In the novel "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston, three major characters obtained personal fulfillment through means of power and conquest. Janie finds true love and inner meaning with Tea Cake, Jody controls Janie, and Tea Cake supports his loving wife.
Firstly, Janie obtains fulfillment by experiencing true love. As a child, she never truly understood herself. She did not even realize that she was black until she saw a picture of herself. Her lost sense of identity is effectively shown when people call her by different names. She gets married multiple times, but marriage does not always equal love. "You ain't got no particular place. It's wherever Ah need yuh. Git uh move on yuh, and dat quick" says Logan, her husband (31). Janie's other husband, Jody, constantly restricted her by forcing her to be silent and to tie her hair a certain way.
Zora Neale Hurston, beating the hountar, or mama d...
Zora Neale Hurston, American author. Deutsch: Zora...
Zora Neale Hurston Photographer: Carl Van Vechten....She was not happy until she eventually figured out that true love was what she desired.
Then, she meets Tea Cake, an energetic young man. Tea Cake shows Janie that she is beautiful and exposes her individuality. Her husband's true love passes the test during the great hurricane, where he sacrificed his life in order to save Janie's. By searching for love and finding it within Tea Cake, Janie gains personal fulfillment via conquest.
Secondly, Janie's husband, Jody, wants nothing else but to control her. "Why, Janie! You wouldn't be seen at uh draggin'-out, wouldja?" says Joe (60). Joe wants to know where Janie is at all times. He is cruel and arrogant; as a mayor, he treats Janie like an object. As mentioned before, Jody silences Janie and requires her to tie her hair up in a crude show of ownership. Before...