In Their Eyes Were Watching God, how does gender (society’s vision of what it means to be male and female) affect characters’ identities, decisions, and/or lives? In the society presented in the novel, what does it mean to be a man? a woman? Do the society's expectations of masculinity and femininity affect Janie's life in any significant ways? Are there any other characters that seem driven by societal expectations of gender (say, Joe Starks, for instance)? How has society's concept of gender roles changed over time? How has it not changed?
From what I understand about Their Eyes Were Watching God, African Americans live in a society where women should be seen and not heard. The number one example of this is when Joe Starks would express his annoyance when Janie would talk to other men and share her opinion. However, when she did talk, the men would like what she had said, except for Joe Starks. Joe had told Janie that she was higher than all the women, yet she worked like men did - in a store. To be a man in the books society, it seems that the men work for most of the day and then the single men would sit on the store's porch and share their opinions. The young and single women in the society would appear to look flawless as they strolled past the store to get the men's attention. Also, Joe didn't like the fact that a man was playing with Janie's hair when she wasn't looking. After that had happened, he forced her to pin her hair up. In my opinion, this is not a very functional relationship. Nowadays, societys concept of gender roles has changed. It's changed because women are more independent and now have higher jobs than men. For instance, a women can be president of the United States instead of a man. It hasn't happened yet, but it's only a matter of time. The gender roles havent changed because men still earn more money than women do.
ReplyDeleteIn the society presented in the novel "Their Eyes Were Watching God," Zora Neale Hurtson emphasized the difference of gender roles. Men have power over women, authority in their town, and are expected to support their family financially. Being a woman brings completely different expectations: you should look good, obey men, and keep your opinions to yourself. Joe Starks and Tea Cake are driven strongly by societal expectations of gender. For example, Joe Starks becomes more and more controlling over Janie because he feels he has to in order to be respected. He makes her tie her hair up so other men don’t get to see it or touch it and he interrupts when she tries to get involved in the conversations on the store’s porch. Later in the novel, after Tea Cake hits Janie to show he still controls her, another worker says how good of a wife Janie must be because she doesn’t fight back like his wife does. Society’s expectations have changed in some ways from the times in the novel- women are now allowed to work outside the home, to vote, and to run for an elected office. Women can not be considered totally equal yet though, because only men are assigned to units that are likely to engage in a battle.
ReplyDeleteWomen in Their Eyes Were Watching God obtain different roles in society than the men. Men control all women by not allowing them to give opinions on important decisions. They believe that women should keep their domestic skills and take care of the home while the men make the money while working hard. When a woman gets married they are defined by how much respect they deserve and how successful the man is. The men are dominant in the novel. For example, Janie’s husband Joe Starks is hungry for power and continues to boss Janie around. He doesn’t think she’s very smart and doesn’t allow her participation. He just married Janie to brag about his power because it shows he has control, money, status, and a beautiful wife. Throughout the story, Janie tries to escape the stereotype that men are the better gender. Janie wishes to socialize and befriend Joe’s friends but he does not allow her. It’s difficult to do what she wants while Joe overpowers her decisions. Today gender roles have changed because women hold higher position jobs, such as CEOs, but they don’t make as much money as men who have the same occupations.
ReplyDeleteThroughout reading the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, I noticed the different roles presented for women and men. Women were expected to do whatever the male wished. Females were to hold basic jobs while the men did the hard work. The men are the dominant gender in this book as they were in society years ago. Joe Starks is a perfect example of this. After Joe and Janie got married, Joe became more and more controlling of Janie. He wanted to be in charge of everything that Janie did. Janie did not like the generalizations about gender and tries to avoid them. Nowadays in society, gender roles have changed. Women have many more rights compared to how many they had back in the day. Women are now allowed to vote and hold higher positions such as being President. Although there are still some circumstances that women and men are not completely equal, for the most part it is fairly even.
ReplyDeleteThe society found in the novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, is dominated by males, and females are only there for their husbands to show off. Logan Killicks is the first to demonstrate this when he has Janie stay in the house all day cooking and cleaning, in other words doing what he feels a woman should do. When Janie falls in love with Joe Starks their relationship is no different. He treats her like a goddess; when they first meet, he always tells her how beautiful she is and that she should be treated like a queen. Then he starts getting involved with being the Mayor of the city too much to run the store, so he adds managing the store to Janie’s list of chores. When Janie was working in the store Joe wouldn’t allow her to have her hair down because he got jealous when other men looked longingly at her.
ReplyDeleteSociety’s concept of gender is slowly changing, there are some women who are still stay-at-home parents but there are also women who are now the CEO’s of huge companies and take on more responsibility than the men in their lives. However, in most jobs men are still preferred and they make more money than women.
The society in the novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, is one that allows no wiggle room on how women should act. Were females are just to stand there, shut up, and look pretty. Or also known as to be seen but not heard. Logan Killicks showed that in one way. Killicks made Janie stay in the house all day cooking and cleaning, the jobs men think that women should do. Joe Starks did the same thing to Janie. Starks earlier in the novel went around saying how Janie should always be treated like a queen and that she would never have to lift a finger while being married to him. That all changed though once Starks became the Mayor of the town. Janie then had to work at the store all day and change how she looked to help Starks image. Society is still like that at times today, but it's also changing. Today there are still stay-at-home moms who don't leave the house much, but there are also women who work construction, which is typically a mans job. Even through all that changes, men are still the most preferred for jobs and make more money than women do.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the novel of "Their Eyes Were Watching God," the lives of the men and women varied greatly because it wasn't socially correct for them to take part in the same things. Being a man, you were able to do so much more than a woman could. The men had the say of what should be done by the woman; it was believed that woman couldn't live life on their own on account of them being unintelligent and their need to be guided. This wasn't necessarily true; however, the men were too ignorant to think otherwise. This affected Janie's life greatly because she was a very intelligent woman, and I believe that her voice should have been heard. But, her choices and say were always over-ruled by her dominating husbands. Her husband, Joe, actually stated that Janie's "...uh woman and her place is in de home." (Pg 43) Along with this, he was always putting her, along with the women gender, down in front of his friends and citizens to make him seem like a higher individual.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the story, Janie comes to meet Tea Cake. It is a nice change for Janie because he actually looks to her as an equal individual. In his viewpoint, Janie can do anything that he can do, and actually, he has her work next to his side in the Everglades. He respects Janie's opinion, and doesn't try to demeanor her 24/7.
In this day and age, I would have to say that the gender roles varied greatly from what they used to be. Now, women can hold the same positions and respect as men. In America, we are blessed with these equal opportunities; but, in some countries, women are not as honored, and they take part in different roles.
In the society in “Their Eyes were Watching God,” women are dominated over by the males. The women are to stay home and do what they are told. Janie is forced to marry Logan Killicks, and he tells her to stay inside and do the baking and cleaning. The way society is, is affecting the way Janie lives. She is told what to do, and is looked down upon if she does something wrong. Jody Starks treats Janie as an object rather than a person. To be a man, you have control and money, but to be a woman you have a husband and are told what to do. Their society expects men and women to not take part in any form of work together which affects Janie’s life, considering she is not going to sit around and be told how to live her life. Societies view on roles has changed a lot. Men and women can work in the same place and be equal, whereas back then, men dominated females.
