Janie, a character in the novel” Their Eyes Were Watching God,” is seen to go through a lot in her journey to ensure that she finds her freedom, which is against society as the grandmother wants her to stay as per society’s traditions. However, she seems not to hear any of it and tries to go as she wants, where she can acquire freedom in her third marriage. This essay will mainly look at the different attitudes between Janie and Nanny concerning the concept of love and marriage and how their attitudes have affected and shaped their journey to emancipation, independence, and marriage.
Another contrast is when Janie’s family history is narrated and how she was brought. Janie is brought up with no direct help from her father, and she can’t even remember who her mother is, as seen in the statement, “Ah ain’t never seen mah papa. Moreover, Ah did not know ‘im if Ah did. Mah mama neither. She was gone from round dere long before Ah wuz big enough to know( Neale 12).” She has lacked that parental care from the time she was young, and now she says that she has been under the care of her Nanny, her grandmother. Janie’s feelings have escaped, and she can’t tell her father about the feelings she has (Neal 11). In contrast, the Nanny takes the role of the parent; she cares for Janie, providing her with all her basic needs. She even decides on a husband for Janie to have that safety as she loves and adores her.
Another contrast can be seen when Janie finds a problem balancing what she needs and what society needs of her, as seen before she decides to marry Logan Killicks (Neale 27). The statement ” few days to live before she went to Logan Killicks” shows that Janie expects an important thing to happen: her recent marriage. Janie is focusing on her goals and ignores what society dictates her to do, which is based on the traditional aspect of gender roles. In contrast, the Nanny issue of freedom is generally related to being financially stable in any marriage; that’s what she calls freedom. Nanny sees Janie’s marriage choices as a way to protect her grandmother’s health and safety, with a significant focus on the importance of being stable financially while also seeking stability.
Another comparison can be seen when Nanny throws a wedding at her place of Janie and Logan Killicks. It takes place in her compound, where there is much food for the occasion. This wedding occasion strikes Janie’s and Nanny’s different views about a typical marriage. Janie wants a marriage characterized by the presence of love where the emotions of both partners are all valued. However, the presentation and arrangement of the wedding by the Nanny sets out loud what the Nanny expects of a marriage, which is financial stability. The Nanny believes financial stability is essential in a marriage. She even decides Janie marries Logan to protect her rather than protect her emotional wants and needs.
Another contrast is seen with how both view people’s gossip. Janie’s view of people’s gossip and well-wishes differs from the Nanny’s perspective. Janie seems not to care about what other people and society say of her regarding the marriage, as “Janie laughed at all these well-wishers because she knew that they knew plenty of women alone” (Neale 108). Janie acknowledges that the well-wishers have seen many other women, which signifies that she has other options, and she wonders about the traditional roles women have to play. Nanny is worried and concerned about what other people will think of her and that they can even judge her; therefore, she strives to guide Janie to follow what society wants of her strictly. Such a difference in their perspectives about how people view them propels Janie to the journey to independence as she puts her happiness first, disregards what people think of her, and therefore seeks freedom.
Another contrast can be seen in Janie seeking personal growth after the passing of her husband, Joe. She states that she is not into men who approach her, which shows what she wants and that she has decided to put her mental health first, as seen with the statement, “These men did not represent a thing she wanted to know about. Janie had already experienced them through Logan and Joe. She felt like slapping some of them.” (Neale 108). This signifies that she wants to focus on something other than the relationship aspect with men rather than her goals and achieving her freedom. Looking at the relationship she has been in with Logan Killicks and Joe Starks, these relationships have helped her figure out what she needs in a partner. With the Nanny, her whole perspective of personal growth changes, as she is still into the issue of health and wealth based on the stability view of marriage while strictly following societal norms.
Finally, the three marriages to Janie indeed show a drastic change to the path to freedom, independence, and self-discovery. With each marriage comes a new thing. Nanny is trying to bring together her first marriage between Logan and Janie to get Janie money. However, the result is that Janie wants to be independent, which is against societal norms. The second marriage is with Joe, and she gets the independence she wanted in her first marriage. However, Joe is ever-controlling, making Janie not be herself and become the person she wants to become. With the third marriage to Tea Cake Woods, things immediately changed for Janie. This relationship is all love and love with respect ( Neale 183). Tea Cake takes a huge step in helping Janie attain her freedom, which becomes a magnifying glass to Janie’s true freedom.
In conclusion, the Novel “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston shows Janie’s journey to fight for her rights, freedom, independence, and self-realization. Janie goes through a lot to pursue her personal growth, making her go against societal norms and rules based on her gender. Janie finally finds a perfect match relationship that helps her thrive and achieve her personal growth and freedom.
Works Cited
Neale, Zora. Their Eyes Were Watching God. RECORDED Books, 1994.
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