The impact of racism and slavery is very clearly demonstrated through Nanny's character. She went through traumatic experiences in her past, that shape the way she is now. She feels like each hardship left a "crack" in her life. "'Put me down easy, Janie, Ah'm a cracked plate'" (Hurston 20). Calling herself a cracked plate, shows the trauma induced by her past, living on the plantation. She was sexually assaulted by white owners of land, and did not have the chance to properly raise Janie's mother. Janie is her second chance of raising a child right, and securely.

Your identity being fulfilled and complete does not automatically accompany marriage. Marriage does not "...compel love like the sun of the day"(21). It is not something that automatically comes when you get married. For someone like Janie, this could cause her identity to feel imperfect because her whole life, Nanny has emphasized getting married, and without love in the marriage, it feels incomplete. Her identity will not be fulfilled even if she gets married. This could cause Janie to feel lost because she does not have that sense of security that comes with marriage since it does not feel complete.

In this quote, the mule's death and disposal are described in a way that emphasizes the cycle of life and death, connecting it to the natural world. The mule, like other "dead brutes," is dragged to the edge of the hammock where nature will take over, with buzzards fulfilling their role as scavengers. The buzzards, part of the natural order, are responsible for completing the cycle by consuming the dead. Hurston uses this moment to highlight how death is not only a part of the human experience but also an integral part of nature. The reference to "the edge of the hammock" symbolizes the boundary between human civilization and the wilderness—where nature takes control. In this scene, nature reclaims the mule, showing that death is a return to the natural world. The imagery of buzzards, often seen as ominous, reinforces nature’s impartiality. Nature doesn't sentimentalize death; it simply follows its course, and scavengers clean up what is left.

This reflects the broader theme in the novel that humans, like the mule, are ultimately part of nature’s larger, indifferent cycle, and it suggests that, despite human efforts to control life, nature will always have the final say. This idea of life, death, and the return to nature parallels Janie's own journey of self-discovery, where she constantly engages with nature as both a source of beauty and harsh reality.

Janie's experience with nature introduces a calming and self-reflecting experience for her. When she is contemplating wether to leave Jody and start a new life or to stay in the town and continue to suffer his insults, she stands under the tree and she receives more clarity. The tree and the breeze which is "flowing through her and her clothes" bring Janie peace of mind and helps her deal with the never ending challenges that she faces with Jody. Hurston comments that nature was like a drug to Janie because it took away all of her worries about Joe and allowed her to enjoy the peaceful moment. The peace and the calmness that the natural world represents in this quote continues to add on to the theme of the natural world from the earlier chapters. The pear tree from Janie's old home was a symbol of her dreams and her escape from reality and the breeze and the shady tree in this quote offer the same aspects for Janie. Janie is no longer plagued by her marital issues with Jody when she is under the tree because it is her escape form reality and her escape from worry.

This quote shows how important religion was to some groups during this time period, and it shows the hold that it has over them. Tea Cake says "Ah hope God kill me, if Ah'm lying" which represents his faith and the trust that he has in his religion. Throughout the novel, there has been similar references to God and the power that he has. For example in chapter 2, Nanny says "Ah ast de Lawd when you was an infant in mah arms to let me stay here till you got grown." The novel continues to show examples of how religion is an important part of some character's lives and how they put their faith in God. This quote not only makes a reference to God, but it also places Janie alongside Christianity. When Tea Cake says "You got de keys to the kingdom," he could be referencing Heaven, which is God's kingdom. Tea Cake could be saying that being with Janie is his Heaven and how she brings him complete peace and happiness.

This quote represents how Janie's relationship with Tea Cake has allowed her to gain her own independence and allowed her to become her own women. Janie is no longer forced into relationships and artificial love by Nanny or society, she is finally in a relationship with a person that she truly loves. Janie ignores the judgement and criticism from people in Eatonville and decides to chose a partner that she wants. When Janie's "Soul crawled out from its hiding place" she had the power to become independent and forge her own path. Throughout the novel Janie has been almost forced in marriages. Nanny said that she had to marry Logan to be protected, and the only reason she married Joe was to escape Logan. This is the first time where Janie was able to chose who she wanted to be with. Janie is breaking free of societal norms and pressures by marrying Tea Cake and by becoming independent.

"Since Tea Cake and Janie had friended with the Bahaman workers in the 'Glades, they, the "Saws," had been gradually drawn into the American crowd. They quit hiding out to hold their dances when they found out their American friends didn't laugh at them as they feared. Many of the Americans learned to jump and liked it as much as the "Saws"(Hurston 154). This shows a shift in a cultural dynamic, through different regions, coming together as one. By embracing other regions culture, the Everglades served as a more affluent, accepting community.

Even though Janie and Tea Cake seem to have a perfect marriage, their relationship still had issues that are reflected in this chapter. This quote serves as an illusion for Tea Cake and Janie's relationship because Tea Cake shows his flaws, which were abusing Janie. Until this point Janie was the happiest she has even been and she found someone that she loved, but Tea Cake caused their marriage to mirror Janie's marriage to Joe by beating her. Even though Janie is still happy and content in her life, this quote disillusioned the readers by showing that Janie and Tea Cake are not a perfect couple and that their marriage has some similarities to her past one. Hurston describes the scene as almost a normal scenario in marriages during this time period. When Hurston says "Being able to whip her reassured him in possession," she is implying that this was a normal act and that even in loving marriages women still had to deal with gender stereotypes.