# data[].attributes.body
1. Many readers consider the novel a bildungsroman, or coming-of-age novel, as Janie journeys through three marriages. What initially attracts her to each man? What causes her to leave? What does she learn from each experience? She is attracted to Logan due to her grandmother's expectations, although hopes to have some genuine love from him. She would then leave him as she believes that he not only expects too much of her, but looks down upon her due to her being a woman, as well as believing her grandmother was wrong. She seems to learn the importance She is then attracted to Jody in hope of genuine love as well as a less rigid life than that of a farmer's wife. She eventually hates him with a particular fervor as he forces her to hide her hair and other features before finally doing as Logan once did and forcing her into work at his store, unable to leave him until he dies.. She would further learn her need for independence, away from a controlling source of power present in the minds of her first two husbands. She is then attracted to a man by the name of tea cake who comes into her store after she is left a widow, she is attracted to him both for his kind spirit as well as his youth, and while she initially fears that he is only after her money this is put aside by various means after he is able to win back the money that he took from her that he gambled. Ultimately, there is no reason for her to leave him, and the closest thing that counts- his death- comes after he is overtaken by rabies, attacking her in a way that forces her to kill him in self defense. The lessons from this are complex, yet they seem to be final collection of Janie’s lessons over her life, as what seems to be her final, yet now happy marriage is ripped away from her by fate.

# data[].attributes.headline
In the novel, speech is used as a mechanism of control and liberation, especially as Janie struggles to find her voice. During which important moments of her life is Janie silent? How does she choose when to speak out or to remain quiet?

# data[].attributes.subject
In the novel, speech is used as a mechanism of control and liberation, especially as Janie struggles to find her voice. During which important moments of her life is Janie silent? How does she choose when to speak out or to remain quiet?

# data[].attributes.body
Janie struggles to find her voice during her adolescence when her grandmother wants her to marry Logan. Before that happens we can see Janie with the voice of a young girl, but as she starts getting older and her mind starts to mature with dreams of love she keeps these dreams to herself and thus ends up being forced to marry Logan. She doesn't share the same vision of her life as her grandmother and yet doesn't speak up about it. Even after running away with Jody, he tries to keep her silent and submissive while he runs the town as mayor. It's only after a long and large buildup of emotions does Janie reveals her true voice and opinions and goes on a rant to the men on the porch. Unfortunately due to the times and her situation nothing comes of this outburst besides Jody responding in a cold and uncaring manner. Janie finally finds her voice and feels confident in herself after years of marriage to Jody when the two get into a very public argument and Janie insults Jody's old and ugly appearance. She finally stands up for herself and feels proud of what she has said and done. - Cainan, Ejuan, Matthew

# data[].attributes.headline
Hurston uses nature — the pear tree, the ocean, the horizon, the hurricane — not only as a plot device but also as metaphor. Describe the ways these function as both. Can you think of others?

# data[].attributes.subject
Hurston uses nature — the pear tree, the ocean, the horizon, the hurricane — not only as a plot device but also as metaphor. Describe the ways these function as both. Can you think of others?

# data[].attributes.body
The inclusion of the elements as metaphors symbolize Janie's growth as a person. Mainly though, the pear tree comes off as a symbol for Janie's idea of love; while everything else appears to symbolize undiscovered experiences and place that Janie has yet to experience.

# data[].attributes.headline
How does the image of the black woman as "the mule of the world" become a symbol for the roles Janie chooses or refuses to play during her quest? - Alexandra

# data[].attributes.subject
How does the image of the black woman as "the mule of the world" become a symbol for the roles Janie chooses or refuses to play during her quest? - Alexandra

# data[].attributes.body
Throughout the novel, Janie is used and changed in different ways by her husbands similarly to how mules are used. Her first husband, Logan, attempts to put her to work at the farm; however, Janie refuses, which can be interpreted as her being stubborn as a mule. Once Janie marries Jody, the mule symbol changes to focus on Janie's similarities to Matt Bonner's mule. Janie feels, in a way, as if Jody was her salvation from a loveless life, just as Jody was the savior of the mule. However, it becomes clear that both Janie and the mule are seen as a source of pride of Jody and the entire town. Eventually, the mule dies, and vultures eat its corpse, representing how Janie's marriage to Jody is slowly killing her. The fact that she isn't allowed to go to the mule's funeral cements this, showing that even though Jody saved the mule supposedly for Janie's sake, it was never truly an act of devotion, but rather one of flaunting.