ReplyDeleteIn "Their Eyes Were Watching God", gender affects character's lives by pressuring them into traditional roles and influencing how they act based on what society expects of them. In the society presented in this novel, being a man means bringing home the money, controlling a wife, and participating in 'manly' activities, such as gambling. Being a women means to take care of the domestic duties and do exactly what a man says. These expectations influence Janie's life significantly because it leads her into two unsuccessful marriages. Her marriage to Logan Killicks occurs only because it appears he will provide a stable, secure home. It does not matter what Janie's feelings are on the matter. When she then leaves with Joe Starks and he ends up dying, the townspeople think she is crazy to not be in a deep state of mourning. They expect her to be helpless and grateful for everything he left her just because he fulfilled the 'man' role. Joe Starks is definitely a character driven by societal expectations of gender. He believes Janie should keep quiet and serve him willingly. When Starks is lying on his deathbed, Janie finally speaks her mind and he refuses to listen because it would mean he lost his dominance over her. Society's concept of gender roles have changed over time by blurring the lines of boy/girl enormously. Women have become increasingly more outspoken, independent, and powerful. Men have taken to roles traditionally reserved for women, such as being a stay-at-home parent. Also, in this modern age, some men and women that have felt confined by their gender role become a transgender. This is another situation that shakes up the typical roles of men and women in a family or relationship. Breaking free of gender roles, though popular with many, is a change that is slowly happening. Even with the increase of working women and new view of how men should act, there is still a widespread belief that men should be in the workplace and women should be at home.
ReplyDeleteIn "Their Eyes Were Watching God", the gender roles had a lot of affect on Janie. Men in the book were supposed to go to work and have their wife cater to them. The women were supposed to have no say in anything, look pretty and do as they were told. This was the cause of Janie's two bad marriages. Logan Killicks makes her stay inside and do all cooking and cleaning and Janie could not have a say in it. Mr. Stark forced her to work in the store and keep to herself, which she did. Men were in their own class when women were just below them. Nowadays, men and women are viewed as equals. They work at the same places and are treated the same.
ReplyDeleteIn “Their Eyes Were Watching God” gender roles were portrayed throughout the novel. Men are seen as having control over women and that women should follow them. Society’s expectations affected Janie differently through her different marriages. When Janie was married to Joe Starks she followed society’s expectations. She was obedient and followed what Starks told her to do, like to wear her hair up to keep other men from looking at her. There were points in their marriage however where Janie would stand up for herself when Starks insulted her. Starks and the other men of the town would then scold her and say she’s a disrespectful wife. This changes when she is married to Tea Cake. With Tea Cake, Janie goes almost everywhere even though some places are considered unfit for women. Janie ignored society’s view on women and did what she wanted to do. Joe Starks is greatly driven by societal expectations of gender. He controls Janie in every way he can and makes sure she maintains the typical female role and he maintains power over her. Society is different today with gender roles because women have more freedoms and are considered equal with men. Some ways it’s the same is that even though women are equal to men, some men see themselves as superior to women.
ReplyDeleteIn "Their Eyed Were Watching God" the men seemed to have this vision that the women's job was in the home cooking, cleaning, and doing everything that the man of the house asks. While the men of the house went to work to bring in the money and controlling their wives. Janie follows her "role" of a woman of the house in her first two marriages to Killicks and Starks. When she was married to Killicks she provided a stable home which he felt comfortable in and did all of her duties while all he wanted was to drag her around to make himself look so much better then he really was because he had a pretty girl on his arm, then when she married Starks she did the same. She was forced to wear her hair pinned back because of the way the other men either touched her or the way that they looked or talked to her. She was later marked as a disrespectful wife because of the way that she stood up for herself not only in front of her husband but also in front of the townspeople. When she marries Tea Cake he doesn't lift a finger on her, and doesn't make her do anything that she doesn't want to do. He understands her and wants what is best for her.
ReplyDeleteI feel that today in society men and women are treated equally, we can all have the same jobs as men can and we can do them just as well as them.
In "Their Eyes Were Watching God" the gender of the character greatly affected their own life, there was this set idea of what each gender should be doing, for example men "owned" their wives and brought home all the money, women on the other hand took care of the home and the children. Women weren't seen as humans, they were possessions or animals. The society's expectation of masculinity led to Janie getting hit because the men were supposed to be big and strong and have a control over their women. Society's view of gender roles has changed a lot since the time this book took place, for example, women are allowed to work now, and are very independent, but they are still expected to keep the house clean and their children well fed and loved.
ReplyDeleteSociety’s outlook on gender in the community served a great role in “Their Eyes Were Watching God”. In the society that the characters are living in, the women are expected to respect their husbands and abide to their every rule. The men in the novel are expected to keep complete control of their wives, work, and provide a financially stable life for the family. While Janie was married to Joe Starks, he would make her work at the store. While working at the store, she was ordered to tie her hair up so that he was the only man who could admire it. She was also not allowed to speak to anyone on the store’s porch because being the mayor’s wife; she was of a “higher class” than the rest of them. While Janie was married to Tea Cake she went to work with him, talked to all of his peers, and didn’t care about what society thought about her. In today’s society, the concept of gender roles has changed significantly. Women are expected to get jobs, along with the men, in order to make a financially stable life. They can also get the same jobs as men and higher paying occupations than they could in the past. It hasn’t changed because men still make more money on average than women do for the same job position.
ReplyDeleteIn the status of the society in “Their Eyes were Watching God,” gender plays an important role, and allows men to overpower women. The women were often forced to do everything the men requested of them. Joe Starks, Janie’s second husband, fit this perfectly. He always acted as boss and pushed Janie to stay inside the home cleaning, cooking, and doing anything he thought the woman should portray in the relationship. Janie often holds back her opinion about how she loathed this thought, and would rather be working, and not pushed around. She often didn’t want to start arguments so would keep to herself and stay very quiet. One day when Joe was not paying attention a man twirled Janie’s long, luscious hair, therefore he made her begin pinning it back. This showed how men kind of just “controlled” the women. The men never let the women speak their minds or attend certain social events. Throughout the entire story, Janie continues to marry until she can find someone who is not the typical typecast of the society’s idea of a “normal” man. In society today the sexist problem of genders is changing. Women and men are becoming more and more equal. The power to vote is now allowed by women and they can also obtain the same jobs as men. One thing for sure is that men make an average pay more than women still, but it is becoming closer to equivalent each year.
ReplyDeleteIn the novel "Their Eyes Were Watching God", gender greatly defines the role humans hold in society. Men are held responsible for much of the financial burdens which means they do most of the work. The male gender has a superiority over the females in the sense that they order them around and expect certain things out of them. Women are responsible for the house chores such as cooking and cleaning. From another point of view, gender also affects your social status in society. Men find it important to earn a living and have a "trophy" wife. I agree with a lot of people when they say women are typically supposed to be seen, not heard. This is shown in the novel when her first husband, Logan Killicks, forces her to wear her hair pinned back so other men are not tempted to look at her in the wrong sense. Joe Starks is so consumed in being socially accepted that he treats Janie like a piece of property rather than his wife. Janie is not an oridnary woman, however; she stands up for herself many times even if she is considered a "disrespectful wife" by many men. I think society today is much different in the sense that many women hold down full time jobs rather than automatically assuming the position of a stay-at-home mom. Yes, men still do typically provide for their families but it is not out of the ordinary for women to do so as well. Men and women are becoming more and more equal everyday.
