Dj's 36-56 their eyes where watching god

Blake Fletcher

AP English

DJ’s 35-56

DJ’s 36-56

36. pg 61 “The Parson sat motionless in a dead pine tree about two miles off.”

The parson is sitting in a tree waiting to go eat a dead mule. I just think that this has a slight connection to the symbol that the tree has something major to do with life. Janie always talks about beauty in trees but this Parson is about to go eat a dead mule. How is that beautiful? I guess it could relate to the fact that the tree and animals rely on each other like a marriage? The parson needs the mule to survive.

37. pg 84 “And then if he hadn’t, the next morning she was bound to know, for people began to gather in the big yard under the palm and china berry trees.”

This is talking about Jody’s death. The fact that everyone gathered under the tree like the parson sat in the tree waiting for the mule is interesting. Maybe trees are not just a symbol for beauty but a symbol for death as well. Possibly finding beauty in death somehow?

38. pg 84 “And then too, Jody, no Joe, gave her a ferocious look.”

Jody was a term of affection from Janie to Joe. Jody loves her but does Joe? I think it is interesting that Janie sees two people in Joe. One with affection and one who possibly hates her?

39. pg 87 “A sound of strife in Jody’s throat, but his eyes stared unwillingly into a corner of the room so Janie knew the futile fight was not with her”

This is Jody dying. Janie is in the middle of yelling at him and then he makes a noise and his eyes stop moving. He dies with not resolution between Janie. Janie feels pity for the first time in a long time for Jody. But now he is gone.

40.  pg 87 “She tore off the kerchief from her head and let down her plentiful hair”

She is free!!! She no longer has to keep her hair pinned up to make Jody happy. This is showing her freedome. The first step to becoming herself again. It also shows that she has the power in her life again. Very important because Jody was very controlling.

41. pg 89 “She hated her grandmother and had hidden it from herself all these years under a cloak of pity.”

She finally admits to herself that she despises her grandmother for taking her youth away. This is important because her nanny is the first person to take away her freedom. She has this idea about love that she can now explore because no one is controlling her.

42. pg 90 “She had found a jewel down inside herself and she had wanted to walk where people could see her and gleam it around.”

This is her taking power of her life. She found that beautiful person she was before her first husband and she wants to exploit it. She wants people to see her hair and her inner beauty. She wants to see her own beauty. She is in control.

43. pg 106 “He could be a bee to a blossom”

Remember back to when she was sitting under the tree in the beginning. Her understanding of a good marriage was a bee and a blossom. Also, this is odd because she said the same thing about Jody. Could be taken as foreboding but I think she means more when she talks about Tea Cake because he is so different.

44. pg 106 “ Thought ah’d try tuh git heah soon enough to tell yuh mah daytime thoughts.”

He is making an effort to show her that his feelings are with good intentions. He doesn’t just want to take advantage of her and take her money which is something she is really worrying about at this point.

45. pg 110 “Tea Cake making flower beds in Janie’s yard and seeding the garden for her.”

This is important because Jody would have never worked in the garden for her because it would have poorly affected people’s views of how manly and how powerful he is. Tea Cake is a better man than Jody.

46. pg 114 “Dis is uh love game. Ah done lived Grandma’s way, Now Ah means tuh live mine.”

It is time for the bees and the blossoms! She wants to experience love the way she always dreamed about it. She tried to do right by her grandmother but it didn’t make her happy. So she despises her grandmother for making her marry so young. She now sees her opportunity to be happy and she is going to take it.

47. pg 116 “The train beat on itself and danced on the shiny steel rails mile after mile. Every now and then the engineer would play on his whistle for the people in the towns he passed by. And the train shuffled on to Jacksonville, and to a whole lot of things she wanted to see and to know.”

Janie is really excited to start her new life and is finding beauty in everything. It sounds like music and everything to do with the train is so nice and surreal. She wanted to see what real love is and now she has the chance to experience it.

48. pg 120 “But ah God, don’t let Tea Cake be of somewhere hurt and Ah not know nothing about it.”

Even though Tea Cake just stole from her she is more worried about his well-being. This shows how much she cares about him because she can push through her worries and deep down be worried about him.

49. pg 124 “He had done found out how rich people feel and he had a fine guitar and twelve dollars left in his pocket and all he needed now was a great big old hug and kiss from Janie”

He spent all but twelve dollars of Janie’s 200 just to experience what it was like to live like that and now he is over it? He says he still was always thinking about Janie so maybe this was a good thing. Now the only thing he needs to make him happy is be with Janie.

50. pg 130 “Tain’t no need uh you not knowin’ how tuh handle shootin’ tools.”

No other man would have taught Janie to shoot a gun but Tea Cake sees not problem with it. This shows that Tea Cake is really different then most other guys. It shows he doesn’t believe in the traditional role of women for the time period that is a pretty big deal.

51. pg 131 “Dancing, fighting, singing, crying, laughing, winning and losing love every hour.”

This shows how crazy this love is for Janie. Life is a struggle. But with the struggle comes with many good things. The fighting, crying, and losing love every hour is cancelled out with the dancing, singing, laughing, and winning love ever hour. It balances out but it is not perfect.

52. pg 133 “Ah gits lonesome out dere all day ‘thought yuh. After dis, you betta come git uh job uh work out dere lak de rest uh de women.”

Tea Cake is asking Janie to come work with him not for him because he misses her during the day. His concern isn’t with making money but he wants to be with her all day every day. This is true love.

53. pg 133 “ Then Tea Cake would help get supper afterwards.”

Jody never helped prepare diner. This is a big deal because Tea Cake and Janie can really count on each other like a bee can count on a blossom. This is a real marriage.

54. pg 137 “And another thing, Tea Cake didn’t seem to be able to fend her off as promptly as Janie thought he ought to.”

Janie is getting jealous. This is odd because Jody got jealous and it lead to the fall of their relationship. She needs to be careful because Jealousy can drive you crazy. This could be the start of fighting or this could bring them closer together.

55. pg 141 “Naw, mah husband didn’t had nothin’ but hisself. He’s easy tuh love if you mess round ‘im. Ah loves ‘im”

This is Janie expressing how much she cares about Tea Cake. This is important because this is after she shows her jealousy. They are getting through this together. I think that this is a good sign.

56. pg 141 “He kin take most any lil thing and make summertime out of it when times is dull. Then we lives offa dat happiness he made till so mo’ happiness come along.”

This relates back to her thought of marriage. The bee and the bloom are most active in summer time and can rely on each other during summer time like a proper married couple should. So Tea Cake being able to create summer time is a big deal because that is allowing Janie to rely on him like a bee relies on a bloom.