The story of Janie Crawford in Their Eyes Were Watching God as Hurston, Zora develops it, is one of a strong search of both self identity and a quest for independence. Janie grows up in a little community in which no girl would appear better dressed in school than others and everything is chosen for her. As the story begins, she is unsure of who she is leave alone how she wants to live. We examine her character, life’s choices and how they affect her as well as how well she represents a feminist figure in her quest to realize her true self and find happiness (Hurston 3).
First, Janie is very observant. At the age of six, she realizes she was different from her Washburn schoolmates. She was brown-skinned not white, …show more content…
At 16, she is forced into marrying Logan Killicks by her Nanny who she later leaves for Joe Starks (Wall 5). She begins to draw some lines. While Logan sees her as a spoiled child who must learn to be a farm wife, Janie is willing to perform the chores that she sees as rightfully and dutifully hers, but believes that those chores do not include plowing a potato field. She desires to be respected. She finds an ideal alternative to the dull and pragmatic Logan in Joe. Joe ever consults Janie about what she wants in life and he takes her as a possession, so is always yearning for something and is far from satisfied. Before Joe’s death, Janie’s represses power breaks. She finds her voice uses it to express herself. In her life with Joe, all she wants is to love and to be loved. Finally her quest is quenched when she marries Tea Cake. He courts Jane, giving her a new and exciting experience, all she ever wanted. He has nothing much to offer, except for his guitar, songs and jobs on the muck of the Everglades with other immigrant workers. He helps her to understand herself. As Ward, Selena write, when Janie shoots him we see her increasing sense of self rather than yield her life up to Tea Cake (Ward