ReplyDeleteThe gender is typical of an older American setting in that males have a far superior hold as far as control goes. They expect women to do the cooking and cleaning while they do the hard labor. They believed that women were made to be seen and not heard. Joe Starks is a prime example of this. He believed that Janie's rightful place was inside the house and store, not outside on porches and in everyone's conversations.
ReplyDeleteIn the novel "Their Eyes Were Watching God", gender plays an important role throughout the story. Men and women both had their sterotypical roles that society expected them to follow. For example, men were held responsible for the finances, working, and keeping a tight leash on the women; making sure house chores were completed and that they had a warm meal cooked for them at the end of a hard day at work. Women were expected to carry out the house chores and as mentioned a few times above, should be seen but not heard. This means that the women were expected to follow their husband's orders and not make a fuss about it. They also weren't in any position to voice their opinion to men. Society expectations did affect Janie's life. I feel that Janie was way smarter than anyone gave her credit for. She knew better than to be talking politics, trade, or anyhting else for that matter to other men. She knew to keep her mouth shut and carry out chores. Society roles have changed over the years, for example, in some families the women actually bring home more money than the men do and they can serve in the military; which was thought to be a man's job because it deals with protection and being in dangerous situations. Women now have the ability to do anything men can do. Which brings me to the unfortunate part of the gender equality of today... yes, women are ABLE to become president, CEO of a company, doctors, and other leading roles in society; but have you seen a female president of the United States? No, but i'm sure you have heard of cases that women don't get paid as much as men do for doing the same jobs. Equality of genders have set in, yet there are still many stereotypical thoughts of where women and men should be placed on the totem pole.
ReplyDeleteGender roles are very obvious in Their Eyes Were Watching God.The roles are strong,yet very different in society today.For example,when Tea cake hits Janie he's trying to show control and ownership.In the time period the book takes place in,Women were owned by the men they love.In society today,relationships are seen as teamwork,and the partners are mostly seen as equals.Through the history of society, Gender roles are slowly becoming more fair and just.There is still a lot to accomplish to ensure men and women have equal opportunities, but society has come a long way since the time period of the book.Joe Starks doesn't like Janie wearing her hair down, expressing her opinion, or contributing to any conversations. Joe wants full control over her,and seems very jealous. Sometimes that happens in society in some relationships that are seen as "old fashioned",but it is socially acceptable for women to speak their mind.
ReplyDeleteIn Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie's gender affected her greatly. The lives Janie had had with Joe and Tea Cake were very different since they both had different views of what women should do. Joe wanted her to be quiet, keep her hair pulled back and "...to sit on the front porch and rock and fan yo'self and eat p'taters dat other folks plant just special for you." Tea Cake was controlling to Janie when he whipped her to show the Turners who is boss. Janie also did whatever Tea Cake wanted to do. Gender roles have changed over time from men being in complete control and making money for the family, while the women just did house work. Now women are working and can support themselves becoming more independent. However, some people still want women to stay at home.
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ReplyDeleteIn “Their Eyes Were Watching God” Janie’s gender greatly influenced her life, and how others treated her. Joe did not believe that Janie was equal to him because she was a woman. He did not like her participating in conversations, and did not let he do her hair how she wanted. He felt as if he should have full control of her because he is a man and she is a woman. Today men and women are seen much more equal than they have in history.
ReplyDeleteIn "There Eyes Were Watching God",gender was a major issue in the era that it was written. Janie was discriminated against with almost everything that she did. It was a man's society and women were looked at to stay in the house and essentially be trophy wives. In these times the men were the ones who were supposed to be providing for the family and the women did the housework. In Janie's case however, she was willing to break the status quo of being seen but not heard and was willing to speak her mind and was not afraid to work alongside her man. Over history, women have gradually gained more and more respect and equality.
ReplyDeleteIn "Their Eyes Were Watching God" society pushes gender roles onto homes. Indulging one's self in strict gender roles lead Janie to hide her true self in her public shell while she was married to Joe. She was forced to stay in the store or in her own home. Joe became a hard and cruel man that had no recollection of the man he started off as. He assumed the position of the leading and powerful male and soon lost himself to the gender role he played. He died with no true happiness. Janie experienced the strict gender role of the house wife that was completely controlled by her husband and it forced her to conceal herself. Once she was able to break free she assumed the role of the wife with Tea Cake who allowed her to be her own person and she no longer was trapped within herself. Gender roles in society have changed from then to the point where women are allowed to go out and do what they wish without requiring permission from their spouses. Unfortunately gender roles do exist as the man being the worker and the woman being the caretaker of the home; however, these stereotypes are not strict.
ReplyDeleteIn "Their Eyes Were Watching God" gender had a big roll in the story. Women were supposed to cook and clean and listen to their husbands, men would work and be taken care of by their wives. When Janie was married to Mr.Killicks she was told to cook and clean and do what ever Mr.Killicks told her to do. When she was married to Jody Starks he made her keep her keep her hair tied up and she had to stay in the store all day. When Tea Cake came along she was allowed to be herself. He allowed her to work, fish, hunt. Tea Cake let Janie have a say in things. Today's world is like Janie and Tea Cakes relationship, women and men are equal. Women have the same rights as men.
ReplyDeleteIn the novel “Their Eyes Were Watching God”, gender plays a major role in society. Men are supposed to be hard-working and powerf. Mr. Logan Killicks works all day at his farm, Mr. Joe Starks becomes more and more controlling over Janie in return for her respect, and Tea Cakes hits Janie to show his control. All men fill the shoes of a “dominant male”. Mr. Killicks is a wealthy man that can support Janie; however, as their relationship continues he thinks that she is too spoiled and wants her to help him out. Mr. Starks finds out Amos Hicks is flirting with Janie and to show is authority over his wife he makes her keep her hair pulled back so no one can touch it. Tea Cake, later on in the novel hits Janie to show his power in their relationship. Women in this novel are meant to look pretty and take care of their husbands and kids. They don’t have a lot of credit in anything, they stay at home to cook and clean. Since then, our society has changed a lot. Men and women are now equal in almost everything. Women have the right to vote just like men, women have the choice to work outside of their home and have a good job. Nowadays there are just as many successful women as men.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Kaitlyn's opinions and examples. In the novel and years ago the men in our society showed dominance towards the women. All three of Janie's husbands had their own way of showing that they were the dominant member in the family.
DeleteJanie had to deal with the society's opinion of women working at home and men making a living for the household. In addition, society's expectations of an African American woman occurred during the novel. This is evident when Janie's grandma says "Ah don't want yo' feathers always crumpled by folks throwin' up things in yo' face. And I can't die easy thinkin' maybe de menfolks white or black is makin' a spit cup outa you..." (Hurston 20)Janie's grandma wanted the best for her granddaughter. Unfortunately, her plan did not work and Janie had to fend for herself during her marriages. There were some obstacles in her path but Janie remained strong within herself in many situations.
