Their Eyes Were Watching God Character Analysis Essay

All throughout Their Eyes were Watching God, the main character, Janie, seems to swoon over her third husband Tea Cake. She’s obsessed with the fact that he makes her feel worthy or even smart unlike her other husbands, Joe and Logan. He actually takes the time to teach her how to play checkers, something she was never allowed to do. Vergible “Tea Cake” Woods also makes Janie young and spontaneous. Their adventure filled relationship make her glow inside. To the sudden night fishing trip, to romantic picnics, even to dancing until her feet hurt at Jacksonville clubs.They way he cuddled up to her scratching her head and petting her hair make her feel beautiful and loved deeply. All these factors may all make Tea Cake seem like a “good” man, but Janie really fails to narrate or even look into his cons, which happen to big ones overcasting his pleasant traits. He’s stolen her money without her permission, caught practically cheating on Janie with another
girl, and has whipped Janie to show others who’s boss. These significant events all show Tea Cake’s true colors, making him seem anything but a “good” man. Stealing someone’s money doesn’t make you a good man, it makes you a criminal. While Janie and Tea Cake are temporarily staying in Jacksonville, Janie has a secret stash of two hundred dollars pinned to the inside of her shirt. While she’s asleep, Tea Cake spots it while tying his tie and takes it for himself. Not only does he fail to tell her that he took it or even where he’s going, but he also decides to spend it without a thought in his mind that what he’s doing is wrong. Reading this part of the novel gave me an unpleasant taste in my mouth with Tea Cake acting all shady and secretive. Wanting to know what it felt like to a millionaire is an excuse I would never have accepted. He knew Janie had been nervous before about him leaving the house without her. The book even said, “It was always going to be dark to Janie if Tea Cake didn’t soon come back,” showing how much she loves him and that he’s nearly the light of her world(Hurston115).Paying for free big chicken and macaroni dinners to all that showed up, for ugly women to leave the premises, and for a new guitar isn’t what a rich person would do. Janie should have realized that this was a red flag and that Tea Cake was a stealer; one to waste his money almost as fast as he snached it from Janie’s shirt. This act made Tea Cake seem more deceitful than “good”. Another major flaw about Tea Cake that stuck out like a sore thumb to me was the fact that he was a major flirt. Not only was he a flirt but a hypocrite, too. He wouldn’t let Janie speak to Mrs. Turner or her brother because of their attempt of breaking her up from him and setting Janie up with Mr. Turner, the brother. When it was Janie’s turn to be jealous, she had a legitimate reason. A little chunky girl took to picking a play out of Tea Cake in the fields and quarters. She would hit or shove Tea Cake making him chase after her away from the crowds of people. If he would do something to her, she would fall helplessly into his arms almost like a romantic scene of a cheesy movie with amateur actors. Janie must’ve been severely blind if she didn’t think that was hardcore flirting. To continue, Janie had even caught them struggling with each other away from everyone else when she stepped away from Tea Cake’s side. With his excuse, “She grabbed mah workin’ tickets outa mah shirt pocket and Ah run tuh git ‘em back,” I know for a fact I wouldn’t believe it and would in fact need a better explanation (Hurston 131). After Nunkie took off running I knew something more had to been up and so did Janie seeming to be very hurt by his sly actions. “So Janie went on home. The sight of the fields and the other happy people was too much for her that day,” if a man ever made you feel so glum like that, you should know he doesn’t deserve you what so ever (Hurston 131). Secretly messing around with another woman when you’re taken makes you seem more dishonest than “good”. The last act that Tea Cake performed that made him look anything but “good” was the whipping.
No man ever should be able to take dominance over a woman like that. Not only did he whip her because it “relieved that awful fear inside of him” of reassuring himself that she’s his possession, but he bragged to his friends afterwards. He even got responses like, “ Tea Cake, you sho is a lucky man,” and “Lawd! Wouldn’t Ah love tuh whip uh tender woman lak Janie!” (Hurston 141). This scene disgusted me in many different ways, Janie had been so love struck that she didn’t realize the problem with what he did. Showing someone who’s boss, in this case the Turners, gives no reason to be whipped. That’s a personal problem he could’ve solved himself with no whip needed. Tea Cake knows Janie is a quiet, emotionally unstable woman only really looking for love and affection. He completely took advantage over her weakness and used it to make him feel better about himself. This makes Tea Cake seem more low and repulsive than
“good”. I truly do not believe Tea Cake is a “good” man. He had his moments throughout the book, but there were no important parts that made him seem the the dream husband with the superman cape. He was almost a relief or break to Janie from her other terrible husbands and that’s why I think Janie was so head over heals for Tea Cake; Janie wanted a change for once. Between the stealing, cheating, and whipping, Janie who seemed to be blinded by love was stuck in a relationship that wasn’t doing her any “good”.