What happens in Chapter 8 of Their Eyes Were Watching God?
Summary and Analysis Chapter 8. Joe and Janie’s meaningless marriage is now shattered. Joe moves out of their bedroom, and as his illness progresses, he refuses to let Janie take care of him. He also stubbornly refuses to see a medical doctor, preferring instead to seek cures from quacks and charlatans.
What does Janie do at the end of Chapter 8?
She goes to the mirror and lets down her hair. Her youth is gone, but she’s still a beautiful woman. Janie isn’t destroyed by Joe’s death; rather, we get the feeling that she can finally get on with her life. The chapter ends with Janie announcing out of the window that Joe has died.
What does Jody accuse Janie of trying to do?
Jody, too, seems aware of this physical change, and he pesters Janie about her age and appearance, attempting to get her to worry about her own appearance and ignore his. But Janie sees through his ploy. She realizes how ugly and old he feels.
How does Joe’s death affect Janie?
In her first act of freedom following Joe’s death, Janie burns her headrags to symbolize her new independence from Joe’s control. While many women who lose their husbands feel weak and insecure, Janie does not. Rather, Janie actually gains strength from Joe’s death.
What does Janie tell Joe before he dies?
What did Janie tell Joe just before he died? She told him he really didn’t know her, that she had a lot of sympathy but he would never let her use it.
What does Janie try to tell Jody before he dies?
Joe tells her to get out, but Janie gets in the last word. She tells Joe that she did not leave Logan and “come down the road” with him to lead a life of “bowing down” and obedience. Joe breathes his last painful breath and dies.
Who is Janie’s true love?
Tea Cake Woods
Following Joe’s death, Janie meets the man who represents the true love of her life, Tea Cake Woods.
What does Janie say to Jody on his deathbed?
Janie Starks : [to Joe on his deathbed] Even now, you got to die with me being obedient, instead of just letting me love you.
Why won’t Joe let Janie attend the funeral?
The animal becomes a source of pride for the town and the subject of even more tall tales. After it dies, Jody convenes a mock funeral, which becomes a festive event for the entire town. But Jody refuses to allow Janie to attend, saying it would be improper for a woman of her status.
Why does Janie burn her head rags?
The burning of her head rags is symbolic of her retaliation against the identity Joe imposed upon her. Janie’s actions indicate that she recognized Joe’s attempt to suppress her female sexuality. She knew that Joe was jealous of her beauty and he wanted to hide it by covering her hair.
Why does Janie let her hair down after Jody’s death?
So one of Janie’s first actions after Joe dies is to uncover her hair. By destroying her head rags and letting her hair down, she signifies that she is no longer under Joe’s control. Janie’s hair has become a symbol not only of beauty and sexual power but also of freedom and individuality.
How did Tea Cake abuse Janie?
In chapter 17, Tea Cake beats Janie so that he can show Mrs. Turner who is boss, then he stages a fight that destroys her restaurant so that she will leave town.
Is Janie a feminist?
Janie, the protagonist of Zora Neale Hurston’s novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, is often identified as a feminist character. While she is certainly an independent woman who believes in the equality of the sexes, Janie does not lead a typically feminist existence throughout the novel.
How did Joe abuse Janie?
Joe has made an effort over the years to ridicule Janie even more when there was an audience to witness his cruelty. However, when Janie makes a mistake while cutting chewing tobacco, Joe lashes out at Janie in the middle of the store by criticizing her intelligence and her beauty.
Why is Janie happy when Jody dies?
Janie’s newfound freedom and independence make her happy, and she has no desire to become tied down to another man. Her only source of unhappiness is the store, which she continues to run.
What is Tea Cake’s diagnosis?
Tea Cake’s case of rabies is an extension of the force of nature that victimized him and Janie (and other humans) during the hurricane. After contracting the disease, Tea Cake loses his physical strength, and, by extension, his sense of command over himself, Janie, and the rest of the world.
Why is the dog bite Tea Cake receives significant?
When the dog bites Tea Cake and gives him rabies, he becomes jealous and delusional, an extreme version of the past men in her life. This shows that the dog ‘infected’ him spiritually, as both Tea Cake and the dog attempt to kill her.
What does Janie’s hair symbolize in Their Eyes Were Watching God?
Janie’s hair is a symbol of her power and unconventional identity; it represents her strength and individuality in three ways. First, it represents her independence and defiance of petty community standards.
How did Tea Cake get rabies?
During a hurricane, Tea Cake is bitten by a rabid dog while attempting to rescue Janie from drowning, and he himself contracts rabies. As his illness progresses, he becomes increasingly paranoid and begins to distrust Janie’s faithfulness.
What happens after Tea Cake dies?
Tea Cake dies in her arms, still hateful and biting down on Janie’s forearm. She weeps over his body and silently thanks him for giving her the chance to love. The same day, Janie is put on trial for killing Tea Cake. The entire black community is set against her; they feel like she has betrayed Tea Cake.
What kind of illness does Tea Cake suffer from?
Why is Joe jealous Janie?
Disillusioned by her unhappy marriage to Logan Killicks, Janie falls in love with Jody and the opportunity he represents. But the romance she thought she found does not last long. Soon, Joe becomes jealous of his beautiful wife. He moves her away to a place that was supposed to be a “town all outa colored folks” (28).
Was Tea Cake abusive?
Tea Cake had shown signs of abuse and had a gambling addiction, whereas Logan was verbally cruel to Janie, but never physically hurt her. Hurston emphasizes the faults of society through Tea Cake and his effect on Janie.
What disease did Tea Cake get?
Who Killed Tea Cake in Their Eyes Were Watching God?
She realizes that the dog of pure hate has killed her after all, but not directly. He’s killing her slowly and painfully through Tea Cake’s suffering. She asks God for help, but her prayers remain unanswered. That night, Tea Cake suffers two choking attacks and continues being unaccountably suspicious of Janie.