With the time period that "Their Eyes Were Watching God", men were seen as greater than women. Women didn't have the equality that they do now with males. The males felt they could make the females do whatever they wanted to simply by telling them. I'm sure a lot of females in that time did what they were told. It's not like that anymore, women have more rights, and are considered equal with man. It's somewhat cruel to think how Janie was treated in the book at moments.
ReplyDeleteIn " Their Eyes Were Watching God", gender greatly dictates a person's role in society. Women are below men in this society and aren't considered equal to men. Janie is greatly affected by this over the course of the story. For Joe Starks, gender really dictates his points of view and how he interacts with people in society. For example,when Janie tried to socialize with other people,other men specifically, Joe wouldn't let her talk to them and would force her to do something else. The same is true when she wanted to explore and go outside of Joe's boundaries set for he, he would shut her down and force her to stay. Joe's belief in gender roles in that society and how men should control the relationship was shown when Joe would force her to wear her hair up. Joe Starks exemplifies the gender roles of that time period. Janie breaks through that belief in society towards the end of the novel and moves toward how things are today in which women are realitivly equal to men and are treated as equals in society.
ReplyDeleteThere are many examples of how gender decides a role in society in "Their Eyes Were Watching God". Women are treated more like objects and used to run errands. Men have an exact idea of what they want women to do and how they want them to act. Joe Starks wants Janie to only work in the store and cook. Janie wants to be more involved in the town events and sit on the porch and talk with the people, but he won't let her. He also dictates the way she wears her hair, making her tie it up even though she doesn't want to. Janie is treated more like women are today when she is with Tea Cake, which is equally and fairly.
ReplyDeleteGender plays a big role in this novel. Women are treated like housewives, not being able to do anything (or should not do anything) that a man should. It affects many characters, including Janie, because if they have ambitions for something, society may not allow them to follow their ideas solely because of gender. Being a man in the novel's society means being a hard-working and powerful person in society. Being a woman means staying home, and taking care of their husbands, and doing what the man wants. Janie is definitely affected by societies views on gender because Janie wants to do things that are viewed as more masculine, or things that women don't do. She is expected to act like a woman, so she is hindered by gender. Joe Starks is the main example of gender roles in this story. He controls Janie day after day, making her work the store and cook and clean, while he does the masculine things. He also controls Janie by making her put her hair up so others cannot see it. Gender roles have changed over time so that women have more respect, and can take on their own roles of responsibility in today's society. It still seems that most woman still clean, cook, and listen to their husbands in most families in today's society, but it is not as harsh as it was during the novel because today woman can speak out against doing things like that.
ReplyDeleteGender affects society’s characters’ identities, decisions, and/or lives drastically. The characters identities are shown that men are apparently supposed to be in control of their women, while women have to take it and not fight back. The decisions of the women have to be encouraged by the man. And women have to follow what the men want them to do. Janie is affected by this because she doesn’t want a man to define who she is and what she can and cannot do. Joe Starks takes advantage of the social expectations by telling Janie how to wear her hair, what she can and cannot do, who she can talk to, and how she does things. In present time societies gender rolls have gotten better but some people still are controlling like how they were in the past, and some people are not controlling at all. When she finds Tea Cake she is in seventh heaven because she found a man who doesn’t control her.
ReplyDeleteAs stated by almost everyone above me, in the novel "Their Eyes Were Watching God," the woman was the person who stayed home and cooked and cleaned throughout the day. She did not have a job as that was the mans job. Women are forced to consult the man in most decisions, except for small ones. Many men over use their power and completely control the woman and force her to do and wear certain things. Joe Starks is a prime example of someone who uses the gender expectations to control Janie. He wants her to dress a certain way while only doing a woman's job. Times have definitely changed since then. While women are still expected to clean and cook from time to time, men have also become more involved in the household. Women are also more likely to get a job which is much different from back when this novel is based in.
ReplyDeleteIn this novel gender plays a significant part. Throughout history and in this book women were expected to stay home, cook, clean, and take care of their husbands. On the other hand men were expected to be the one who works, the primary bread winner, and the one who controls the house and his wife. All of this affects Janie and what she wants to do, she wants to be able to do things on her own, make her own decisions, and be able to do things that a man can do too. Joe Stark is very controlling when it comes to Janie, by following the gender roles that society has made for women. Now a-days women have more respect, have more control of what they want to do, not always thought of as a housewife anymore, and can even do jobs that men do.
ReplyDeleteGender roles are always changing. In the early to mid 1900's womens work was confined to the home. Nowadays we go to college, travel the world, and can get any job we want. Well...the economy kind of ruined that dream, but it's still possible! Men used to treat women horribly, thinking that we weren't capable of being intellectuals. In the book Jody doesn't think Janie is capable of playing chess, but that idea is quickley shot down when Tea Cake comes to town and teaches her simply...how to play.
ReplyDeleteIn the novel “Their Eyes Were Watching God”, woman are controlled by men. As seen through Janie’s perspective in her relationship with Logan Killicks, she demonstrates the typical, housewife image. Logan forces Janie to do the housework, such as cooking and cleaning, as he handles work around the yard. Logan treats Janie as more as a possession than a wife. Janie’s second husband, Joe Starks, quiets Janie’s voice in discussion and does not allow her to share her opinion. Having a powerful image is most important in Joe's eyes and he treats Janie poorly. She spends her marriage working daily in the shop to the orders of her husband, including wearing her hair up. This type of society is male dominated and woman are treated as animals, being told what to do and scolded if they make one mistake. The society we live in today allows men and women of all races to work the same position equally.
ReplyDeleteDuring the time period that the novel "Their Eyes Were Watching God" takes place, men are superior to women. Joe Starks controls what Janie wears and what she does. That is a typical relationship for this book. Janie is expected to listen to Joe's commands without any back-talk. She is just another housewife because that is what the society accepts. That is the way their society works. However, Janie is not happy with her life. After Joe dies, Tea Cake comes along and marries Janie. Tea Cake gives Janie more freedom, but Janie only has freedom because her husband lets her. The men control the society and the women bow down to them. Today, things are different. Women have as much control and freedom as men do.
ReplyDeleteGender roles changing is a sign of the times. In the novel, "Their Eyes Were Watching God" women are though of more as property or a possession rather than an equal based on what society thinks. Starks has the expectations of Janie that the standards of the era did. Woman were to cook and clean and raise children. Nowadays, we treat woman as equal and we know that woman are just as capable if not more than able to do a man's job and a man can do a woman's job for the most part.
ReplyDeleteIn this time setting, a man is expected to be “the king of the castle” and has supremacy over the opposite gender, also placing more responsibility towards providing for not only themselves but their family. A woman is expected to maintain/preserve the home by cooking, cleaning, and basically whatever else needs taken care of. Janie’s lifestyle is overrun by the preformed schema of what is expected out of a woman such as clothing, hairstyle, social connections, etc. All evaluated by what is deemed appropriate by the husband. Joe Starks is that one man in Janie’s life who has her daily routine under lock and key, another man of such would be Logan Killicks. Today’s standards for women are completely different than what they used to be, which back then would be seen as completely immoral and taboo. Women are able to work outside the home and help support their family alongside men, and are free to do as they wish. Daycares were nonexistent before women were given autonomy; mostly because they were depended on to spend their time raising a strong, healthy family whereas today people don’t take parenting as seriously. Money and self fulfillment seem to have, in many cases, forced mothers put their children in a place other than the centers of their worlds.
