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?
Different people discover themselves in different ways. I think some people are more sure of themselves so self discovery is easy, other people need more of a push. Who I am as a person has been influenced a lot by the world and people around me so I think it's understandable to say that is the way Janie found herself. No one would be who they are today if they were not influenced by certain people and things we see. Our parents, our friends, the media, and world events all influence what we think and what is important to us and sometimes we need to find someone else to be able to really know who we are. The time period we are in also influences us, Janie isn't as effected by her time period as some people saying that she stands up for herself and makes herself into someone important but it is still an influence on her.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think you find yourself through other people. I know that's supposed to be "wrong" and that we're supposed to find ourselves within ourselves and all that, but I just can't bring myself to agree. I think we are defined by our relationships and reactions to others. What may make me a mean person or a nice person is how I treat others. If i just sat by myself and thought about the world, I would never know what kind of person I am. Also, it's other people who push us towards new things. I'm very close with some people who have different interests as me, or so I thought. As I get closer to them, I learn more about myself because they open me up to new things. I think we need the company and influence of other people to find out how we are in different situations.
ReplyDeletePeople discover themselves in different ways. Some people discover themselves through others and some people find themselves inside themselves. Interactions with others defines who we are and I think we discover ourselves in the way that we treat others. So many things influence us in the world and the people around us play a crucial part too. I do not think Janie is affected by the time period. She has found herself through standing up to Jody and becoming someone important.
ReplyDeletePeople can find out who they are in many ways. A lot of the time, you observe other people around you and create comparisons between yourself and the people that aren't you. Other times, you look into yourself and observe your own behaviors---if you like something, or if something seems important to you. You can find out what's important to you with your feelings. Investigating yourself is pushing yourself to ends to see what works and what doesn't. I think although it might be good to "just be yourself" and decide who you are without the influence of the world, you will most likely end up using the influence of the world anyways to decide "who you are". Since humans are social animals, we interact and ideas bounce off of each other. I also think time period plays a role in Janie's discovery of herself. At her time, she didn't have that much influence in society and didn't really have a say in matters. Because of this, she was never able to choose for herself what she wants, except for with Tea Cake. With Logan and Jody, she was able to discover what marriage is NOT, and what she does not like. But at the same time, these two marriages stopped her from discovering herself because Jody and Logan restricted her from doing certain things since men were the dominant hierarchy at that time. Tea Cake also helps her discover who she is by allowing Janie to do new things, such as working in the field and making her own decisions. Tea Cake allowed her to look into herself to discover who she is.
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