Janie's Voice and Identity essay, revised

Bernadette Miner

Mr. Joyce

20TH Century Fiction

September 19, 2007


Janie’s Voice and Identity


In Hurstons novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, she used many symbolic descriptions, voices, and identities. Janie Crawford had many voices and identities in the story. Voices can be expressed verbally or nonverbally. Identities are different for all human beings, but involves individuality. Janie has many of them in many events of her life. Hurston used the character, Janie, in such a way that finds a voice that helps her realize that she has the power of intelligence, controlling her own destiny, adjusting the hurt she feels, and places Janie in a place of succession. Through many struggles and tribulations finds, protects, and delivers her voice and identity by the end of the novel.


For instance Janie’s grandmother, Nanny, was a slave and never able to speak. “You

know, honey, us colored folks is branches without roots and that makes things come round in queer ways. You in particular. Ah was born back due in slavery so it wasn’t for me to fulfill my dreams of whut a woman oughta be and to do. Dat’s one of de hold-backs of slavery. But nothing can’t stop you from wishin’.” ( 16 ). Another quote showing this evidence is, “ Ah wanted to preach a great sermon about colored women sittin’ on high, but they wasn’t no pulpit for me.” ( 16 ) She wanted Janie to have a voice and have people listen to her. Janie married Joe Starks, left for EatonVille where Joe became mayor. Eatonville citizens wanted Janie to make a speech, but Joe interrupted by saying,” Thank yuh fuh yo’ compliments, but mah wife don’t know

nothin’ bout’ no speech makin’.. ah never married her for nothing’ lak dat. She uh woman and her place is in de home.”( 43 ). She wanted to speak at another occasion about Matt Bonner’s mule, but was again forbidden to do so, as well as telling stories to other people, which she was good at and liked to do. “ Janie loved the conversation and sometimes thought up good stories on the mule, but Joe had forbidden her to indulge. He didn’t want her talking after such trashy people.” ( 53-54). Eventually she is tired of being belittled and insulted by Joe, that she is less conversational as time goes on and decides to quit fighting back. It wasn’t worth trying anymore. “ Dat’s ‘cause you need telling’,” he rejoiced hotly.” It would be pitiful if Ah didn’t. Someone got to think for women and chillun and chickens and cows. I god, they sho don’t think none

themselves.”( 71 ).


Later on she married Tea Cake. Janie is allowed speak her mind. He wanted and encouraged her to speak what she felt and react to them, as opposed to Joe. In the Ever Glades, Janie feels that she can contribute to the stories other people are telling and she had a voice there.


Hurston used very interesting and different identities in the book Their Eyes Were Watching God. For instance, when Janie has no grip on her identity when she was a girl, until she sees a picture of herself as a young child. “So when we looked at de picture and everyone got pointed out there wasn’t nobody left except a real dark little girl with hair standing by Eleanor. dat’s where Ah wuz supposed to be, but Ah couldn’t recognize dat dark chile as me. So Ah ast, ‘where is me? Ah don’t see me.’( 9 ). “ Everybody laughed, even Mr. Washburn. Miss Nellie, de Mama of de chillun who come back after her husband dead, she pointed to de dark one and said, ‘Dat’s you, alphabet, don’t you know yo’ ownself?’( 9 ). Janie not knowing she was “mulatto” until she found out that her mother and grandmother were both raped by white men. She was
confused and unaware of her identity when everyone called her by many different names. “ Dey all useter call me Alphabet ‘cause so many people had done named me different names. Ah looked at de picture a long tome and seen it was mah dress and mah hair so ah said:” Aw, aw! Ah’m colored!”( 9 ).


Raised by her grandmother, Janie unaware of her family history, and not knowingher father put mental confinement on her own identity. Janie’s identity grew as she become a woman by realizing that love don’t make a marriage, but a wonderful relationship between a couple. “ Ah know all dem sitter-and-talkers gointuh worry they guts into fiddle strings till dey find out whut we been talkin’ ‘bout. Dat’s all right, Pheoby, tell ‘em. Dey gointuh make ‘miration ‘cause mah love didn’t work lak they love, if dey ever had any. Then you must tell ‘em dat love ain’t something’ lak uh grindstone dat’s de same thing everywhere and do de same thing tuh everthing it touch. Love is lak de sea. It’s uh movin’ thing, but still and all, it takes its shape from de shore it meets, and it’s different with every shore.”(191). For instance when Janie married Logan Killick, so that her grandmother can pass away peacefully and know her wish for her granddaughter was fulfilled. She had no grip on her identity again when Janie married Joe
Starks as he has her tie her hair up in head rags out of jealousy of other men wanting her and not allowing her to be herself. As Joe Starks passes away, her identity grew. She unties her hair, burns her head rags, and decides to do as she pleases, and live her life the way she chooses. For instance her hair became her unique identity and a representation of her power. It also represents her independence and defiance of other peoples’ thinking and symbolize“whiteness”contributing to the normally white male power that she empowers that disrupts the traditional power relationships.” Nigger, whut’s yo’baby doin’ wid gray eyes and yaller hair?” ( 17 ).


She realized her identity changed in a good way, when her grandmother wanted her to search for things, when all Janie wanted was someone to love and someone to giver love back, as Tea Cake achieved. Janie achieved her identity when she has been to the horizon and back, met her dreams, and feels her soul was once separated from her body and now her soul is part of her. All the experienced events, trials, and tribulations help achieve this.


In conclusion, Janie had no voice, no identity when she was younger. As she grew, experienced new events, and lived her life that she had, Janie finally succeeded her voice, identity, and sense of living for the future, what ever it may be.