ReplyDeleteDuring this time period the men were set apart from women. They were not equal to women, but put much higher up. The women are more property to the men. The men were to provide for the family and the women were to work in the home and maintain the children. Joe Starks really takes over Janie's life and how she acts. He has her days planned out and decides what she will and will not do. For example, when Janie was getting involved with the people on the porch and their little "plays", Joe forced Janie to go work in the store. Even in Janie's marriage with Tea Cake there is dominance. Tea Cake beats Janie to show he has power and control over her. Today men and women are mostly treated equal. Women are now able to go out and work outside the home.
ReplyDeleteGender roles have shifted far from how they are represented in "Their Eyes were Watching God". In the time that it is written in, women were meant to not sully their hands with the work of a man, and work mostly in their home cleaning and cooking. Men were expected to bring home the money to feed their wife and children. This is clearly shown to have a large impact on the characters in the book. In Janie's three marriages you can tell that she is the one who does all the cooking for her husband whilst he is out working, but each marriage does have its own differences. In Janie's marriage with Joe Stark, she is told to be quite and not talk too much with the other people of Eatonville. Joe believes Janie should be the perfect model of a woman for the rest of the town. Janie does get to be a little more masculine in her marriage with Tea Cake because she is allowed to play games such as chess, go hunting, and even go fishing. Many women today are not held back to their homes and families and have their own jobs. Men and women and seen as equals in today's society.
ReplyDeleteIn the novel "Their Eyes Were Watching God" society's outlook on gender greatly affects the characters' actions, decisions and they way they are viewed by others. At this time men and women had very different roles in society. Men were expected to support their family by working outside of the home while women were expected to do housework and be somewhat of a trophy wife. Although this is how the society presents women, Janie tends not to fit this mold throughout the novel. In her first marraige, Janie leaves after being limited to cooking and cleaning while her husband logan worked on his farm. In her second marraige, her husband Joe has made a name for himself as mayer of their town and she is expected to be his trophy wife. She is beaten for expressing her opinion several times and must be presented a certain way with her hair pulled back and a dressy wardrobe. Society's outlook on gender has definitely changed since this time. Now women hold jobs outside of the home and play a key role in suppoting their family along with men.
ReplyDeleteIn "Their Eyes Were Watching God" gender affects characters greatly. When Janie was growing up her grandmother tried to raise her to be a housewife. Janie's grandmother wants Janie to have a good image as a woman in the community. Janie's grandmother was mad when Janie kissed Johnny Taylor because it would ruin Janie's reputation as a woman however nothing would happen to Johnny because he was a man. To be a man in Janie's society was to take care of a woman and work toward a good life. The man was suppose to be the provider. The woman was suppose to run the house, raise the children, cook and clean. Woman were to be seen but not heard. The men were dominate and women were suppose to willingly submit to men. This affects how Janie thinks that she should be treated. When Logan Killicks, her first husband, wants Janie to start doing work that Janie considers men's work Janie refused to do it. She was not going to do work that she thought was men's work. Joe Starks and Tea Cake treat Janie more like how she expects to be treated as a woman. Both men take care of her and give her everything that she wants. They both did not want Janie to have to worry about things like money. I think over time women have been able to breakdown housewife image that is thrust upon women. However at the same time I do think that women are still seen as the weaker sex.
ReplyDeleteSince this novel takes place when an abundance of prejudice was common, the male and female roles and expectations were greatly differentiated. Then men were expected to work and bring in the finance for the family while the women were expected to stay home, cook, clean, and take care of the children. With this present, many choices were limited to such standards. The women either didn't work, or had small menial jobs that took little effort while the men took on the harder, more masculine jobs like lumberjacks and jobs of high power. It was considered asinine in those times for women to take a heavy job that called for strength or intelligence. Though, in the present day, these standards have been broken for the most part and men and women have become more equal. It wouldn't be considered odd for a woman to be a governor or a man to be working at an art shop anymore as it would be to see the previous expected jobs of a man or woman. But, in some ways it hasn't changed, as people today still expect women to rather doing small things and be pampered by their husband or a man wanting to take the more masculine jobs.
ReplyDeleteGender plays a big role on the characters in "Their Eyes Were Watching God." During the time period of this novel males and females had very different expectations in the eyes of society. A man's place was working on a farm or running a business to take care of his family while a woman's place was doing the housework and just being for show. Throughout the book Janie struggles with the limitations that come with being a woman at this time. When married to Joe, her opinions and thoughts were not valued by Joe because in his mind she was just his trophy wife, there to clean and cook for him, and nothing else. Since Joe was a man and the mayer of their town as well, he considered himself the superior in their relationship and often didn't listen to what Janie had to say. This angered Janie and eventually caused her to not respect Joe and speak out anyway. The roles of males and females has improved a lot since this time. Nowadays women have jobs that used to only be held by men, women's opinions are valued more and they also can support a family on their own.
ReplyDeleteIn this novel, gender plays a huge role in society. The households in "Their Eyes Were Watching God", there were clear places for the man and the woman. The woman was behind the stove in the kitchen or cleaning, and the man was either at his job paying for the bills or keeping his woman in line. There were not very many exceptions. During this time period in the story it was very uncommon for women to have even minor jobs. Men were expected to have jobs that required an adundance of strength or power. For example, Janie had dinner made for Jody almost every single night while he was out at the store or buying something for the town. And when she was not working hard behind the stove she was working at the store without the privilege of being able to talk to people. During this time in Janie's life she learned to get through the day with very little human contact besides talking to customers. Which I think is just horrible.
ReplyDeleteSociety's views on gender have changed in the years since the time period in the book, but to an extent. Women now can have jobs that require strength and power but men are still favored for those jobs. One aspect stayed the same for sure. Men will always have the upperhand in this worlds society.
In the society in the novel it seems that because she is Jody's wife, Janie, is held back. He gets annoyed when she talks with other men, and how they touch and look at her hair. The people of the town have said she is a brilliant speaker, but because of Jody this gift is held back merely because she is a woman and she belongs to him. Nowadays women are listened to just as well as a man is. On another hand when letters are adressed it is sometimes signed mr.and mrs. male's name which leads to the thought that the woman in the relationship still belongs to the man.
ReplyDeleteBecause of societal roles in the novel Janie finds her self being told what to do, when to do it, and how to do it, along with most of the other female characters. Completely out of her comfort zone Janie listens to Starks for many years wasting her time away in the store working for him all day. She is yelled at for talking to the men on the porch, for doing her work wrong, and for wanting to just be herself. Women in this society are expected to listen strictly to what their husbands tell them to do and nothing else, they are treated as a different kind of human race, and they are expected to follow the heels of their husbands in everything they do. Men in this society are expected to support their families because it's all the family has, they also are expected to keep their wives in line and busy because their simple minds will eventually run dry without an agenda. The people in Eatonville live like this but in the muck women can do as they please. Throughout the book Janie is kept to rules like this less and less as time goes. Once she lives with TeaCake Janie never has to worry about pleasing her husband because he is happy with whatever he gets.