# data[].attributes.headline
Q.2 Hurston uses nature — the pear tree, ocean, the horizon, the hurricane — not only as a plot device but also as metaphor. Describe the ways these function as both. Can you think of others? 

# data[].attributes.subject
Q.2 Hurston uses nature — the pear tree, ocean, the horizon, the hurricane — not only as a plot device but also as metaphor. Describe the ways these function as both. Can you think of others? 

# data[].attributes.body
The pear tree is an extended metaphor for youth while it also being a symbol of home for Jamie. This can be implied by the reader since when the scene takes place Jamie was still innocent and young, and author utilizes extended metaphors to introduce Hurston's theme of innocence and growing up and becoming independent.

# data[].attributes.headline
Question 6: Is there a difference between the language of the men and that of Janie or the other women? How do the novel's first two paragraphs point to these differences? (Juwan)

# data[].attributes.subject
Question 6: Is there a difference between the language of the men and that of Janie or the other women? How do the novel's first two paragraphs point to these differences? (Juwan)

# data[].attributes.body
The language of the men is a lot more controlling than Janie. They make demands instead of asking (nobody likes being told what to do). They also tend to treat women like they are there for the sole purpose of making a man’s life better. Janie on the other hand tends to just follow what Jody says, often without complaint because she knows that it won’t do anything except cause more tension between them. She often doesn’t speak and just complies with Jody’s demands. The first paragraph says "Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board" which relates to how women were perceived (as objects to fulfill men's desires). The 2nd paragraph talks about how women can forget whatever they want and have their own form of reality. I related this to how they submit to men because the characters (like Janie) suppress their memories of what men have done to them, which is why they stay in relationships.

# data[].attributes.headline
Question 1: Why does Janie choose to tell her story only to her best friend Pheoby? How does Pheoby respond at the end of Janie's tale? - Jordan P

# data[].attributes.subject
Question 1: Why does Janie choose to tell her story only to her best friend Pheoby? How does Pheoby respond at the end of Janie's tale? - Jordan P

# data[].attributes.body
Pheoby is the nicest to Janie and gives her food when she returns rather than participate in the gossip the other women are doing. Also, for a long time, Janie had been forced to silence herself and was unable to voice her opinions so when someone came along and was kind enough to hear her story, she obliges and even encourages Pheoby to tell her story to the other women on the porch.

# data[].attributes.headline
Hurston uses nature — the pear tree, the ocean, the horizon, the hurricane — not only as a plot device but also as metaphor. Describe the ways these function as both. Can you think of others? 

# data[].attributes.subject
Hurston uses nature — the pear tree, the ocean, the horizon, the hurricane — not only as a plot device but also as metaphor. Describe the ways these function as both. Can you think of others? 

# data[].attributes.body
Hurston uses nature as metaphors and to move the plot, such as when she uses the pear tree to show the love that Janie wants. Hurston uses metaphors of nature to show the change within the characters, and within the novel. For example before Janie kisses the boy, she is sitting under the pear tree beginning to realize she idolizes a love she does not have. She then leaves the pear tree in search for love relating how the pear tree bears fruit but bearing the fruit comes with nurturing the fruit and growing healthy just like how Janie aspires to love someone and have them nurture and love her. She walks off and sees a boy walking the street and kisses him in search of love she does not yet have.

# data[].attributes.headline
Is there a difference between the language of the men and that of Janie or the other women? How do the novel's first two paragraphs point to these differences?

