A Community In Their Eyes Were Watching God

Adi Crook
Junior Accelerated English
Their Eyes Were Watching God - Analysis Essay Communities make up the cities that we all live in, as well as the nations that we call ours. The community that one decides or is forced to live in is made up of many different factors. A well-grounded community is one that expects its neighbors to interact and provide aid when a neighbor is in need. A neighbor stuck in snow is not a neighbor one should help, rather a neighbor one is expected to help. Issues regarding the community should be minimal, therefore allowing the people to control themselves. A failing community is one that needs a leader, however, when the community works together, the citizens can lead as a whole. Janie, the main character of Their
Examples differ from the communities Janie was involved in, one being Eatonville, in which the big voice was held by Joe Starks. The community agreed upon the “move dat [they] make Brother Starks [their] Mayor,” (43) for his few contributions to Eatonville, such as, the store and the street lamps, were highly admired by the public. As the wealthiest man in the region, he displayed himself as superior to those working for him and those supporting his ideas. He proudly belittled his own wife, also an inferior character, as he exclaims that “her hair was NOT going to show in the store.” (55) Such emphasis upon words with negative connotation, such as “NOT” illustrates the demanding characteristic within Joe Starks’ role as a Mayor. As proven throughout history, as well as in the novel, a demanding leader is not one who will succeed. Rather, as demonstrated, this sort of dictatorship causes the inferior to turn against the leader, as Janie no longer showed the love and affection that Joe Starks expected. Similarly, in Palm Beach, the authority figures were those superior to people such as Janie and Tea Cake. These white men took advantage of their subordinates, the black men, who they demanded to “bury some uh dese heah dead folks,” (170) as they sat around yelling orders for instance, “don’t dump dem bodies in de hole lak dat!” (170). Such heinous and vigorous
The importance of the surrounding people in a community is evident when Janie decided to stay with Tea Cake even after a horrendous and dangerous storm. She couldn’t leave behind a community that had treated her well, and allowed her to “listen and laugh and even talk some herself if she wanted.” (134) The topics of listening, laughing and talking were often brought up throughout the novel, for Janie is never permitted to do so as a subordinate. But, being given these opportunities by her peers forces Janie to fall in love with a poor, yet joyful community. Her caring husband left her with no choice but to love him as he promised her that “from now on, you gointuh eat whutever mah money can buy yuh and wear de same.” (128) While that may seem like a punishment, he tried to illustrate how he will be the one taking care of her. Rather than her having to care for herself and her spouse, as she has done previously, Tea Cake provided Janie with support and a loving husband. The focal point lays in the middle of the sentence as he made it clear that his money alone will be used to support their family. As Janie began to follow the right crowd, her life connected like a puzzle, leaving her protected and comforted by those who genuinely loved