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.