# data[].attributes.subject
Is there a difference between the language of the men and that of Janie or the other women? How do the novel's first two paragraphs point to these differences?

# data[].attributes.body
In the first two paragraphs, its stated that "women forget all those things they don't want to remember, and remember everything they don't want to forget" while the men are described as sailors seeking out their dreams. This is reflected in the language in the book as the men often speak in more controlling tones and the women, especially Janie, keep quiet and give up on chasing their dreams. A prominent example of this can be seen with the dialogue between Janie and Joe. Most of their conversations revolve around Joe chasing his own dreams and inhibiting Janie from doing what she wants. Instead of standing up for herself, Janie stays silent until he is about to die and she finally says "you ain't tried tuh pacify nobody but yo'self. Too busy listening to yo' own big voice."

# data[].attributes.headline
The elaborate burial of the town mule draws from an incident Hurston recounts in Tell My Horse, where the Haitian president ordered an elaborate Catholic funeral for his pet goat. Although this scene is comic, how is it also tragic?

# data[].attributes.subject
The elaborate burial of the town mule draws from an incident Hurston recounts in Tell My Horse, where the Haitian president ordered an elaborate Catholic funeral for his pet goat. Although this scene is comic, how is it also tragic?

# data[].attributes.body
The scene that Hurston depicts is tragic because while the town honors the death of the mule after the harsh treatment of the animal by its former owner with a festival, the burial is only a mock burial and vultures descend on carcass of the mule, and in a sense dishonoring the mule and the festival of its death. - Cainan, Doty, Ejuan

# data[].attributes.headline
Question 2: Hurston uses nature — the pear tree, the ocean, the horizon, the hurricane — not only as a plot device but also as metaphor. Describe the ways these function as both. Can you think of others? -Abby Tam

# data[].attributes.subject
Question 2: Hurston uses nature — the pear tree, the ocean, the horizon, the hurricane — not only as a plot device but also as metaphor. Describe the ways these function as both. Can you think of others? -Abby Tam

# data[].attributes.body
These nature elements each represent different things. For example, the pear tree can be interpreted to represent Janie maturing into a young woman. The metaphoric nature of the tree include the tree buds "blossoming" as well as Janie "blossoming" into a new woman. The horizon and the ocean both can be seen as representing new beginnings and opportunities for the Janie, and the metaphoric rise and fall of the sun parallel that of Janie's longing for new beginnings. The exclusive use of nature symbolism throughout the novel establishes a tone that connects the reader back to their roots.

# data[].attributes.headline
Isabel A. - Janie tells Phoeby that love reminds her of the sea. Show how Janie's relationship with Logan, Joe, and Tea Cake connects to this quote.

# data[].attributes.subject
Isabel A. - Janie tells Phoeby that love reminds her of the sea. Show how Janie's relationship with Logan, Joe, and Tea Cake connects to this quote.

# data[].attributes.body
When Janie first meets Joe she is enamored by him and his big ideas for the future. He serves as a juxtaposition to her current husband Logan in that he doesn't have much money currently but has ambitions for the future that Logan does not. He also dotes on Janie and gives her attention that Logan does not. But as their relationship continues Joe starts to treat her less and less like he did in the beginning of their relationship. He falls into the same habits of Logan that Janie despised so much: making her work, not interacting with her, and giving her no praise or affection. And this is when Janie becomes disillusioned with Jody just as she did Logan, because they treat her less as a wife and more as a background to their lives.

# data[].attributes.headline
Grace - In the novel, speech is used as a mechanism of control and liberation, especially as Janie struggles to find her voice. During which important moments of her life is Janie silent? How does she choose when to speak out or to remain quiet?

# data[].attributes.subject
Grace - In the novel, speech is used as a mechanism of control and liberation, especially as Janie struggles to find her voice. During which important moments of her life is Janie silent? How does she choose when to speak out or to remain quiet?

