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A women is still being seen as lesser than. "'Uh woman by herself is uh pitiful thing ' she was told over and over again." (86) She is trying to prove herself, despite what everyone else believes. She like everyone else, has tried to shine, but is then torn down by what the rest believe. "'Like all the other mud-balls, Janie had tried to show her shine."

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obviously it's very sad when someone passes away and its understandable how she got very upset from joe's passing but overall its great that she doing better now and that she's happy and her "mental state" is better. As well as feeling good about meeting someone new like tea cake . More of a man that she needs "He set it up and began to show her and she found herself glowing inside" (Sora p.178)

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Throughout the first eight chapters of the book we meet Janie and get to know her as a character with strong desires to follow her hopes and dreams, but she is somewhat clueless of what the world has to offer her. Janie desires a happy life with a marriage full of love and joy to provide her with a sense of safety. Although, Janie soon realized her expectations were quite high after her marriage to Logan failed knowing now "that marriage did not make love. Janie's first dream was dead, so she became a woman” (Chapter 3). I found the ways in which women and men are portrayed relative to the time period playing a significant part in Janie’s life and how she was treated. Specifically, it was during her marriage to Joe which Janie her helplessness in her relationship as, “a little war of defense for helpless things was going on inside her. People ought to have some regard for helpless things. She wanted to fight about it” (Chapter 6). These ideas solidified as Janie’s wishes and dreams did not all fall into place, so she began to speak out and take greater control of her own life.

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Jaine is being told by Joe how to properly be a women and how she should be acting.  Joe had said in the book that Jaine looks better off not doing anything. Aside from Joe putting her down the people in her town also do so.  It seems like the people are reflecting their problems onto Jaine.

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One thing I've noticed so far when paying attention to Janie for the first eight chapters is that I could see that she had changed a bit drastically, with her actions and her ideas. We could see towards the beginning that marriage is a big thing on her mind but we soon start to realize that it's not the most important thing changing here. Janie's own development not only as a character but as a person is something that lots of us can relate to. Janie figures out that her own independence is a very important thing that needs to be prioritized, “The familiar people and things had failed...looked up the road towards way off” (80). But sadly she also felt trapped at times, and ideally she was. Especially when it was made clear that her dreams were no longer a reality, “Janie stood where he left her for unmeasured...But looking at it she saw that it never was the flesh and blood figure of her dreams.” (145) .

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In the book its been showing a lot of criticism against Janie just because she's a women making her not worthy for her own actions. As well as judging her for being with younger men. Even the town folks cut her down "she’s uh women and her place is in de home” (43).

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Feminist Theory and Critical Race Theory 

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Feminist Theory and Critical Race Theory 

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In the book so far. I have noticed connections between critical race theory and feminist theory. Because of Janies gender she does not get treaty nicely by people in her family. Also there was a lot of critical race theory in the book so far. "Everybody laughed, even Mr. Washburn. Miss Nellie, de Mama of de chillun who come back home after her husband dead, she pointed to de dark one and said, ‘Dat’s you, Alphabet, don’t you know yo’ ownself?" This quote was in chapter 2 when Jamie discovered that she was black after see a picture of herself and everybody was making fun of her.

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Throughout the novel so far, Janie is described in a manner similar to a plant, or a tree of some kind. Very early in the story she is described as "blossoming," possibly suggesting that her personality and individuality is growing and she is able to experience more of the world. Later in the novel, the plant that is Janie seems to be deteriorating, the petals that were once blossoming were no more (72). I like this metaphor and think that it is a good way of representing her changing personality and how highly she thinks of herself.

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In the first chapter we see how Janie doesn’t really think highly of herself,, because “...mah husband tell me no first class booger would have me” (64). She never had confidence in the beginning of the book, but as the book continues, we see how she begins to speak up for herself with strength. Janie started becoming more powerful with her words with her second husband, Joe, and in Chapter 8 said he “‘ain’t tried tuh pacify nobody but yo’self. Too busy listening tuh yo’ own big voice’” (159). She is beginning to be confident in her thoughts and opinions, and she shares them more than she ever used to.

