Chapter 14

Chapter 14
In this chapter we see that someone (Tea Cake) finally is able to make Janie want to work on her own accord. Is it possible that Tea Cake uses his charisma in order to manipulate Janie? Or is he just very persuasive? Please use textual evidence if you can in your response.

Chapter 11

In Chapter 11, Zora Neale Hurston uses very little direct characterization to tell readers the way that Janie feels about Tea Cake. However, a parallel is created between her past lovers, Logan and Jody, and Tea Cake. These parallels exist in imagery, actions, and words to emphasize a shift in the way Janie feels, reacts, or interprets the situation. Parallels illuminate certain characteristics of Tea Cake, and readers identify traits in Tea Cake that the other two men failed to possess. Tea Cake becomes Janie’s paradigm of marriage and love. The things we learn about Tea Cake end up not only teaching us about him, but parts of Janie’s personality become illuminated as well. For the first time, we get to see Janie’s true character shine through as she begins to live her life in the way that she wants rather than in the way society had insisted that she live in the past.

How do you think people find out who they are? How do you know who you are as a person and what is important to you? Is finding who you are by looking for yourself in other people and in the world around you an effective form of discovery or do you need to decide who you are without the influence of the world? Do you think that the time period plays any role in Janie's discovery of herself? 

Ch. 13

Do you think it was acceptable for Tea Cake to take Janie's money and throw a party without telling her? Does the fact that he returned it make it acceptable or should he have never taken it without asking in the first place? In your opinion, is Tea Cake still a good fit as a husband for Janie after these actions two weeks into their money?

SELF DISCOVERY

Chapter 12

Janie's journey to happiness has been Janie's main life goal throughout the whole book. In order for Janie to be happy, she needs to truly accept herself and her life. Janie's self-discovery is a very important theme in Chapter 11. The different way of life Janie gets to experience with the help of Tea Cake helps Janie tremendously with accomplishing this theme. Tea Cake is a very important factor in her self discovery. Janie says on page 115, "He [Tea Cake] done taught me de maiden language all over". What does she mean by this and how was Tea Cake able to help Janie so much in such a short period of time, when Jody and Logan really did not help her at all? How did this new "language" Janie says Tea Cake taught her, help in the maturation of her thoughts? Explain two examples of some of Janie's views on life changing after meeting Tea Cake. (HINT-one is her thoughts about her grandmother's intentions for forcing her to marry Logan).

Response: Three men, one choice

New Girl 

Paul Gunslinger is the man on New Girl that Jess is attracted too by looks. They are almost the exact same person and although they joke and tease a lot they do not end up with each other. Jess actually cares a lot about him but not enough to stay with him. However I don't think he's like Jody at all I just think he's the guy that she is attracted to because he is different and looks good. 

Dermot Mulroney is the man that looks good on paper. A successful, accomplished business man that is a lot older than Jess. Although right now they are in a really good place with their relationship he is the most like Jody because he is older and sometime has the tendency to speak down to Jess. So I don't think he's like Logan because he actually can connect with Jess. 

Nick Miller is the real guy. (In my opinion) Anyone that watches New Girl can see that Jess and Nick really have something. They are both 100% themselves with each other. In other relationships Jess tends to act differently to make the man happy but with Nick she doesn't have too. Sure, they aren't actually in a relationship (yet) but I believe that Nick is most like Teacake because of their natural, teasing, (HOPEFULLY loving in the future) relationship. For right now in the show they are just the best friends that should be together. 

The main difference between Janie and Jess is that Jess genuinely cares for all of these guys. Also, the guy that looks good doesn't necessarily compare to Jody and the guy that looks good on paper isn't necessarily like Logan.

Respond to Courtney's Blog!!!!!

