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?
I don't think that Janie is mad at either her grandmother or Jody, she is just choosing to go separate ways from what they had desired of her. I think Janie should forgive Jody because she is bette and stronger than him and shouldn't stoop to his level. She knows it is not altogether his fault because she never told him all the things she resented about him. Also she more-or-less loves him so it's easier to forgive. It would still be very divine of her. And I think from the beginning Janie never really blamed her Grandmother, she knew she only wanted what was best for her.
ReplyDeleteNo, I do not think Janie should be divine and forgive Jody because he has not done anything to earn her forgiveness. If she decided to be "divine" and forgive Jody there would be no point since Jody would just hurt her again. It is not healthy for Janie to stay in this marriage that she gets nothing out of; not really any love, trust, honesty, or just a real relationship. When Jody is about to die I do not think she completely forgives him, but she accepts her past. In my opinion, even though Janie did not fully forgive Jody, she still acted "divine" by her ability to feel compassion and pity for Jody's death even after all the abuse he caused her to endure. Yes, I do think Janie will be able to forgive her grandmother. While Janie was in the marriages with no love and happiness, it is obvious that it would be hard for Janie to understand her grandmother's motives. She was too unhappy to focus on the bigger picture and understand why her grandmother did what she did. However, once Jody died and she could move on, I think she will forgive her grandmother. She will understand her grandmother only wanted her to be safe and during her grandmother's time that was the most important thing for African American women. To her grandmother happiness is not a significant factor in life. Janie will realize that her grandmother truly wanted what she thought was best for Janie.
ReplyDeleteI really don't know if I can answer whether she should forgive Jody or not, because I find it very hard to keep in mind all of the circumstances of the time period where the novel takes place. In my personal beliefs, forgiveness is something that is extremely important to me and that I strive for. I do not believe that people can live healthy and fulfilled lives unless they forgive and are forgiven, because I think that withholding forgiveness, even if you are not necessarily "mad" about it any more, leads to bitterness, regret, and even hatred. Therefore, although Jody treated her so poorly, I do think that Janie should be "divine" and forgive him, although I do also understand how badly he treated her and that she owes him nothing. I'm also not sure if Janie forgives him in her heart when he dies, but after closer reading I've decided that she does actually forgive him, especially since she is able to feel sympathy for him after his death, even after everything he has done to her.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I do not believe that Janie has forgiven her grandmother.In Chapter 9, the author writes that "she hated her grandmother and had hidden it from herself all these years under a cloak of pity." Janie talks with bitterness about how her grandmother managed to shrink God's biggest creation, the horizon, symbolizing the life she still had ahead of her as a seventeen year old girl, by forcing her into a loveless marriage. After reading this, one might also then assume that Janie has indeed NOT forgiven Jody, because the reason we thought she did forgive him was that she felt pity for him, and then we find out that she has hated her grandmother this entire time "cloaked under pity." Perhaps Janie's future journey in the book will be to come to terms with the reasons her grandmother had to shrink her horizon, and give real forgiveness to both her grandmother and Jody, rather than just pity.
I don't think Janie should be divine and forgive Joe because no one deserves to be beaten like she was. So, I think Janie doesn't need to forgive Joe, but if she did I think it would make her even more divine because of the situation she is in. I don't think Janie ever forgives him. I think she pities him. I feel like before she dies she will forgive her grandmother. I think she should forgive her grandmother, but she may not.
ReplyDeleteNo, Janie should not apologize to Jody because he mistreats her, she does nothing wrong. She shouldnt apologize. Jody should be the one apologizing to Janie. She has done nothing wrong and therefor she has nothing to be sorry for. I do believe she should stand up for herself though. Maybe she shouldnt be as straightforward as she was. But regardless, she should still tell Jody how she feels and how he mistreats her.
ReplyDeleteI think Janie should have forgiven her grandmother shortly after she married Logan. I dont think she completely understands the reasons why her grandmother made her marry Logan. Before she died, she made sure Janie was with a man who would be able to take care of her, providing her protection because he has money. It is Janies fault for being unhappy with Jody because she is the one who ran away from Logan. Her grandmother isnt who she should be mad at for her unhappiness - she should be mad at herself for running away from her husband in the first place.