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Janie has struggled a lot throughout her life, starting from folks in her town judging her to men telling her what's better for her. "The familiar people and things had failed her so she hung over the gate and looked up the road towards way off. She knew now that marriage did not make love. Janie’s first dream was dead, so she became a woman." Through her worst moments she has realized that she wants to better herself.

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Ever since Janie met Joe, he always seemed to be showing off, while also belittling Janie at the same time. He told Janie that "a pretty doll-baby lak" her was "made to sit on de front porch and rock and fan" herself (ch 4). Joe is constantly telling Janie what she should do and that she is more useful doing nothing. I think Joe is very insecure, and subconsciously takes it out on everyone around him including Janie. Joe never tells "Janie how jealous he" is, and I think this shows again how he has insecurities rooted deep in his psyche (ch 6).

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In the book we are taken through the journey of Janies life and the struggles that she faces. She is always looking for answers and trying to figure out what to do. In chapter 2 "She was seeking confirmation of the voice and vision." She is constantly trying to figure out what to do with her life and she looks up for confirmation from above, to try and help her.

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Hurston continues to relate the events of Janie's life back to her dreams, specifically those of love and a happy marriage. Janie was raised on the idea that a marriage would be the most sure way of finding protection and stability, and so she grew to believe that love would come from marriage as well. However, a few months into her first marriage, she was awoken from any pleasantries she once associated with it, “She knew now that marriage did not make love. Janie’s first dream was dead, so she became a woman.”(25) Though Janie's dream was gone, she would always remember the lesson she had learned since, as Hurston mentions in the beginning, women hold onto the memories they consider important very closely. Although Janie no longer has the high expectations she once had for the years following her wedding, she continues to hold at least a small amount of hope in relation to love and marriage and their interconnectivity because after Joe hits her for the first time, her perception of her second marriage becomes clearer. “It was her image of Jody tumbled down and shattered. But looking at it she saw that it never was the flesh and blood figure of her dreams. Just something she had grabbed up to drape her dreams over.”(72) The draping of Joe over her hopes of a loving marriage proves that Janie had not entirely given up on her dreams yet. She had wanted Joe to fill void made by her first loveless marriage, but she knew that his was not the love she was truly searching for Thus the journey to turn Janie's dream into a reality continues.

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Ever since the opening paragraphs, dreams have been a huge theme in the book. Janie is a dreamer. She longs for a beautiful life of romance and happiness, but early on realizes that this may not be as easy as it seems. She comes to this realization after her first marriage to Logan, “She knew now that marriage did not make love. Janie’s first dream was dead, so she became a woman.” (Chapter 3) This moment made me think back to the description of women in the second paragraph of the book, and how for them “The dream is the truth.” (Chapter 1) Is Janie now a woman because she is accepting that her dream is dead and accepting her new reality? However Janie doesn’t dwell on this for too long because then she meets Joe and things seem to be looking up. She marries him and starts a new life, but after a while she finds that she isn’t very happy at all. She comes to a second realization that “But looking at it she saw that it was never the flesh and blood figure of her dreams. Just something she had grabbed up to drape her dreams over.” (Chapter 6) Maybe Janie was so desperate to fulfill her dreams for her life that she saw Joe differently than he really was. I’m interested to see how Janie continues to search for the answers to her dreams and if her dreams will change.

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From Chapter 4 onwards we get to see Janie’s life take a turn for the worst. Relating to Feminist Theory she’s treated like she has no feelings by her husbands like when Logan “was accusing her of her mama, her grandmama, and her feelings” (Chap. 4), notice he only mentions her female relatives and attacks not just her feelings but her upbringing. After settling in the town, and Joe becoming more abusive and controlling, the townspeople took it as him flaunting his education and higher status and since Janie arrived with him they associated her with his reputation .Because to them “She slept with authority and so she was part of it in the town’s mind. She couldn’t get but so close to most of them in spirit” (Chap. 5).