# data[].attributes.body
In the novel, Janie both struggles with speech and learns to find her voice in various scenarios. In the beginning of the novel, we hear Janie tell Pheoby how she doesn't care what anyone says about her. We also hear Janie confident in her own story and is willing to tell Pheoby her story. Once Janie begins to tell Pheoby about her past, we see how much she has developed in comparison to when she was younger and learning about marriage and love. When her grandma was alive, she struggled to refuse the concept of marriage despite her extreme feelings of disliking towards marriage. However, as she began to speak with Jodie, Janie found her voice and decided to leave her husband. This is kind of ironic because as soon as she left her husband to be with Jodie, she once again found herself being silenced by Jodie while he becomes mayor.

# data[].attributes.headline
How does the image of the black woman as "the mule of the world" become a symbol for the roles Janie chooses or refuses to play during her quest?

# data[].attributes.subject
How does the image of the black woman as "the mule of the world" become a symbol for the roles Janie chooses or refuses to play during her quest?

# data[].attributes.body
The image of the black woman as "the mule of the world" is challenged in Hurston's novel. Janie overcomes this idea by making a name for herself and refusing to do work for other people. Janie deliberately refutes the idea periodically throughout the chapters. This image becomes a symbol for her resilience.
maggie

# data[].attributes.headline
Hurston uses nature — the pear tree, the ocean, the horizon, the hurricane — not only as a plot device but also as metaphor. Describe the ways these function as both. Can you think of others?

# data[].attributes.subject
Hurston uses nature — the pear tree, the ocean, the horizon, the hurricane — not only as a plot device but also as metaphor. Describe the ways these function as both. Can you think of others?

# data[].attributes.body
Nature is romanticized just like Janie romanticizes her marriage and looks at nature as something to connect with. It's calming but so far out of her reach , she realizes she can’t have this peace that nature provides for her in her actual life. Nature also represents her growth in a certain way.Just like how plants and trees grow , Janie has to grow up losing some of her innocence in her life. While the hurricane represents trouble and destruction in her life.

# data[].attributes.headline
Question 4: Many readers consider the novel a bildungsroman, or coming-of-age novel, as Janie journeys through three marriages. What initially attracts her to each man? What causes her to leave? What does she learn from each experience?

# data[].attributes.subject
Question 4: Many readers consider the novel a bildungsroman, or coming-of-age novel, as Janie journeys through three marriages. What initially attracts her to each man? What causes her to leave? What does she learn from each experience?

# data[].attributes.body
Janie marries Logan because she wants to make her grandmother happy and is under the impression that she can learn to love Logan. Janie marries Jody due to his initial charm until he shows his abusive nature. Janie marries Tea Cake for his compatibility with her, on an intellectual, emotional, and physical level.
-E&M

# data[].attributes.headline
Question 1: Why does Janie choose to tell her story only to her best friend Pheoby? How does Pheoby respond at the end of Janie's tale?

# data[].attributes.subject
Question 1: Why does Janie choose to tell her story only to her best friend Pheoby? How does Pheoby respond at the end of Janie's tale?

# data[].attributes.body
Pheoby is Janie's closest friend but also her only lifelong friend. Due to the responsibilities of her marriage, Pheoby is unable to spontaneously follow desire the way that Janie does. Pheoby represents the everyday person, the audience. At the end of the novel, Pheoby tells us that Janie's story has made her grow ten feet taller and has encouraged her to go fishing. Hurston, through Pheoby, highlights her desire for the readers of her novel to be mobilized into action through Janie's story just as Pheoby has been.
-E&M

# data[].attributes.headline
Question 3: The novel's action begins and ends with two judgment scenes. Why are both groups of people judging her? Is either correct in its assessment?    -Joy Outhous

# data[].attributes.subject
Question 3: The novel's action begins and ends with two judgment scenes. Why are both groups of people judging her? Is either correct in its assessment?    -Joy Outhous