ReplyDeleteIn the book "Their Eyes Were Watching God",the social life of the people in this book is determinded by the gender of the being. Men are in charge of everything that goes around inside and outside the house. The women (in the men's persective) are to look pretty,cook, and raise the kids.
ReplyDeleteJaine is stuck in this steriotypical society like all the rest of the women in the growning town she lives in. Jody, (Jaine's wife) prevents Jaine from having a voice in the town and thinks of her more as a public figure than a person. Jody wants to do all the talking and be in charge of the town. Just like any southern man at the time.
With more rights being given to women over the years and equalizing of education, Victorian soical norms have nearly depleted. But only nearly, these social biaest rules are still present in mordern day soiety. Men, on average, make more money than women. Also are promoted to high postions in comapanies. Men still have this social culture lead on women. Harrison King
In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Gender is a hot topic for many characters. The ideology of how a man and a woman should work together, or not work at all, in some instances, dictates how some relationships go along entirely. This is significant because of the focus on love and relationships throughout the novel. In the novel, a man is to work while all the wives were to be “trophy wives”, sitting around, ignoring other men besides their husbands, and to do nothing while the men went out and worked. Society’s concepts of gender roles in the novel change as the novel goes on. At the start, she dreams of being married and pampered like how her grandmother treated her. When Logan asks her to work, she runs away. Later, Tea Cake teaches her that the independence gained by working is something to love in itself, breaking many traditional gender roles. When Pheoby and the men on the porch comment on how she wears overalls like a working man, she does not take offence. Rather, she embraces the fact that people realize she is what she wants to be- independent. Gender roles have changed since the time period in the novel. Now, independence in women is more common and accepted. Men and women are on more equal footing, though like the book, they are not yet exactly equal.
ReplyDeleteIn 'Their Eyes Were Watching God', it is evident that women aren't a part of society as much as the secret gender that keeps it running. Janie's first husband is rude with her to cook for him. He has her cooking and cleaning all day. When she wants to help him she is told no! Janie's second husband Joe Starks is different with his approach. He doesn't want Janie to have to be a poor girl working any longer. So he transforms her into Mrs. Mayor. She no longer is working and doing labor, but when she wants to Joe's strick ruling hand tells her no. The man is still in control at this point but trying to give her what she never could have. Janie's last husband Tea Cake is yet again different. He treats Janie with the most respect. Like Janie's first husband, Tea Cake believes she should only havve to cook for him. But like Joe Starks, Tea Cake thinks Janie deserves everything beautiful and everything she ever wanted. But Tea Cake is the first to let Janie decide what that is. Her previous husband has decided what she wanted and who she was, though it was a fancy life. Tea Cake treated Janie like she was his best guy friend. She made her life decisions for herself. Yes she still cooked and cleaned, but she chose to work in the fields and she chose what to use her own money for. With her three husbands shows three different views of gender at the time, from views like "go make me a sandwich woman!", to "don't ever work hard because I won't let you be anything I don't want you to be", and finally "you deserve what ever you want and I'll give it to you because a woman is a goddess". I personally like Tea Cake for his understanding and respect to Janie.
ReplyDeleteIn Their Eyes Were Watching God, women were meant to be at home cooking and cleaning, and they didn't have the ability to speak their mind. Men were to do the hard work to earn the lifestyle for his wife. Janie's first husband, Logan, forces her to cook and do chores when that's what she didn't want to do. Because of Janie's decision to be who she wants to be, she left Logan for Joe Starks; who turns out to be similar to Logan. He wants her to work at the store, but she cannot mingle with the people who come and visit there. After he dies, Janie is determined to find a guy who would accept her, and she can do what she desires to do. Since then, society has accepted women to work along with men in the working world. Also, women can speak their minds in politics, major jobs in corporations, etc. Generally, on top of working, women still do the majority of the cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the family. Men have changed and help more around the house, but all together, the role of men hasn't changed.
ReplyDeleteGender plays a significant role throughout the novel "Their Eyes Were Watching God". Back in this society, women were excpected to stay at home to cook and clean. They were to obey everything their husband said. Men, however, were in complete control. They were the ones who went out to work everyday and made the money. The idea that men were stonger and had all control over women bothered Janie. She did not believe that should be the case. The expectations of masculinity and femininity strongly affect Janie's life. She does not follow the expectations and starts to live life as she wants to. Another character driven by the expectations of gender is Joe Starks. He believes men have complete power over women. He bosses Janie around and forces her to work the store. He does not allow her to go out and forces her to put her hair up so other men can not see. However, Tea Cake is competely different than Joe Starks. All he wants is for Janie to be happy. He allows Janie to do things other women did not do, such as working in the fields with him, fishing, and teaching her to shoot a gun. Janie and Tea Cake defied the typical husband/wife relationship of this time. Over time, society's concept of gender roles has changed immensely. Women now work along side men and have more power than ever before. The roles of men and women are becoming more and more equal as time goes on.
ReplyDeleteIn the novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, gender plays a major role in society. Men are expected to be the more dominant of the two genders, powerful, and controlling of their wives and children. Women on the other hand, are expected to be cooking and cleaning and bending to the every whim and request of their husband. Throughout the novel, Janie’s life is plagued by dominating males. In her first marriage (to Logan Killicks), she is at first allowed to stay inside and carry out her household duties until her husband thinks she is too spoiled and says that she must help him with the farm work. Unhappy, Janie runs off and marries Joe Starks, who turns out to be even more dominating than her first husband. When Joe finds out that many of the men in town were eyeing Janie’s beautiful hair, he demands that she tie it up, so that way only he can enjoy the beauty of her hair. Even when she is married to Tea Cake, who seems to be a much better husband than the first two, hits her simply to show that he is the dominant figure in the relationship. Since this time, our society has undergone quite a few changes. Women nowadays can hold most of the same jobs as men, can vote, and can choose whether or not they stay home or work. However, there are still a select few that believe that a women’s place is in the kitchen, despite the fact that women are now just as successful as men.
ReplyDeleteIn the novel "Their Eyes Were Watching God", there is a fine line between male and female roles. Men work hard to raise money for the family and they have superiority over the females. The Females are to be housewives, sit home and cook while tending for the children. Since this novel was written many things have changed. Men and women are practically equal. In some cases roles are switched, the women go out to work while the men stay home with the children. Women rights are just as equal as the men; they can vote,have any job they want, and become successful in whatever they desire. In the novel the men showed who was boss by making the women wear certain clothing or he would slap her. For example Joe Starks made Janie dress in specific clothes and wear her hair up so it wouldn't show. Each one of Janie's husbands had different ways of showing superiority. Mr. Killicks in the beginning spoiled Janie with whatever she wanted to a certain extent. He later told Janie that she needs to hold up her end of the relationship and e cant be spoiling her anymore. So Janie Left him for Joe Starks. Joe would slap her to show her he was in power so she wouldn't do anything bad. After he died Janie married Tea Cake who had a different way of handling things. Tea Cake wasn't controlling nor was he abusive like the others. He was the man of the house so he went off to work for Janie, he did everything he could for her and he still showed he was boss with out being aggressive.
