Love And Marriage In Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God

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Recommended: Direct characterization of janie from their eyes watching god

Janie desired an equal and loving marriage, neither of which she obtained by her first marriage. Janie was forced into marriage by her grandmother, Nanny, as Nanny thought this would protect Janie after she had been caught kissing Johnny Taylor (The Concept of Love and Marriage in Zora Neale Hurston 's Their Eyes Were Watching God). Nanny forced Janie into a hasty marriage with Mr. Logan Killicks, who Nanny believed would be the most decent option for Janie, as he was financially stable and owned sixty acres of farmland (Haurykiewicz). However, Janie did not wish to be in a loveless marriage and pleaded, “Ah ain’t gointuh do it no mo’, Nanny. Please don’t make me marry Mr. Killicks” (Hurston, 14). Janie eventually yielded to Nanny’s request …show more content…

(Feminism In Their Eyes Were Watching God). Instead of having to depend on a husband, for the first time Janie relied completely on herself (The Concept of Love and Marriage in Zora Neale Hurston 's Their Eyes Were Watching God). With Joe gone, Janie was free to let her hair down and bring her voice back to life (Feminism In Their Eyes Were Watching God). After the way that Joe treated Janie throughout their marriage, she was not depressed over his death, and instead enjoyed her independence through being a widow (Feminism In Their Eyes Were Watching God). As Janie had said, “’Tain’t dat Ah worries over Joe’s death, Phoeby. Ah jus’ loves dis freedom” (Hurston 93). Logan and Joe did not compliment Janie through marriage, because they did not truly love her (The Concept of Love and Marriage in Zora Neale Hurston 's Their Eyes Were Watching God). Due to Janie’s transformation in voice and independence over her first two marriages, she desired to have a loving marriage where she would be free to be …show more content…

“She even ridiculed him in her mind and was a little ashamed of the association. But every hour or two the battle had to be fought all over again. She couldn’t make him look just like any other man to her” (Hurston 106). Janie was cautious as she wanted to make sure Tea Cake was truly a good man, and that he would be the right person to marry (Their Eyes Were Watching God: Marriages & Analysis). Even though Tea Cake was poor and much younger, Janie decided to marry him, thus beginning her first marriage of love (The Concept of Love and Marriage in Zora Neale Hurston 's Their Eyes Were Watching God). Janie had grown to trust Tea Cake and love him, something she had never had done

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