December
2008
Ch. 6 & 71
Every great book has a symbol. In Moby Dick, the doubloon symbolized hope for many of the men. It represented religion and everything the men were fight for on the Pequod and off. In The Great Gatsby the green light symbolized something so great that you can never have. It showed your dreams and goals always two steps ahead of you. In Their Eyes Were Watching God, I found that the porch in front of the town building represents a different culture. There people go not only to gossip but to have fun. They do not have any bars or parties to go to, there is no cineplex or restaurant to spend some time. Instead they meet up at the porch every day at about the same time. The Porch was not always there. It was created by Stark when he moved to the town and demanded a central point. It shows the progress the people have made in the town and how they can all live together in peace and guidance.
The people of this town are fine with having the porch as a central spot. HoweverJanie is not. She is too restless in her position of running the store. The porch is stable and will not move. It is contained and will never grow any more or become broader. This is how Janie feels being married to Stark. She feels trapped in a life she believed she wanted for herself. Howevershe learned the harsh truth as she did not feel free enough as a woman and as Starks wife. She wants to grow and move around the town and get to know things, however her husband is holding her back. He is too interested in being the perfect mayor, or at least the perfect man. That is why he gets so upset when Janie crosses him at the store.
“Janie had robbed him of his illusion of irresistible maleness that all men cherish, which was terrible…she had cast down his empty armor before men and they had laughed, would keep on laughing.” (pg. 80)
Janie and Jody are two verystrong individuals. Janie knows her place as a woman and is fine with doing the cooking and such, however cannot stand being told what to do. She needs her own voice and her own freedom. This is something she only had as a girl growing up that ended with her first marriage. Jody is an extremely strong man. Although i believe he means well, he is to certain on the image he has for himself, his wife, and his town, and thus any little disappointment or change will not suit him. Seeing as people are NOT perfect, it is very hard for others, especially Jamie, to follow his ideals.
Mr. Wasserman finds it interesting that there is a power struggle between Jody and Janie, where in other books, it is not prevalent. She tells him that he looks funny naked. That’s very mean. We thought you’d like to remember.
really good blog.
<3 Class XoXOxoo