In the show, 'What I Like About You', Holly is faced with a choice between three guys that she truly loves throughout the seasons.  First, there is Henry, Henry is the guy who will always be there for her and who everyone thinks she should be with.  He is genuinely a good, responsible guy who can provide for her.  Henry is most like Logan, he is smart, successful, and Holly's families favorite (her sister Val because her parents aren't really involved).  The difference is that Holly actually loves Henry.

Second is Ben (my favorite).  Ben is the interesting, new, different, british guy.  When Holly goes to London for a semester, she comes back with Ben, an amazingly gorgeous, guitar player with an awesome accent.  He loves her a lot and she is enamored with him because he's so different than anyone else, he is very focused on his music (work) though.

Third is Vince. I love, love, love Vince.  Vince is unmotivated, obnoxious, and the biggest player ever.  Even with all of this flaws, they completely love each other.  They're prefect together, even though he is far from perfect.  He lets her be herself and is friends with her enough so that the relationship is like two people who've known each other forever.  He can joke and tease and they're just completely adorable even though he is completely irresponsible.  He reminds me of Tea Cake a lot.  Especially with Nunkie because there are a lot of other girls in Vince's life that Holly has to work around (like Robin, the psycho ex he works with).


The main difference is that Holly actually loves all three of these guys and they are all genuinely good for her.  But she does end up with Vince, who everyone would agree is the one she shouldn't be with (even though we all love him).

Chapter 8

THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD- CHAPTER 8

In chapter 8 of Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie finally finds the courage to tell Jody how she really feels about him and speaks her mind without the fear of abuse. When Jody dies, Janie feels a sense of freedom and as a result, lets her hair down to symbolize that she is no longer under the power of Jody. In this chapter Janie finally realizes who she is and becomes a woman.

Do you think it makes Janie weak or strong when she expresses her harsh feelings to Jody while he is on his death bed?

Response to "Three Men: One Choice"

Pride and Prejudice vs. TEWWG

Mr. Collins - Logan
"Look good on paper guy."
Just like Janie, Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice is pressured by her mother to marry a man whom she does not love. Mrs. Bennet, like Janie's grandmother, thinks that Mr. Collins is a perfect opportunity for Elizabeth: not only is he a clergyman, but he will also inherit the Bennet's estate, and so marrying him would secure the financial future of both herself and her sisters.







George Wickham - Jody
"Look good guy"

Just like Janie, Elizabeth is quickly seduced by Mr. Wickham due to his good looks and sweet talk. He is superficially charming like Jody, with the snazzy soldier's uniform and witty anecdotes. However, like Jody, he likes to belittle others that he feels threatened by (especially Mr. Darcy,) and his immediate charm wears off with Elizabeth, like Jody's did with Janie.


Mr. Darcy - Tea Cake
"The REAL guy"
Just like Janie, Elizabeth ends up with the man she is able to have a real relationship with at the end: Mr. Darcy. While Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth have a less than cordial relationship at the end, he is one of the few people in the book who recognizes her intellect and capability. Like Tea Cake, he is able to tease Elizabeth and it is with him that her true nature comes out. He may not be as superficially charming as Mr. Wickham, but his "realness" (although it is sometimes blunt!) makes us root for him in the end.

TEWWG Chapter 10- Three Men, One Choice...

In Chapter 10 of Their Eyes Were Watching God, we are introduced to the charismatic character named Tea Cake. Based off the the three types of guys we discussed in class, 1) "Looks good on paper" guy, 2) "Looks good" guy, and 3) The REAL guy, please provide your own example (like my "Friends" example) and relate your answer to each type of guy/ Janie and her relationship with Logan, Jody, and Tea Cake. Review: my example was Rachel's relationship with Barry, Paolo and Ross. In my opinion, Barry was the "Looks good on paper guy" and resembled Logan the most. Paolo was the "Looks good" guy and resembled Jody the most. Lastly, Ross was the "real" guy and resembled Tea Cake the most. Your example can be from another book, TV show, or movie, just BE CREATIVE!! You may also include pictures/ video clips to further illustrate your point if you desire!

