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It was not uncommon for a man to beat his wife and it is normalized in society at the time.

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"Tea Cake, you sho is a lucky man," Sop-de-Bottom told him. "Uh person can see every place you hit her. Ah bet she never raised her hand tuh hit yuh back, neither. Take some uh dese ol' rusty black women and dey would fight yuh all night long and next day nobody couldn't tell you ever hit 'em." p. 147

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In this time period it was not uncommon for someone of an authoritative status to take advantage of a younger girl.

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"Dat school teacher had done hid her in de woods all night long, and he had done raped mah baby and run on off just before day." p. 19

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Joe believes that because she is his wife she can't talk to certain people because of her status in the society he has built.

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He didn't want her talking after such trashy people. "You'se Mrs. Mayor Starks, Janie. I god, Ah can't see what uh woman uh yo' stability would want tuh be treasurin' all dat gum-grease from folks dat don't even own de house dey sleep in. 'Tain't no earthly use. They's jus' some puny humans playin' round de toes uh Time." p. 54

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Nanny tells Janie that her fate is in God's hands and that she should accept what she gets because it could be worse

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Nanny tells Janie that her fate is in God's hands and that she should accept what she gets because it could be worse

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"'Tain't no use in you cryin', Janie. Grandma done been long uh few roads herself. But folks is meant to cry 'bout somethin' or other. Better leave things de way dey is. Youse young yet. No tellin' whut mout happen befo' you die. Wait awhile, baby. Yo' mind will change." p. 24

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When Tea Cake and Janie get caught out in the storm he has to defend her from the dog and when they finally find out he has rabies it is too late and it is out of their control even though the doctor is trying to bring them medicine.

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"Doctah, Tea Cake ain't tellin' yuh everything lak he oughta. We wuz caught in dat hurricane out heah, and Tea Cake overstrained hisself swimmin' such uh long time and holdin' me up too, and walkin' all dem miles in de storm and then befo' he could git his rest he had tali come git me out de water agin and fightin' wid dat big ole dawg and de dawg bitin" im in de face and everything. Ah been spectin' him tuh be sick befo' now." p. 176

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The hurricane is symbolic of a natural force stronger than man which is shown when janie states that the hurricane killed people all over the area.

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"But, Tea Cake, de hurricane wuz down in de 'Glades too. It'll be dead folks tuh be buried down dere too." p. 172

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The porchsitters all gather around and have nothing better to do than to gossip about where Janie has been and what she has been up to.

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"What she doin coming back here in dem overhalls? Can't she find no dress to put on? Where's dat blue satin dress she left here in? Where all dat money her husband took and died and left her?—What dat ole forty year ole 'oman doin' wid her hair swingin' down her back lak some young gal?—Where she left dat young lad of a boy she went off here wid?—Thought she was going to marry?—Where he left her ?—What he done wid all her money?—Betcha he off wid some gal so young she ain't even got no hairs—why she don't stay in her class?—" p. 2

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Joe intends to hold power of the town by declaring himself mayor of the town. He will later assert power over Janie as he tries to dicate what she can and can't do.

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"Over, Janie? I god, Ah ain't even started good. Ah told you in de very first beginnin' dat Ah aimed tuh be uh big voice. You oughta be glad, 'cause dat makes uh big woman outa you." p. 46

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Logan holds power of Janie by threatening her for her life when she asks what he would do if she left him.

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"Don't you change too many words wid me dis mawnin', Janie, do Ah'll take and change ends wid yuh! Heah, Ah just as good as take you out de white folks' kitchen and set you down on yo' royal diasticutis and you take and low-rate me! Ah'll take holt uh dat ax and come in dere and kill yuh! p. 31

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Tea Cake does not believe that God judges based on color and openly states this when he is told to bury the white and black people differently

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"They's mighty particular how dese dead folks goes tuh judgment," Tea Cake observed to the man working next to him. "Look lak dey think God don't know nothin' 'bout de Jim Crow law." p. 171

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In this era, many believed that God would judge based on color.

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"Mrs. Turner, like all other believers had built an altar to the unattainable—Caucasian characteristics for all. Her god would smite her, would hurl her from pinnacles and lose her in deserts, but she would not forsake his altars." p. 145

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Everyone looked to God because no one knew what would be coming next. They dependon God to determine their fate.

