DJ-11
Janie had spent most
of the day under a blossoming pear tree in the back-yard…It stirred her
tremendously. – Narrator PG 10
It seems as if Janie is drawn to a symbol of her own
blossoming life. She is technically coming into her own as an adult and the
pear tree is a reflection of that stage in her life. As she looks into the
mystery of the tree, she looks inward to herself. This is also a transition
period in her life, between girlhood and adulthood.
DJ-12
De nigger woman is de
mule uh de world so fur as Ah can see. – Nanny PG 14
This is a huge foreshadow. Janie experiences this firsthand
in her second relationship by her forced store job. It also appears with Logan
Killicks when he asks her to help in the yard more and more. This is a
reoccurring theme in the book and Janie has to overcome it in order to find
self-fufilment. As long as a person allows themselves to be stepped on, they
won’t be in a place to rise in the world.
DJ-13
You know, honey, us
colored folks is branches without roots and that makes things come round in
queer ways. – Nanny PG 16
Nanny is an example of a woman whose been beat down and is
still struggling to survive. Her life has been difficult, fist as a slave, then
as a single mother, then as a single mother but to a grandchild. Slavery left
her without roots and she doesn’t wish the same for Janie. However, what Nanny
doesn’t realize is that Janie already has roots, new as they may be. Janie’s
life with a loving grandmother gave her roots in the town and a happiness to
look back on as she gets older.
DJ-14
Ah don’t want yo’
feathers always crumpled by folks throwin’ up things in yo’ face. – Nanny
PG 20
Janie doesn’t really understand Nanny at this point in the
story. She hasn’t yet experienced the troubles of adulthood or real hardship.
This is a Nanny Life Lesson. Nanny understands that people are cruel and bring
others down to make themselves feel better, but Janie doesn’t understand yet.
This is normal and Nanny realizes Janie will face it in her life, but hopes to
curb the worst of it. It also goes back to the idea that black women have it
worse in life than most others.
DJ-15
Dis Love! Dat’s just
whut got us pullin’ and uh haulin’ and sweatin’ and doin’ from can’t see in de
mornin’ till can’t see at night. – Nanny PG 23
The average person views love as the ultimate happiness, and
occasional heart break. Nanny has a more cynicle view of love. To her, love is
wielded as a tool for binding others to their will. Nanny picks out one huge
flaw of love and that is its ability to be cause great harm. By following love,
people especially women, are enslaved. This correlates with a theme of woman
empowerment. Love is a blockade to success.
DJ-16
They sat on the
boarding house porch and saw the sun plunge into the same crack in the earth
from which the night emerged. – Narrator PG 33
This sounds like a huge foreshadow. Janie thinks she leaving
a life of unhappiness with one man for an easier, more loving marriage with
another. However, it doesn’t seem that she realizes the irony in wanting more
freedom and trying to achieve that by marrying another. For her, they are
shackles. It also brings up the idea of nature. Pear trees (Janie) thrive in
the sunshine and warmth, not in the darkness. Lack of light will wilt plants.
Humans are the same, without happiness they also become dour.
DJ-17
Us keeps our own
selves down. – Coker PG 39
Although the man who speaks this is talking specifically
about white people keeping black people down, it doesn’t just mean one people’s
sorrow. People often keep themselves down by thinking they can’t do something
or it isn’t their place or a multitude of other excuses. Janie also does this
to herself by marrying one man and escaping that marriage by wedding another.
She also feels trapped in her position as wife of a mayor to do what is proper.
Jody may encourage that sort of thinking, but ultimately it’s Janie who makes
herself follow the submissive propriety when she wants more.
DJ-18
…but none had the
termerity to challenge him. They bowed down to him rather, because he was all
of these things, and then again he was all of these things because the town
bowed down. – Narrator PG 50
Jody is a representation of a greater system. People want
security and they see him as a certain security. He is smart, a savvy
politician, commanding, and confident. These traits are all necessary for a
good leader who can keep their position at the head. However, it also means for the little people
that they will never be in charge and will have to follow the leaders
dictations. Jody is safety for both Janie and the townspeople, but he is also a
prison. For Janie, he is the master of the house and controls her every move,
but brings the assurance of food, shelter, and a comfortable lifestyle. The
townspeople, have roads, a post office, lights, and other creature comforts in
exchange for occasionally being bossed around.
DJ-20
They’s jus some puny
humans playin’ round de toes uh Time. – Jody PG 54
While belittling others Jody unwittingly tells Janie a
nugget of truth. He meant others were just little things, but being that all
humans are very similar, he was speaking about himself as well. Time is much
greater than Jody or Janie, as their lives quickly pass. Janie is wasting her
time with Jody being miserable in her current situation. Janie’s life-tree may
be growing and will eventually die, but for the moment she can still grow
bigger instead of dry in Jody’s endless scorn.
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