Chapter 10

We have seen Janie with three men in the book so far. In this chapter we are introduced to Tea Cake. Compare the different ways Logan, Jody, and Tea Cake treat Janie. Who treats her like an equal? Who doesn't? And how?

Tea Cake and Janie are immediately attracted to each other when they meet. What kind of relationship will Janie have with Tea Cake? How will it be different from her previous relationships?

Chapter 8

Describe this picture 

Chapter 7: The Fall

In this chapter, the relationship between Jody and Janie finally comes to an end. Through out the chapter, Janie describes how as Jody got older he became more violent towards her. She describes times when Jody would verbally attack her and she would just take it. Finally, one day Jody scolds Janie for cutting a piece of tobacco wrong in the store. He starts yelling at her in public and scolding her. Finally, Janie lashes out publicly embarrassing Jody. In her fit of rage she ends up saying that Jody looks like "de change uh life" when hes naked. In his embarrassment, Jody hits Janie and orders her to go home.

In this book, Janie is striving for her happiness and a perfect love. What she had with Jody was not the perfect marriage and did not make her perfectly happy but at the start, when Jody wooed Janie into leaving Logan for him she believed she would be able to be extremely happy with him. This dream failed because Jody let his power get to his head and he treated her like she was a possession. After Janie's confrontation to Jody, I believe there is a chance that Jody may see that Janie does not like how she is being treated and may change his ways. In order for him to do this, Janie has to forgive Jody for his poor treatment of her. So respond to the following quote in terms of Janie's possible forgiveness of Jody.

"To err is human; to forgive, divine." - Alexander Pope

Do you think Janie should be “divine” and forgive Jody for his wrong of treating her badly? In Chapter 8, Jody’s health takes the ultimate toll on him but do you think this change in condition of Jody should affect Janie's decision to stand up and forgive him even if it does not mean they could restart their old good marriage?

What about for Janie's grandmother? Do you think Janie will forgive her grandmother for sending her off to marry Logan and get pushed into marriage and happiness?

Chapter 6: Shattered

"Janie stood where he left her for unmeasured time and thought. She stood there until something fell off the shelf inside her. Then she went inside there to see what it was. It was her image of Jody tumbled down and shattered….She had no more blossomy openings dusting pollen over her man, neither any glistening young fruit where the petrels used to be. She found that she had a host of thoughts she had never expressed to him, and numerous emotion she had never let Jody know about. Things packed up and put away in parts of her heart where he could never find them. She was saving up feelings for some man she had never seen."

Respond to this passage in Ch. 6. What do you think this means? What are some symbols in this passage that we see throughout the novel? What causes her to think this? Do you believe this is some sort of epiphany for Janie? Why or why not? Could this be foreshadowing for any future events?

Chapter 6: The Victim, The Bully, and The Savior

Throughout chapter 6, Hurston uses various literary tools, including symbolism, character archetypes, and recurring themes to display Janie's feelings towards her situation with Joe and the town, the declining relationship between Janie and Joe, materialism, and feminism.

Each of these tools occur in different parts of the chapter. The mule symbolizes Janie's position and struggles- especially because the mules parallel the way in which her husbands treat her. For example, Logan Killicks works his mule demandingly, as he does with Janie; and Joe Starks buys the mule to display his wealth. The mule also symbolizes her struggles with feminism and slavery by being oppressed. Everyone exploits the mule and her, and they don't have a voice.

Hurston also uses the literary tool of character archetypes. She uses classic archetypes such as the victim, the bully, and the hero. The purpose of employing these archetypes is to highlight Janie's unhappiness in Eatonville by connecting her to the mule because they share the same archetype. The archetypes also highlight the decline in the relationship between Janie and Joe because Joe does not have a definite position and oscillates between "bully" and "savior".