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"They huddled closer and stared at the door. They just didn't use another part of their bodies, and they didn't look at anything but the door. The time was past for asking the white folks what to look for through that door. Six eyes were questioning God." p. 159

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When Janie leaves Logan she leaves behind her apron which shows she is freed from him and no longer has to be unhappy with him.

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"The morning road air was like a new dress. That made her feel the apron tied around her waist. She untied it and flung it on a low bush beside the road and walked on, picking flowers and making a bouquet." p. 32

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Janie has no emotional attachments to Johnny Taylor, but being able to kiss him makes her feel like she has a choice in who she can be involved with

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"That brought her wide awake. She bolted upright and peered out of the window and saw Johnny Taylor lacerating her Janie with a kiss." p. 12

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Joe once again silences Janie by ordering her around. he doesn't like it when she gets friendly with the men who hang around the shop.

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"You gettin' too moufy, Janie," Starks told her. "Go fetch me de checker-board and de checkers. Sam Watson, you'se mah fish." p. 75

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Joe silences Janie when she is requested to make a speech. He believes that woman's place is in the home.

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"Thank yuh fuh yo' compliments, but mah wife don't know nothin' 'bout no speech-makin'. Ah never married her for nothin' lak dat. She's uh woman and her place is in de home." p. 43

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At the end of the story Janie is telling Pheoby that she has reached her goals and that she is now satisfied and no longer needs to keep searching.

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The horizon is symbolic of dreams and goals. This first statement is about how differently men and women seek out these goals.

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"Now, dat's how everything wuz, Pheoby, jus' lak Ah told yuh. So Ah'm back home agin and Ah'm satisfied tuh be heah. Ah done been tuh de horizon and back and now Ah kin set heah in mah house and live by comparisons." p. 191

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"Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board. For some they come in with the tide. For others they sail forever on the horizon, never out of sight, never landing until the Watcher turns his eyes away in resignation, his dreams mocked to death by Time. That is the life of men." p.1

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Nanny tells Janie she wants her to marry well because as a black woman, she is going to be looked down upon in society which shows how colored people were treated in this era

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Mrs. Turner, despite being colored, is discriminatory towards black people and prides herself in having more white features showing how society condemns a race to the point where even those of said race reject it.

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"So de white man throw down de load and tell de nigger man tuh pick it up. He pick it up because he have to, but he don't tote it. He hand it to his womenfolks. De nigger woman is de mule uh de world so fur as Ah can see. Ah been prayin' fah it tuh be different wid you. Lawd, Lawd, Lawd!" p. 14

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"Look at me! Ah ain't got no flat nose and liver lips. Ah'm uh featured woman. Ah got white folks' features in mah face. Still and all Ah got tuh be lumped in wid all de rest. It ain't fair. Even if dey don't take us in wid de whites, dey oughta make us uh class tuh ourselves." p. 142

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Janie finds the physical aspect of a relationship she has been searching for with Tea Cake

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Sitting under the pear tree is symbolic of true love in a more physical sense and Janie wants to experience that but is unable to with Logan because she does not love him

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"He could be a bee to a blossom—a pear tree blossom in the spring" p.106

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"Ah wants things sweet wid mah marriage lak when you sit under a pear tree and think. Ah..." p. 24

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Janie tearing her hair rag off is symbolic of her freeing herself from being oppressed by Joe.

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"She tore off the kerchief from her head and let down her plentiful hair. The weight, the length, the glory was there." p.86

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Janie's hair is covered because Joe is jealous of the other men who pay attention to her. He is oppressing her by making her cover her hair.

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"This business of the head-rag irked her endlessly. But Jody was set on it. Her hair was NOT going to show in the store. It didn't seem sensible at all. That was because Joe never told Janie how jealous he was." p.55

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The only thing Janie desires is to love someone and she can't find what she's looking for with Logan

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"But Nanny, Ah wants to want him sometimes. Ah don't want him to do all de wantin'." p. 23

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Tea Cake is Janie's first and only love and she is willing to do anything to save him.

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"Doctor, Ah loves him fit tuh kill. Tell me anythng tuh do and Ah'll do it p. 177