He was her life, but he didn’t love her.
She was the ideal woman, but he didn’t love her.
He meant the world to her, but he didn’t love her.
She was gorgeous inside and out and he didn’t love her.
Heads turned full round 360 when she walked past, and he still didn’t love her.
She was the envy of all women, but he didn’t love her.
Any man would bow down to her command, yet he didn’t love her.
Her brains and beauty were unmatched, and he still didn’t love her.
No matter what she said or did, he didn’t care one least bit.
Whether or not she existed, was a matter of no importance.
At one point in time, he did love her and he did care.
But she fell into the world of temptation and it all changed.
She left him for another, hoping to find happiness.
Not realizing she had been living it all along by his side.
She took his love for granted, one too many.
At this instant she finds herself in tears as she writes this poem.
And now
As she is hoping to retain what she once had
She realizes that…
HE DOES NOT LOVE HER.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
FRQ
Symbols are commonly used in fiction stories. They “take your story beyond simple plot or character development and create depth and meaning.” [www.ehow.com] A symbol helps communicate an idea to the reader that was not introduced clearly within the text. In the novel “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” Zora Neale Hurston used a variety of symbols to communicate an aspect of the story that led to a greater idea. One example of this symbolism is the use of Janie’s mothers name “Leafy.”
When you think of a leaf, you think of a green leaf on a branch of a beautiful blossoming tree filled with life. But what happens to that leaf when the tree slowly dies? Its leaves begin to fall. In the story, Leafy is characterized as the daughter of a former slave woman and her master. At the young age of seventeen, she became pregnant from the school teacher that raped her. After that, “she took to drinkin’ likker and stayin’ out nights.” [pg 19] Her mother “Couldn’t git her to stay here and nowhere else.” [pg 19] Nobody knew where she was after that. Whether she was dead or alive was an unanswered question. With the name of “Leafy,” Zora Neale Hurston is able to portray the typical fallen woman. That is, the one that became impure. After being raped and having a baby [Janie], society would not look on Leafy as the ideal woman. People would have degraded her for something that she clearly had no control over. Getting back to the top of the feminine social pyramid was made impossible. This acknowledgement of Leafy turned her into the woman that she became; the drunk that roamed the streets and stayed out at nights. After all, she was just another woman that did not care for her baby. The use of the name Leafy brings about this character as just another dry fallen leaf of a tree, roaming through the world and its wonders, with no sense of direction or path. The leaf just continues to be thrown and pushed by the wind that carries it through life. That leaf reflects with its color more death than life. That leaf fights its way to stay alive. Until eventually, that same leaf breaks and tumbles through the dirt, becoming nothing but a forgotten memory.
So what does this symbolism bring to the story? This symbolism helped portray the principles of which society placed on women. These same standards which also, shaped Janie into the woman that she became. It emphasizes the idea that women were all products of a society that held them at the top of the social pyramid, one that idealized “the true woman.” As one can see from this symbolism, society played a major role in the plot and setting of the story, since after all, it transformed the female characters. This symbolism helped portray Janie, who like her mother, was just another victim of society and its sick evils of ideology. This same symbolism stressed the importance of female roles in the story. With this symbolism for “the fallen woman,” visual images of a suppressed, dependant, and beat down black woman are made clearer. The notion of the silenced woman is understood more in depth.
Overall, symbols play a major role in novels. They help to bring about a deeper understanding of an idea. Symbols can tie the whole story closer together to add more meaning to the moral of the plot. In the novel, “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” Zora Neale Hurston made a good use of symbols to communicate her ideas to the reader. Having Leafy symbolize the “fallen woman,” brought about the importance of society in the story.
When you think of a leaf, you think of a green leaf on a branch of a beautiful blossoming tree filled with life. But what happens to that leaf when the tree slowly dies? Its leaves begin to fall. In the story, Leafy is characterized as the daughter of a former slave woman and her master. At the young age of seventeen, she became pregnant from the school teacher that raped her. After that, “she took to drinkin’ likker and stayin’ out nights.” [pg 19] Her mother “Couldn’t git her to stay here and nowhere else.” [pg 19] Nobody knew where she was after that. Whether she was dead or alive was an unanswered question. With the name of “Leafy,” Zora Neale Hurston is able to portray the typical fallen woman. That is, the one that became impure. After being raped and having a baby [Janie], society would not look on Leafy as the ideal woman. People would have degraded her for something that she clearly had no control over. Getting back to the top of the feminine social pyramid was made impossible. This acknowledgement of Leafy turned her into the woman that she became; the drunk that roamed the streets and stayed out at nights. After all, she was just another woman that did not care for her baby. The use of the name Leafy brings about this character as just another dry fallen leaf of a tree, roaming through the world and its wonders, with no sense of direction or path. The leaf just continues to be thrown and pushed by the wind that carries it through life. That leaf reflects with its color more death than life. That leaf fights its way to stay alive. Until eventually, that same leaf breaks and tumbles through the dirt, becoming nothing but a forgotten memory.
