Janie is a frustrating character. Sometimes it’s impossible
not to sympathize with her, and sometimes it’s incredibly hard to. Joe’s
treatment of her makes her sympathetic, but she’s definitely a flawed character.
That’s not a bad thing; I’d rather be frustrated with a flawed character than
bored by a perfect(ly fake) one.
I suppose, considering her lot in life (being repressed by
her husband,) it’s unreasonable to expect her to know everything, but sometimes
she just doesn’t think things through very thoroughly. I was bothered by her
realization that she hates her grandmother. It seems to show that she either
doesn’t have a very good grasp of how society treated black women in her time, or
she just didn’t take the time to consider the issue more thoroughly. Logan
Killicks may not have been an ideal husband, but her grandmother didn’t marry
her off maliciously. It was, in fact, the opposite: she wanted to ensure Janie
didn’t end up like her mother, and wanted to make sure Janie would be protected
and provided for after her death. It may not have turned out the best, but it
was an act of love that you’d think would be appreciated even if it didn’t have
the intended results. Clearly Janie has never heard the expression “it’s the
thought that counts.”
Additionally, it’s hard to agree with Janie’s decision to
unload her thoughts on Joe. I can understand the desire (maybe even need) to
let those thoughts free after having to keep them to herself for so long. But
couldn’t she have unloaded them elsewhere—to Phoeby perhaps? Joe was not a good
husband, but the guy was on his deathbed. Let him die in peace! It was no
coincidence that he died while she was venting to him. The sudden and severe
stress surely brought his death about sooner.
If Janie gave her speech to Joe because she wanted him to
recognize his sins before it was too late, it would be understandable. But from
the context, it doesn’t seem that was the case. From my reading, it seems that
she just couldn’t bear the thought of him dying without knowing how she felt
about him, which is pretty much the height of selfishness. Again, maybe she
just didn’t think it through thoroughly. Either way, it makes her a frustrating
character that I continually alternate between pitying for her lot in life,
admiring for her initiative and willingness to speak her mind at times, and being
annoyed by her seemingly short-sighted and under-thought decisions. And I appreciate that Zora Neale Hurston was able to write her protagonist to provide such conflicting feelings about her.
Also, I have to mention the two excerpts from this reading that I found humorous:
“Aw naw they don’t. They just think they’s thinkin’” (67). Oh really, Joe? Nice self-contradiction.
Also, I have to mention the two excerpts from this reading that I found humorous:
“Aw naw they don’t. They just think they’s thinkin’” (67). Oh really, Joe? Nice self-contradiction.
And let’s not forget: “You heard her, you ain’t blind” (75).
Amidst all the tension from Janie’s outburst, I picture Walter delivering that
line perfectly seriously.
When you write about your frustrations about Janie's bitterness toward her grandmother newly realized after all these years, I face some tension. Yes, I see where you are coming from, after all it is important and beneficial to see the good in everyone and appreciate their good intentions, but it takes time to get to that place. Think of times when people have done things to you with good intentions.... is it always your first reaction to say, well okay, at least the thought still counts? Maybe it is. I applaud you for addressing the bitterness Janie dealt with, for it is the damnation of human kind. Yet, I also challenge you to think about the saying. "the road to hell is paved with good intentions". Good intentions may not always result in good deeds. That is why we have Jesus I guess.
ReplyDeleteYou're absolutely right. I could have been clearer in what I was trying to say--essentially, that it seemed that Janie never bothered to take the time to get to that place, as you say. However, I was probably a little impatient, since it seems Janie's more reflective self appears in the next reading. She even revisits her grandmother's actions and realizes why she did what she did, and that's all I was really expecting I suppose. She doesn't have to like her grandmother, but as long as she has fully considered the issue I am content, and it now appears she has.
DeleteThe "road to hell" saying is definitely always worth keeping in mind. All of our world's historical evils were committed with good intentions from someone's point of view, and every future evil will undoubtedly be the same. Getting caught in the trap of that justification can lead to some truly atrocious acts.
By the way, I am eagerly awaiting your inevitable post (ha) about the quote on page 138,"All gods who receive homage are cruel. All gods dispense suffering without reason. Otherwise they would not be worshipped."
Your comments are quite thought provoking. I want to say that first.
ReplyDeleteBut I also want to ask a philosophical question: Do the ends justify the means? I know I'm speaking from a modern standpoint where marrying for love is far more acceptable and far more common, but it is so hard for me to accept such a pessimistic decision on Nanny's part. I understand perfectly that Janie's grandmother married her off to save her from her mother's fate. But every person is not going to react the same way to those circumstances. I guess the way I see it is that Nanny had no faith in Janie's strength or abilities, no faith that the world can be a forgiving and beautiful place. Then again, I'm a bit of idealist.
In the end, I think I'm asking if being forced into a situation that breaks someone, breaks their dreams, is justifiable if the intention was to save her. In my experience, parenting is about preparing your children to make tough decisions and teaching them to take care of herself and I simply can't see how Nanny did that by making Janie's decisions for her.