Task #1
Janie sees maturity
Janie seeks reason
Janie finds meaning
Task #2
TEWWG is a novel about the statures of growth. As part
of the growing experience, acceptance is a needed virtue. The idea of growth
also parallels with the other texts that we have read from the beginning of the
school year. First of all, the novel parallels with the poem “The Poison
Tree” by William Blake. “And it grew both day and
night. Till it bore an apple bright.”(Blake) is a line that shows in
which the growing process is a slow and steady ideal. However, the novel also
manages to say that the growing process can bring in meanings which are bright
as that of the apple. Therefore, it can be seen that life is a system in which
an ideal is searched for. For a more darker connection, “The Black Walnut
Tree,” by Mary Oliver along with the TEWWG novel shows that the power of
growing involves very darker times. For example, Janie underwent many dark times
with Logan Killicks and Jody Stark, before she found the perfect soul mate, Tea
Cake. The poem itself only takes a small section of the growth process where
the struggling occurs, which is battle against the mortgage. In addition, the
novel and poem both connect at an instant in which there are sacrifices. The
main narrator of the poem is in the debate of sacrificing the Black Walnut
Tree, while Janie, in some instances, sacrificed her personal independence for
the sake of love. As said by Janie “she saw her life like a great tree in life
with things suffered, things enjoyed, things done and undone,” (Hurston 8).
Task #3
Both the play of Hamlet and the novel of TEWWG, parallel with the idea
of destruction caused by the emotion of love. Janie and Ophelia both care the
tender and innocent nature of being submissive. As Hamlet was to Ophelia, Janie
had her two husbands similar to the characteristics of Hamlet. They wanted
Janie to abide by their rules, which Janie did without question. In addition,
they would psychologically abuse her similar to how Hamlet did to Ophelia.
Hamlet says “get thee to the nunnery,” (3.1.119), which is similar to the idea
of how Jody Starks insults Janie with his speech about her social stature and
age. There comes a time in which these characters start to fight back directly
or indirectly. Their moves trigger the male to step down from his domination.
It comes to the scenario in which the male must now depend on the female. In
Hamlet, the death of Ophelia strikes him emotionally, in which he starts to
confess about his love for her. He sees that his love for Ophelia to be more
emotionally striking than of the death of his father. In Janie’s instance, she
talks back at Jody Starks which immediately triggers a sense of insecurity
within the male. Janie says to her husband, “you have tuh have power tuh free
things and dat makes you lak un king uh something ,” (Hurston 57). This
immediately causes for the male to step down and ask for mercy. Therefore, both
the novel and play talk about the destruction of the male when he falls into
the contraption of love.
