Character Analysis Of Jody In Tea Cake By Zora Neale

Another reason why Tea Cake differs from Jody is that Jody is the man who limited Janie’s freedom and treated her like a caged bird with broken wings but Tea Cake was the man who taught that bird to fly again. A woman’s hair is her confidence and strength. Jody decided to take that confidence and power away from Janie by commanding her to cover her hair in public. He snatched her freedom away and became an anchor to her journey in finding love and freedom. After the death of Jody, Janie’s first priority was to take off the kerchief from her head, “ The weight, the length, the glory was there” (87). She retained her freedom and combed her luscious hair and tied it back up. Few days after the funeral she decided to burn all her kerchiefs and
In the chapters that concentrate on the married life of Jody and Janie, Janie’s dialogues were scarcely present. The narrator did most of the
It was the person who brought color and confidence to Janie’s life. The person was no one but Tea Cake. He made her dress up like the young girl that she was before and tried to give her youth back. Janie says “ Tea Cake love me in blue … Jody ain’t never in his life picked out no color for me” (113). Color means vibrancy and life which means that Tea Cake gave life to the dead and dried plant that Jody left behind. He gave her the freedom to be herself again. Tea Cake rescued Janie from the stereotypical world of a woman and taught her how to use a pistol, to drive, play checkers, etc. Tea Cake indicates, “ Tell yuh whut, Janie, less buy us some shootin’ tools and go hunting’ round heah’’’(130). During the 19 century, where this story took place, women weren’t seen walking around with a gun, driving cars, or playing checkers with a bunch of men. Tea Cake treated Janie fairly and gave her opportunities to do things that she never even imagined doing. He respected her and always praised her from which you can conclude, that he really admired and loved her.While Jody kept her under a veil, Tea Cake made her look beautiful, let express her youthfulness, and showed her