<P> Throughout the novel, Hurston vividly displays how African American women are valued, or devalued, in their marital relationships . By doing so, she takes the reader on a journey through Janie's life and her marriages . Janie formed her initial idea of marriage off the image of unity she witnessed between a pear tree and a bee . This image and expectation sets Janie up for disappointment when it finally came time to marry . From her marriage to Logan Killicks to Tea Cake, Janie was forced to acknowledge where she stood as a female in her relationship . </P> <P> Starting with her marriage to Logan, Janie was put in a place where she was expected to work . On top of all the physical labor expected from her, Janie endured physical beatings from her male counterpart . Hoping for more value, Janie decides to leave Logan and run off with Joe Starks . However, in reaction to this decision, she's only faced with more beating and devaluement . Joe expected her stay in the home, work in the kitchen, and when she was in public, Janie was expected to cover her hair and avoid conversation with the locals . With one last hope, Janie engaged in a marriage with Tea Cake, a much younger soul, and things finally seemed to look up for her, even though she was still expected to help in the fields and tend to her womanly duties . Overall, throughout her marriages, Janie experienced the hardships that most African American women went through at that time . From the physical labor to the physical beatings, Janie was presented with the life that a woman was expected to live . (See detailed argument and synopsis in Addison Gayle, Jr.'s article, "The Outsider") </P> <P> Janie is the narrator and protagonist of her own story . She spends the novel seeking a voice for herself which she achieves in the end of her story . Later in her life, Janie is able to sit on her own porch and chat just like the men . Throughout the novel, there is a strong use of dialect and colloquial language which reiterates that this is a story of a black woman from the South . </P> <P> While the novel is written about black people in the South, it is not primarily a book about racism . Nanny is the first character to mention the notion of slavery . "Ah was born back due in slavery so it wasn't for me to fulfil my dreams of whut a woman oughta be and to do . Dat's one of de hold - backs of slavery ." The novel, while mentioning the issue of racism between the white and black communities, depicts the treatment of minorities within the black community . Starks is compared to as the master of the plantation due to his huge house in the centre of the town . "The rest of town looked like servants' quarters surrounding the' big house' . Starks becomes a figure of authority in the town due to his access to money and his determination to create the first black town . However his plans of creating a town in which blacks can live as equals creates a hierarchy between the townsfolk . "Us talks about de white man keepin' us down! Shucks! He don't have tuh . Us keeps our own selves down ." The divide between the black community is not only seen in Eatonville . When Janie marries Tea Cake and moves to the Everglades she becomes friendly with a woman named Mrs. Turner . Mrs. Turner compliments Janie on her light skin and her Caucasian features . She disagrees with Janie's marriage to Tea Cake, since he is darker skinned with more African features . Mrs. Turner tries to get Janie to leave Tea Cake and marry her brother, Mr. Turner . This results in Tea Cake's jealousy and distrust of Mrs. and Mr. Turner . </P>

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