facades is prevalent and especially pronounced in Joe. His purchase of an abused mule could be perceived as an act of love for Janie but his smug nature after imply that his actions are to serve his own image, to further his own power. The narration from Janie’s perspective provides a lens of Joe that presents him in a negative light. Joe’s controlling actions are a product of societally perpetuated roles of men and women and his own possessive jealousy toward Janie. Perhaps, his feelings toward Janie were a perverted version of the real love she had envisioned for herself. In an obscure way, Joe may have been under the impression he was acting out of love. His view of women and love contrasts Janie’s perception of both drastically. Janie’s idealized blissful notion of love differs from the treatment of her by Joe. The difference in definition and understanding of love allows Janie to separate her idea of love from Joe’s and to
Den all de rest of yo natural life you can live like you oughta” (Hurston, 29). While this could be construed with a positive connotation, as it was by Janie at first, this promise foreshadows the stubborn quality behind Joe’s convictions. The “leave the s’posin to me” would become a restrictive agent in their marriage. Janie’s voice, her “s’posings” were treated as less valuable by Joe. In a dispute she tells him, “Ah knows few things and womenfolks think sometimes too” (Hurston, 71). To this he responds, “Aw naw they don’t. They just think they’s thinkin. When Ah see one thing Ah understand ten. Yo see ten and don’t understand one” (Hurston, 71). Her voice is publicly inhibited by Joe’s view of women when Janie is asked to speak a few words of encouragement as Mrs. Mayor Starks. Joe intervenes saying, “Thank yuh fuh yo compliments but mah wife don’t know nothin’ bout no speech-makin’...She’s uh woman and her place is in de home” (Hurston, 39). In this instance, Joe makes clear that women have a set role, one that is not on equal footing with men, and especially not comparable to himself. His jealousy …show more content…
Into the marriage, Janie is forced to put in a facade when she realizes her relationship with the Joe she first met expired to be replaced with a secretly jealous and outwardly controlling and critical Joe. To Joe he may be unsure of how to show true affection without having a motive of gaining something. Many men throughout the novel, present themselves as loving simply to “acquire” companionship. The recurrence of fleeting facades is prevalent and especially pronounced in Joe. His purchase of an abused mule could be perceived as an act of love for Janie but his smug nature after imply that his actions are to serve his own image, to further his own power. The narration from Janie’s perspective provides a lens of Joe that presents him in a negative light. Joe’s controlling actions are a product of societally perpetuated roles of men and women and his own possessive jealousy toward Janie. Perhaps, his feelings toward Janie were a perverted version of the real love she had envisioned for herself. In an obscure way, Joe may have been under the impression he was acting out of love. His view of women and love contrasts Janie’s perception of both drastically. Janie’s idealized blissful notion of love differs from the treatment of her by Joe. The difference in definition and understanding of love allows Janie to separate her idea of love from Joe’s and to