So what does this symbolism bring to the story? This symbolism helped portray the principles of which society placed on women. These same standards which also, shaped Janie into the woman that she became. It emphasizes the idea that women were all products of a society that held them at the top of the social pyramid, one that idealized “the true woman.” As one can see from this symbolism, society played a major role in the plot and setting of the story, since after all, it transformed the female characters. This symbolism helped portray Janie, who like her mother, was just another victim of society and its sick evils of ideology. This same symbolism stressed the importance of female roles in the story. With this symbolism for “the fallen woman,” visual images of a suppressed, dependant, and beat down black woman are made clearer. The notion of the silenced woman is understood more in depth.
Overall, symbols play a major role in novels. They help to bring about a deeper understanding of an idea. Symbols can tie the whole story closer together to add more meaning to the moral of the plot. In the novel, “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” Zora Neale Hurston made a good use of symbols to communicate her ideas to the reader. Having Leafy symbolize the “fallen woman,” brought about the importance of society in the story.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Their Eyes Were Watching God "Quote"
“…you got tuh go there tuh know there. Yo’ papa and yo’ mama and nobody else can’t tell yuh and show yuh. Two things everybody’s got tuh do fuh theyselves. They got tuh go tuh God, and they got tuh find out about livin’ fuh theyselves.” [pg 192] Janie was a young girl who lived her life learning throughout her experiences about the realities of life. She did in fact face the real world and its injustices, but it did nothing more than shape her into the woman that she became. Throughout her experiences she learned that marriage did not mean love, that reaching the top of the social pyramid did not mean happiness, and most of all that you must live life at its fullest not caring what the response of others might be.
In the story “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” Janie is portrayed as this innocent young girl who is hoping on someday meeting with her one true love. Marriage was love and nothing more. “Husbands and wives always loved each other, and that was what marriage meant.” [pg 21] When her old grandmother asked her to marry for her own security, Janie did so, hoping that this would mean the “end to cosmic loneliness of the unmated.” [pg 21] Little did she know that marriage was nothing more than a game of property. It did not matter whether the couple loved each other, but whether or not one could supply for one another. As her grandmother explained, “De nigger woman is de mule uh de world so fur as Ah can see.” [pg 14] In fact the woman was the working hand of the world; homes could not possibly function without them. They were the structure of the family. Just like a mule works long hours to get the job of the man done, so does the woman work the same way. With their duty as wives, they are expected to listen and follow to the commands of the husband. Janie of course was not as accepting of this social stance. “Youse mad ‘cause Ah don’t fall down and wash-up dese sixty acres uh ground yuh got. You ain’t done me no favor by marryin’ me. And if dat’s what you call yo’self doin’, Ah don’t thank yuh for it.” [pg 31] Here, Janie did stand up to her husband, Logan, and refused to be his “mule.” This male dominancy irked Janie and pushed her to leave her husband for Joe Starks, who promised not to treat her in this manner. As she was leaving Logan, “A feeling of sudden newness and change came over her.” [pg 32] Janie did in fact change from this experience as she was able to overcome this issue and move on with her life. She did not let Logan and her unhappy marriage to him stop her from reaching her happiness.
Not only did Janie realize that marriage did not mean love, but also that reaching the top of the social pyramid did not mean happiness. In truth, it didn’t. As Mrs. Starks, she was the Mayors wife, the store owner, and the woman who lived in the beautiful white house that overlooked all the others. The people of town looked up at her, but deep down inside Jodie was nothing close to being happy. This unhappiness came from the continuous oppression from her husband. As a female, she was not allowed into male conversations and male hobbies. Her husband controlled her and forced her to wear head rags to hide her hair from public eyes. This control in return brought about this beat down silent woman who was just waiting to lash out. “No matter what Jody did, she said nothing. She had learned how to talk some and leave some. She was a rut in the road. Plenty of life beneath the surface but it was kept beaten down by the wheels.” [pg 76] Joe’s continued oppression caused Janie to restrain herself from talking, to hold up all of the emotions that kept piling within her. Being Mrs. Starks was not happiness like she expected, but rather more a life she didn’t wish to live. She would give up everything she had to just be happy. She disliked looking down on the Negro’s of the town like Mr. Stark did with his “I god” and intellectual talking. Janie did not feel ready to live the life of “de white madam,” like her grandmother had wished. Being on top of the social pyramid was not suitable for Janie; it did not bring happiness.
Last of all she learned that you must live life at its fullest even if it does not meet the acceptance of others. Janie came about this notion as she experienced joyous moments with her love Tea Cake. Many had criticized her for dating someone who was too young for her and did not have the money to offer her a life like Mr. Starks did. Janie did not allow for these gossipers to retain her from finally enjoying life. As Janie explains “Ah never ‘spected nothing’…but bein’ dead from the standin’ still and tryin’ tuh laugh.” After living a life full of restrictions, control, and oppression, Janie was just anxious to explore the world and its wonders. Tea Cake had become her ecstasy to attain this. She expected others to talk about her life and criticize it as they compared it to theirs. “Dey gointuh make ‘miration ‘cause mah love didn’t work lak they love, if dey ever had any.” [pg 191] Knowing the way that society worked and how they responded to such occurrences, Janie knew what others in town were going to say about her. They in turn were ignorant because they lacked the experiences of actually encountering the real life and learning from it. Janie had been happy by Tea Cake’s side, and she loved him with all her heart. If others could not accept that, she didn’t care. After all, “Love is lak de sea. It’s uh movin’ thing, but still and all, it takes its shape from de shore it meets, and it’s different with every shore.” [pg 191] In other words, love is different with each and every person, not all encounter it the same way. Love shapes people all in different areas and aspects. No love is the same.