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ReplyDeleteGender plays a major role in the book 'Their Eyes Were Watching God'. Women were basically to cook, clean, and do as the men asked. Janie's first husband, Logan Killicks, let her cook and clean, until he felt she was too spoiled, and made her work alongside him on the farm. When she first met Joe Starks, who became her second husband, he told her that a woman doesn't deserve to be treated the way she is. After they got married and moved to Eatonville, his actions towards her had contradicted what he originally told her. He made her cook, clean, and run the store. She was not to talk back to him, and could not indulge in the same activities as the men, such as checkers because he feels she is not smart enough. Roughly 9 months after Joe's death, Tea Cake comes to the store while every one else in the town was at a baseball game. Off the bat, he treats he the way she should be treated, with respect. He also teaches he how to play checkers. They soon got married. While they were married, he had taught and let her do things she wasn't allowed to do in her past marriages. He taught her how to shoot a gun, and include in conversations with him and his friends. Once in a while he would hit her to prove he had dominance. Since this time period, women were given more rights and privileges, but men still remain mostly dominant.
ReplyDeleteIn the novel "Their Eyes Were Watching God" gender play a major role in every day society. Women were always thought to be behind the scenes; cleaning, cooking, and taking care of their families. Men would work, deal with he money and control the family. In her first marriage Janie was doing everything her grandma told her to, marrying someone for safety and not for love. She was always forced to hold her tongue with her second husband, Joe Starks, because she was the mayor's wife she was not to lower her class. Janie, as most women were, always has been told what to do by men. Joe told her to wear her hair up, Mr. Killicks told her she had to start earning her keep. Tea Cake starts to open Janie's mind and lets her explore her own interests. Men showed dominance, while women just put up with it. Today, women have just as much right and act and expect to be treated just like any man.
ReplyDeleteGender roles utterly control the way society functions in "Their Eyes Were Watching God". Men are the breadwinners, and the almighty kings of their castle. They handle money, control social situations, and are focused on building their status. Women are the accessory figure in a marriage/household. They are treated with less respect than that of the man, and are responsible for maintaining everything, and assisting their man in pursuits of their success. This chauvinistic structure is definitely a contributor to Janie's love life misery. Logan was not nearly as bad as Joe, but he still forced Janie to start working hard (which was a major change from life with her grandmother). Joe, on the other hand, was using Janie in a slave-like manner. She handled the business he ran, while he worked towards other things. Not only did he do this, but he sheltered her from social matters to make them seem pretentious. In our society, this concept of gender roles has changed a large amount. While there are statistics showing how women still earn less than men, they have come a long way in a short time. Gender stereotypes still exist today, but there are millions of women that have broken them, and lead society towards total equality.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the novel, gender plays a very important role. Women were forced to behave a certain way, dress a certain way, and they were never aloud to voice their opinions. The men were always superior to the women and they always had to show their power over them. Women had to work around the house, attend to their children, and they had to obey their husband's rules. Men, being the dominant gender, were able to do whatever they wanted. In "Their Eyes Were Watching God", Logan Killicks and Joe Starks made Janie feel like she wasn't as high of an importance as they were. When Janie finally met Tea Cake, he helped her realize that your gender shouldn't condemn you to a certain role or way you should be. Overtime, women have gotten more freedom and are now aloud to do things that would be considered unspeakable from the times when women were discriminated against the men.
ReplyDeleteThe traditional gender roles shown in "Their Eyes Were Watching God" are extremely prominent throughout the novel. In the time and place of the story, men are considered to be the leaders of society, while women are considered to exist solely to make men happy. The men of this time were free to make their own decisions, while women were only allowed as much freedom as their male superiors allowed. The traditional gender roles are prominently displayed through Logan Killicks and Jody Starks, Janie's first two husbands. Both of these men use Janie for their own purposes, while neither gave her the freedom or affection that she desired. In modern society (at least in this country), gender roles have been almost completely shattered. While some inequalities and stereotypes still exist, for the most part, men and women have become equally powerful members of society.
ReplyDeleteIn "Their Eyes Were Watching God" gender plays a heavy role in the lives of the characters. Janie's grandmother insists that the only way Janie will be secure is if she marries Logan Killicks. Throughout the book Janie's life is dictated by men. For example, Joe Starks tries to mold Janie into the mayor's wife. To be a man in Janie's time period means having the ability to provide for and protect your family. To be a woman means staying at home, not having an opinion, and practically acting like an object. For example, when Janie is married to Joe Starks he tells her not to socialize with the men outside the store because it would make her look common and would not look good for her. Although most gender roles are gone today there are a few that still linger. For the most part, women and men are equal now and any unequal areas will probably be solved in the near future.
ReplyDeleteIn Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston demonstrates the differences in roles of gender, during the post-civil war era, through stories about Janie and her three husbands. During Janie’s marriage to Joe, she was viewed differently from the other women in her African American town. In fact, people claimed that her high class and status was similar to that of a white woman during that period of time. Janie was expected to keep to herself and not mingle with the people in her town. Joe, himself, expected Janie to avoid any social interaction and often used Janie as the center of his jokes. In our society day, the gap between genders with regard to their place in society has become more equal. For example, women have more opportunities such as choice of occupation, whether they marry or not, and where they choose to live.
ReplyDeleteThe gender roles in "Their Eyes Were Watching God" is commonly viewed as the traditional placing of men and women. In the society presented in "Their Eyes Were Watching God" men are viewed as the leader of their homes, and the breadwinners. Their wives and children are to follow their rules and not ask questions or step out of line. Women in said society are to stay home, tend for their homes and families, and stay under their husbands leadership. They are viewed as obedient to their husbands and all men for that matter, and there is no question that women are not to be placed higher than men. The expectations of masculinity and femininity appears to cause Janie to always be suppressed of her opinion. When she is working in the store for Joe Sparks, the men are always having conversations, but she can't put a comment in. The expectation of women is to listen and say nothing because they are not to be seen as equal to men. Joe Sparks is driven by the expectations of gender in society also. The town he creates looks up to him. He plays the traditional male role; the leader, provider, and isn't questioned. Society's concept of gender roles has slowly equaled out over time. Women and men can occupy the same jobs. Women have a say in both small and large matters of daily life and in our country. Though only few problems remain-such as unequal pay of men and women- they have a fair chance of being resolved in the not so far off future.
ReplyDeleteIn "Their Eyes Were Watching God" Janie is greatly affected by gender. Throughout her entire life she struggles to act how society thinks she should act. Females in this novel are supposed to do all of the domestic work and they are under control of their husbands. Janies's decision to leave Logan Killicks was because he was making her work on the farm. Joe Starks takes on the role of the typical male in the novel. He controls Janie, works, and is respected. Janie's life is significantly ruled by society's expectations of masculinity and femininity. In the begining, everything Janie did was to please society's views. Toward the end, she finally goes against how a woman should act. Society's concept of gender roles has changed a lot, like that it's normal for a woman to work. People will always be judged around how society's gender expectations are viewed.
ReplyDeleteIn Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie's gender affected her greatly. The lives Janie had in each of her marriages were very different since her husbands all had different views of a woman's place. Joe wanted her to be quiet, keep her hair pulled back and be a polite, easy looking decoration. Tea Cake was controlling to Janie when he whipped her. Janie also did whatever Tea Cake wanted her to do. Gender roles have long since changed from the times when women were decorations to be seen and not heard. Now some women are strong and independent and don't even need a man. However, some people still want women to stay at home.
