The author establishes a strong sentiment fueling Janie to decide that personal growth and development as a woman. Janie breaks free from the bubble Joe …show more content…
attempts to put her in. In chapter six Janie protests, “You sho loves to tell me whut to do, but Ah can’t tell you nothin’ Ah see!” “Dat’s ‘cause you need tellin’, It would be pitiful if Ah didn’t. Somebody got to think for women and chillun and chickens and cows. I god, they sho don’t think none theirselves” (83). In the novel Joe clearly sees a woman's role as inferior to a mans. He compares Jane's intelligence with the brain power as an idiotic chicken or an inept cow. Joe begins silencing her in conversations the shortly after leading to beating her within their house walls, but over all treating her as an object of his possession. Having enough he proves his ultimate disrespect as he said "Naw, Ah ain’t no young gal no mo’ but den Ah ain’t no old woman neither. Ah reckon Ah looks mah age too. But Ah’m uh woman every inch of me, and Ah know it. Dat’s uh whole lot more’n you kin say. You big-bellies round here and put out a lot of brag, but ‘tain’t nothin’ to it but yo’ big voice. Humph! Talkin’ ‘bout me lookin’ old! When you pull down yo’ britches, you look lak de change uh life." (94). Joe talks about Janie as becoming an old hag, implying that she has lost her characteristic beauty concluding to prove his disrespect in only seeing her for an item instead of a woman.
Being a possession rather than a women was a repeating theme for Janie, her last meaningful relationship Janie was involved in was when she was most happiest yet was not given her rightful place.
The relationship had seemed to work out, but the sense of possession over here is still there. “When Mrs. Turner’s brother came and she brought him over to be introduced, Tea Cake had a brainstorm. Before the week was over he had whipped Janie. Not because her behavior justified his jealousy, but it relieved that awful fear inside him. Being able to whip her reassured him in possession. No brutal beating at all. He just slapped her around a bit to show he was boss.” (172). Tea Cake strikes her, not to inflict fear, but to reassure himself of his possession over her, his beating is simply an expression of love for her therefor was accepted by the
community.
Throughout the novel we see that if a mans spouses were to act out of line it would not have been uncommon for them to be beaten. In those days men felt that women were completely ignorant, needing to be told what to do all of the time. Janie is continuously ready to fight for a life independence and equality seeking self-expression, and authentic love based on mutual respect… ultimately achieves in her final relationship due to persistence of this goal.