Kaydee Wells
Parker
English III
07 April 2014 "Their Eyes Were Wacthing God"
"Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out yourown inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intution." -Steve Jobs Throughout the course of Their Eyes Were Watching God, the main character, Janie, searchesto find her own voice. The author, Zora Neale Hurston, illustrates the growth of Janie's voice throughout the novel. In the beginning, she's very frail, but as she gets older and gains experience, she gains the courage to speak her mind. Janie's marriage with Joe is an example of her struggle to find her voice. In one of the town's meetings, when Janie is asked to speak, Joe interrupts her with the comment, "Thank yuh fuh yu compliments, but mah wife don't know nothin' bout no speech makin'"(40). In this scene, Janie didn't do much to defend herself. Later, when they both get home, Janie mentions the incident, but Joe only justifies his comment. Her husband also told her not to associate with the townspeople because "He didn't want her taking after such trashy people" (50). He seperated her from all of the townspeople. After many years, Joe dies and Janie finally feels free from Joe's resraints. She gets to enojoy all of the things she couldn't do while Joe was there with her. After Joe's death, the author speaks of how Janie "startched and ironed her face, forming it into just what people wanted to see"(63). Janie had not only lived to please Joe during their marriage, but also the townspeople. Even though she wasn't devastated by his death, she still pretended to be. Janie later says, "Two things everybody's got tuh do fuh