ReplyDeleteIn this particular novel, the characters gender affects their lives a lot as the southern society they live is based totally on gender-stereotypes. Women and men have their identities basically pinned on them. Men are expected to be strong and manly at all times- doing the arduous labor, preparing the meat, going to work (making money for the family), and the like. Woman are expected to stay home, do the cleaning, cook meals, and so on. This stereotyping has a direct effect on the characters decisions, and in turn their lives as well. For instance, when Janie decides to comply to her societies demand of marriage on women, she finds herself stuck in a dull and loveless marriage. This leads Janie to run off in attempt to escape the chains of her pigeonhole society, which alters her life in the end. Unfortunately, Janie finds herself trapped in another gender-stereotypical society in Eatonville. Here, Janie’s life is based upon her gender. Her husband, the mayor, does not allow her to partake in any “male” activities (like checkers) and constantly puts her down so as to put her in her “proper place” as a woman. This constant put down by gender stereotypes forces Janie to again run away in attempt to escape such societal bonds. Thus, Janie’s life is altered once more by society’s overly strict standards. Janie is not the only one affected by the gender roles though. Joe Starks, Janie’s second husband, is a perfect example of his gender role. He tries so hard to be masculine and strapping in the eyes of society that his gender role becomes the only thing truly important to him in life. This is made clear when Starks hits Janie when she stands up for herself and causes him to lose some of his manliness. Luckily, the gender roles of society have changed from since such a time. Women are now able to do more “manly” jobs and have gained more independence alltogether. However, society still has its sexist labels on woman as “sandwich-makers” and the like. Thus, even though women have gained much more respectability they are still not placed equally with men.
ReplyDeleteIn this particular novel, the characters gender affects their lives a lot as the southern society they live is based totally on gender-stereotypes. Women and men have their identities basically pinned on them. Men are expected to be strong and manly at all times- doing the arduous labor, preparing the meat, going to work (making money for the family), and the like. Woman are expected to stay home, do the cleaning, cook meals, and so on. This stereotyping has a direct effect on the characters decisions, and in turn their lives as well. For instance, when Janie decides to comply to her societies demand of marriage on women, she finds herself stuck in a dull and loveless marriage. This leads Janie to run off in attempt to escape the chains of her pigeonhole society, which alters her life in the end. Unfortunately, Janie finds herself trapped in another gender-stereotypical society in Eatonville. Here, Janie’s life is based upon her gender. Her husband, the mayor, does not allow her to partake in any “male” activities (like checkers) and constantly puts her down so as to put her in her “proper place” as a woman. This constant put down by gender stereotypes forces Janie to again run away in attempt to escape such societal bonds. Thus, Janie’s life is altered once more by society’s overly strict standards. Janie is not the only one affected by the gender roles though. Joe Starks, Janie’s second husband, is a perfect example of his gender role. He tries so hard to be masculine and strapping in the eyes of society that his gender role becomes the only thing truly important to him in life. This is made clear when Starks hits Janie when she stands up for herself and causes him to lose some of his manliness. Luckily, the gender roles of society have changed from since such a time. Women are now able to do more “manly” jobs and have gained more independence alltogether. However, society still has its sexist labels on woman as “sandwich-makers” and the like. Thus, even though women have gained much more respectability they are still not placed equally with men.
ReplyDeleteIn this book gender plays a huge role throughout the story. The men were ment to work outside of the house and privide for the entire family. The women were supposed to work around the house and keep it nice. Throughout the years the image of women has changed. Women have taken more of what would have been called manly jobs and tasks , instead of their more formal and traditional jobs around the house. Even though women have taken a huge step in society they still haven't been put up equal to men.
ReplyDeleteDuring the era of Their Eyes were Watching God, the roles of men and women were very different in society. Most men worked hard to make a living and provide for their wife or family. They made most of the decisions leaving women without a say. Throughout the time Janie was with Jody, she didn't have much of a say in anything. Jody clearly believes that women don't have the same rights as men do. He believes men are higher than women in society. I feel like this provokes Janie to want to prove Jody wrong and show him she is worth more than what he makes her out to be. Over time, Janie realizes that she has the same abilities as men do and that women are just as important as them.
ReplyDeleteSociety pressures several characters into their gender roles throughout “Their Eyes Were Watching God”. No-one cared about society’s opinion more than Jody Starks. He lived under the illusion that only men can have strength, respect or a voice. In his marriage with Janie, his beliefs made the relationship very unbalanced. He felt a need to constantly show his dominance over Janie in public. He also restrained Janie from giving speeches, playing checkers, and socializing with the townspeople. When Janie attacked Jody’s masculinity, he thought he lost everything. No-one viewed him as the powerful young man with a perfect wife as he once was.
ReplyDeleteIn the novel "Their Eyes were Watching God" they way society depicts opposite genders has changed throughout time. In this story, the men are viewed as the leaders while women played no more than supporting role. This can be shown be the daily lives men and women play as men provide physical labor outside of the home while women manage their life and the life of the family in the home.
ReplyDeleteJody believed in this type of lifestyle and felt that men were more "superior" than women while Janie goes beyond the fixed mindset of society and believes that both genders are equal. In today's world much has changed in the roles men and women have. Nowadays most are treated equal and are expected to by having equal treatment and equal opportunity.
Being a man or women in Their Eyes Were Watching God has a huge impact on the character's live's throughout the novel. If you're a male you are looked at as a higher person with more control in society. Janie is known as beautiful women with high authority as mayor but she is also looked at as a women which means less than what she really is. Being a female and having feminine qualities entitles inferior power than a male has. Jody is driven to have the power his wife Janie has which leads to their failing marriage. The concept of gender has changed completely in this day-and-age. Its more common for a women to have opportunities and success a man can have. Although it has changed quite a bit, it is still hard for women to be looked at as powerful through the eyes of men.
ReplyDeleteIn "Their Eyes were Watching God", gender seems only to be an issue to a select few of black males. Most of the natives of Eatonville seem to cherish Janie's independence, after she confronted jody. However, there are some "expectations" for both males and females- like there are in most societies. The expectations are those bound to most human cultures, although they manifest themselves in different forms: the men are to be confident, have power, be in control of themselves and their wives, have "high status" women as their wives, and be hard workers. Women follow the traditional feminine expectations: they are to be beautiful, with great bodies and long hair; they are to be subordinate to their husbands, and they are to support his decisions, whatever they might be. These "expectations" seem to effect Janie's life in the way they would affect any other woman of that time period; she is expected to cook, clean, be beautiful, and support her husband, which holds back her curiosity of the world and her sense of exploration. Those with corrupted character- Jody, Tea Cake, and Logan- seem to be the ones in the novel that expect the most of Janie, and want her to follow society's definition of gender roles. Things do seem to be changing for the better in society, but a major flaw still exists that is preventing progress: people seem to see themselves as, and be proud of the fact, that they are women, men, gay, straight, black, hispanic, white, etc. This is a horribly wrong approach to take; progress can only be made if we strip ourselves of these "groupings" and see ourselves for our cores- that we are all individuals, not different groups. For a truly open minded society of freedom and tolerance to be created, we must see ourselves as individuals, not black, white, gay, straight, male, or female.
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