Overall, Janie learned from the realities of life and her experiences. All these occurrences helped shape Janie into the woman that she became. They helped her grow, learn, and move on with her life. These experiences changed her view of marriage, society, and happiness all together. Life brought about this beautiful immature fruit that reached its full bright green color. After the storm cleared, this pear became ripe.
In the story “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” Janie is portrayed as this innocent young girl who is hoping on someday meeting with her one true love. Marriage was love and nothing more. “Husbands and wives always loved each other, and that was what marriage meant.” [pg 21] When her old grandmother asked her to marry for her own security, Janie did so, hoping that this would mean the “end to cosmic loneliness of the unmated.” [pg 21] Little did she know that marriage was nothing more than a game of property. It did not matter whether the couple loved each other, but whether or not one could supply for one another. As her grandmother explained, “De nigger woman is de mule uh de world so fur as Ah can see.” [pg 14] In fact the woman was the working hand of the world; homes could not possibly function without them. They were the structure of the family. Just like a mule works long hours to get the job of the man done, so does the woman work the same way. With their duty as wives, they are expected to listen and follow to the commands of the husband. Janie of course was not as accepting of this social stance. “Youse mad ‘cause Ah don’t fall down and wash-up dese sixty acres uh ground yuh got. You ain’t done me no favor by marryin’ me. And if dat’s what you call yo’self doin’, Ah don’t thank yuh for it.” [pg 31] Here, Janie did stand up to her husband, Logan, and refused to be his “mule.” This male dominancy irked Janie and pushed her to leave her husband for Joe Starks, who promised not to treat her in this manner. As she was leaving Logan, “A feeling of sudden newness and change came over her.” [pg 32] Janie did in fact change from this experience as she was able to overcome this issue and move on with her life. She did not let Logan and her unhappy marriage to him stop her from reaching her happiness.
Not only did Janie realize that marriage did not mean love, but also that reaching the top of the social pyramid did not mean happiness. In truth, it didn’t. As Mrs. Starks, she was the Mayors wife, the store owner, and the woman who lived in the beautiful white house that overlooked all the others. The people of town looked up at her, but deep down inside Jodie was nothing close to being happy. This unhappiness came from the continuous oppression from her husband. As a female, she was not allowed into male conversations and male hobbies. Her husband controlled her and forced her to wear head rags to hide her hair from public eyes. This control in return brought about this beat down silent woman who was just waiting to lash out. “No matter what Jody did, she said nothing. She had learned how to talk some and leave some. She was a rut in the road. Plenty of life beneath the surface but it was kept beaten down by the wheels.” [pg 76] Joe’s continued oppression caused Janie to restrain herself from talking, to hold up all of the emotions that kept piling within her. Being Mrs. Starks was not happiness like she expected, but rather more a life she didn’t wish to live. She would give up everything she had to just be happy. She disliked looking down on the Negro’s of the town like Mr. Stark did with his “I god” and intellectual talking. Janie did not feel ready to live the life of “de white madam,” like her grandmother had wished. Being on top of the social pyramid was not suitable for Janie; it did not bring happiness.
Last of all she learned that you must live life at its fullest even if it does not meet the acceptance of others. Janie came about this notion as she experienced joyous moments with her love Tea Cake. Many had criticized her for dating someone who was too young for her and did not have the money to offer her a life like Mr. Starks did. Janie did not allow for these gossipers to retain her from finally enjoying life. As Janie explains “Ah never ‘spected nothing’…but bein’ dead from the standin’ still and tryin’ tuh laugh.” After living a life full of restrictions, control, and oppression, Janie was just anxious to explore the world and its wonders. Tea Cake had become her ecstasy to attain this. She expected others to talk about her life and criticize it as they compared it to theirs. “Dey gointuh make ‘miration ‘cause mah love didn’t work lak they love, if dey ever had any.” [pg 191] Knowing the way that society worked and how they responded to such occurrences, Janie knew what others in town were going to say about her. They in turn were ignorant because they lacked the experiences of actually encountering the real life and learning from it. Janie had been happy by Tea Cake’s side, and she loved him with all her heart. If others could not accept that, she didn’t care. After all, “Love is lak de sea. It’s uh movin’ thing, but still and all, it takes its shape from de shore it meets, and it’s different with every shore.” [pg 191] In other words, love is different with each and every person, not all encounter it the same way. Love shapes people all in different areas and aspects. No love is the same.
Overall, Janie learned from the realities of life and her experiences. All these occurrences helped shape Janie into the woman that she became. They helped her grow, learn, and move on with her life. These experiences changed her view of marriage, society, and happiness all together. Life brought about this beautiful immature fruit that reached its full bright green color. After the storm cleared, this pear became ripe.
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