Ch. 14-17
In class the other day, we talked about how Janie might be taking a step back, instead of making progress, when she went from Jody to Tea Cake. She had many suitors after Jody’s death, but she chose to run off with Tea Cake and move to the muck. It was a big change from her position as the mayor’s wife in Eatonsville.
Personally, I do not think she has taken a step back. It is true that she no longer has all the luxuries that she had when she was with Jody. However, she has gained the respect that she had craved. Tea Cake treats her as an equal, and lets her have her own voice, which was what she wanted in the first place. Unlike Jody, he lets her express herself and show her emotions. In that sense, I think she has gained more than what she has lost.
However, in Chapter 17, I was confused when Tea Cake beat her to show his authority over her. “Being able to whip her reassured him in possession… He just slapped her around a bit to show he was boss” (147). This made me change my mind, and makes me think that Janie might have taken a step back. I was surprised that she didn’t stand up for herself more, and was acted passively in this act. She chooses not to speak and forgives Tea Cake easily.