# data[].attributes.body
The book begins with Janie walking back to Eatonville after her husband Tea Cake died. Janie left Eatonville dressed and prepared to marry Tea Cake and the way she dressed represented how she felt about marrying Tea Cake, ready and excited to marry him. She returned to Eatonville dressed in overalls with her hair out and down after her husbands death, this represents how she felt after losing her husband she no longer cared for herself without him around. The women who saw her walking into town were judging her on her change and how she had looked like she had been through life and gone to the end of the earth and back. The women watching her walk back into were judging her life thinking maybe Tea Cake left her for a younger more vivacious girl and left her for new things and took her money. In reality they were wrong about her. From what the reader knows as of now the women were wrong in their judgement. Tea Cake did not leave Janie but instead had died for whatever reason which is yet unknown. How did Tea Cake die? Why did Janie come back to town without Tea Cake? Janie has not revealed how Tea Cake died but he has and for whatever reason that is unknown.

# data[].attributes.headline
In the novel, speech is used as a mechanism of control and liberation, especially as Janie struggles to find her voice. During which important moments of her life is Janie silent? How does she choose when to speak out or to remain quiet?

# data[].attributes.subject
In the novel, speech is used as a mechanism of control and liberation, especially as Janie struggles to find her voice. During which important moments of her life is Janie silent? How does she choose when to speak out or to remain quiet?

# data[].attributes.body
Jada Sandsted

In Janie’s relationship with Jody she is silent almost the entire time. One major moment is when she is slapped for not cooking food properly and she doesn’t so much as change her expression. Instead afterwards it reads, “Janie stood where he left her for unmeasured time and thought.” Janie is quiet until everything builds up and she finds the courage to stick up for not only herself but all of the women of the city.

# data[].attributes.headline
Hurston uses nature — the pear tree, the ocean, the horizon, the hurricane — not only as a plot device but also as metaphor. Describe the ways these function as both. Can you think of others?

# data[].attributes.subject
Hurston uses nature — the pear tree, the ocean, the horizon, the hurricane — not only as a plot device but also as metaphor. Describe the ways these function as both. Can you think of others?

# data[].attributes.body
Many symbols are throughout "their eyes were watching god" that follow long with Janie's growth and current mindset or situation. Hurston uses the pear tree as a metaphor for Janie's excitement and realization of the beauty in life, the ocean as a metaphor for love, the horizon shows the longing and also beauty in life just as the pear tree, and the hurricane is a symbol for destruction and suffering.

# data[].attributes.headline
Why does Janie choose to tell her story only to her best friend Pheoby? How does Pheoby respond at the end of Janie's tale?

# data[].attributes.subject
Why does Janie choose to tell her story only to her best friend Pheoby? How does Pheoby respond at the end of Janie's tale?

# data[].attributes.body
Janie chooses to only tell Pheoby because she didn't believe her life was anyone else's business. Pheoby asks if she can go and tell everyone else about what Janie did while she was away, and Janie said sure because she didn't care if people knew or what people thought, she just didn't want to waste her own time to tell them. - violet

# data[].attributes.headline
Is there a difference between the language of the men and that of Janie or the other women? How do the novel's first two paragraphs point to these differences? - carly

# data[].attributes.subject
Is there a difference between the language of the men and that of Janie or the other women? How do the novel's first two paragraphs point to these differences? - carly

# data[].attributes.body
Throughout the novel, the women and men speak with different intentions. With the men often reflecting their desire for better and more in life, while most of the women seem complacent in their position in life. This can be seen in the marriage relationships themselves, but also in the way the women describe their roles, with Nanny telling Janie she needs to accept her role in life, not daring to dream more than what she has. It seems most of the women in the book, besides Janie, are frozen in their position, never daring to aspire for more, or for love. This can be seen in the first 2 paragraphs where the narrator says that while men dream for the new and distant shores, the women don't dare to dream, their "dream is the truth. Then they act and do things accordingly." This lack of mobility is seen all throughout the novel, with other women resent Janie for daring to dream like a man.