However, Hurston juxtaposes Joe Starks' role in fitting into an archetype. As the story is progressing, Joe gets less and less likable to Janie, and different sides of his start showing, which ultimately is causing the decline in Janie and Joe's relationship. On one hand, Joe could be viewed as a part of the "savior" archetype because he saved Janie from Logan Killicks as well as saving the mule from harassment. On the other hand though, Joe starts treating Janie harshly, as displayed in this chapter.

Which archetype do you think Hurston uses for Joe Starks and why does Hurston do this? In what way does this affect his relationship with Janie?

Gender Roles

In Chapter 7 of Their Eyes Were Watching God, Jody, now in his 50s, has bags under his eyes and a prominent, flabby stomach. Insecure about his own age, he constantly belittles Janie by trying to make her feel old even though he is over 10 years older than her. At first, she thinks Jody does not look well, so she says nothing; however, by the end of the chapter she is determined to speak her mind because of this unfairness from Jody and calls him fat, which wounds his pride and causes him to slap her and drive her out of the store.

This all occurs because of his desire to be, and have, the best. But perhaps even more importantly this happens because Jody is a man, a man who has a lot of power in Eatonville. If Jody were a women and Janie were a man, and they had all the same character traits, it would be a totally different ballgame. Since the men of the town are biased towards other men, if Janie was the man, no one would have cared if she called Janie fat because no one cared about the pride of women in those times.

Nothing else in the book will change except that in Chapter 7, and Chapter 7 only, Janie and Jody switch genders. How would the plot change based on the gender differences? Give a brief summary of what would happen and relate what you thought of to the roles of men and women in society during that time.

Let it Shine, Let it Shine, Let it Shine

In chapter 5 of Their Eyes Were Watching God, Jody and Janie Starks arrive in Eatonville, surprised to find that it "ain't nothing but a raw place in de woods." Jody immediately makes it his mission to fix up the town. As he begins to rise to power in Eatonville, his controlling personality comes to life in his attempts to assert authority over Janie and the town. He quickly becomes landlord, mailman, store-owner, and mayor of Eatonville, and his acting like he owns the town mirrors his beginning to treat his wife as a possession.

This juxtaposition of his patronizing both Janie and the town illuminates an important theme for the chapter: what responsibility does he owe these people from whom he has gained his power? After he exiles Henry Pitts from the town, the people debate on whether this was the right thing to do. "It's a sin and uh shame runnin' dat po' man way from here lak dat," one man argues. "Colored folks oughtn't be so hard on one 'nother."

Another person argues, "Let colored folks work for what dey git lak everybody else."

Joe Starks says that "Dis town needs some light right now." In his showy lamp lighting ceremony, he argues that "All we can do, if we want any light after de settin' or befo' de risin', is tuh make some light ourselves."

What responsibility does Joe have to share his light (a metaphor for his power and possessions) with the other members of the town and with Janie? Should everyone be left to make their own light? Does Joe actually want them to make their own light, or is he going to keep covering it up with a showcase?

Vocabulary, Level 2 Words/ Harlem Renaissance

Saturday Night Street Scene. Archibald Motley Jr. 1936

Write a response to the painting above in which you use at least 5 of the Level 2 Vocabulary Words.

Great Price for a Small Vice

Answer one of the following prompts in a thoughtful comment:

1. Can you find examples in Act IV or V to show how Othello's diction begins sinking to Iago's level? Compare these examples to his language in Acts I and II. How do you feel about this change--both linguistic and psychological--in Othello as a tragic hero?

2. Why does Othello strike Desdemona in Act IV, Scene I? How do other people onstage react? How did you as a reader react? How do you imagine Desdemona responding physically to the blow? Is it part of the play's tragic nature that she takes the abuse here--physical and verbal--without protesting publicly? Why doesn't she defend herself, and how, as a modern audience can we understand this scene?

3. What are Emilia's opinions of the male and female sex? (give textual evidence) How do they differ from Desdemona's? Why do you think Shakespeare includes the "Willow Song" scene between Emilia and Desdemona in Act IV? Which woman do you agree with more and why?