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As I go further into the book, I notice that Janie describes herself as a plant or more specifically a tree. Towards the beginning of the novel, she sees herself as a youthful plant: "With glossy leaves and bursting buds"(11). She does this to show her flexibility to change and excitement to explore  what the world has to offer. However as I read further into the novel, the once youthful blossom she once depicted herself to be, began to grow older.  "She had no more blossomy openings  dusting pollen over her man, neither any glistening young fruit where petals used to be"(72). Janie explains how she feels her youth draining away because of all the years she realized she had been suppressed by Joe. Although towards the end of chapter 8, she realizes the plant she identifies with is not so much dying as it is morphing into something new, as the years of her marriage have changed her.

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In the novel, marriage is depicted as an ideal place for women, but as the story develops, it turns out to be an imprisonment for women. Janie initially views marriage as a perfect harmony until her two marriages. Through each of her marriages, she learns the importance of independence and equality, as she finds a new realization towards marriage. Janie marries her first husband, Logan, in hopes to please her grandmother and eventually find love. However, Janie couldn't find love and continually faced oppression from his husband. At the end, “She knew now that marriage did not make love. Janie's first dream was dead, so she became a woman"(Chap 3). She became matured to learn the fact that marriage didn't make love, resulting her to give the courage to leave Logan behind, making her more independent.   Her second husband, Joe, saw women as being controlled and obeyed by her husband, "She's uh woman an her place is de home”(Chap 5). Janie learned from the experiences with Joe that marriage needs equality between wife and husband. In both of her two marriages, she realizes that happiness does not always involve with being with a husband, learning the need for equality and independence.

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Throughout the story so far I have noticed two theories which seemed intertwined with each other. I believe that the sexist treatment towards women in this story has stemmed from the racism experienced by black males. Janie's first husband, Logan, shows the root of his anger by saying, "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!” (31). He is showcasing how he feels the reason she doesn't listen to him is because she grew up around a white home. Logan is angered because he receives treatment like that outside his home, but wants to have control in his property. Later in the story, when Janie is with her second husband I noticed much more sexist treatment from black males. When they first get to the new town and it is decided that Joe will be mayor he refuses to let Janie speak. When the townfolk as what she has to say he cuts them off saying she doesn't know how to give a speech and that "she’s uh women and her place is in de home” (43). Janie's relationship gets worse with Joe as the story progresses. His own insecurity ultimately changes him as a person and ruins their relationship. In both these marriages, feminism theory is present and one of the reasons is critical race.

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In the second chapter, we learn that Janie sees her life represented by a tree. Trees pop up again when Janie describes one where she finds the idea of love and marriage. For a young girl, it is freeing to leave her grandmother and venture into adulthood. Later in that chapter, she describes her grandmother as tree that's been blown away, once again representing a life. Skipping to chapter 7, Janie imagines herself resting by a tree when her life with Jody becomes too stressful. It is freedom from his control. As you can see there are many places where trees represent life and freedom. Even when Janie's world has changed drastically, there is still a connection between her and nature.

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Throughout the book, Janie is mistreated by every man in her life just because she is a woman. Within the first two pages, Janie is already being objectified and not taken seriously. Janie's first husband, Logan, thought that he could "take and make somethin’ outa yuh" (Chap 4). Logan did not value Janie as a person and believed that he could change her just for his benefit. Even Janie's second husband, Joe, with whom she ran off to have a better life, looked down on her for her gender. He believed that "She’s uh woman and her place is in de home" (Chap 5). Janie is not getting the opportunity to be her true self and to get the respect that she deserves.

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Janie's ability to think and feel for herself is stunted the moment "Nanny's words made Janie's kiss across the gatepost seem like a manure pile after a rain" (Chap 2). In this moment, we are watching Janie become conscious of her need to repress what brings her joy. Janie continues to lock her truest, freest thoughts away as she silences herself around Joe, so much so that "a feeling of coldness and fear took hold of her" (Chap 5).