It is in this context that Janie seems to fluctuate throughout the novel. At the end of chapter three Janie learns that marriage does not make love and although she was not interested emotionally or physically to Logan she submitted to her Grandmother’s push to marry him. Janie finds herself in a rather stable economic state with Logan, there is food and a house, but her relationship with Logan is rather dry and pitiful. The idea of romance with Logan seems to really disgust her and she does not really seem to understand his actions. An example of Janie not being interested in Logan can be found in chapter 3 when Janie shares her feelings towards her grandmother about Logan, Janie says, “Ah’d ruther be shot wid tacks than tuh turn over in de bed and stir up air whilst he is in dere.” The grandmother had earlier pointed out that Logan “Got a house bought and paid for and sixty acres uh land right on de big road.” The assets that Logan has do not seem to impress Janie and she feels obligated to be obedient towards here grandmothers advice about the matter. It is have this decision to marry Logan that she expresses a change in her understanding about marriage and that it did not make love. Finally, Janie does not seem to understand Logan, after being called out to the barn Janie sees that Logan is leaving, she asks, “Where you goin’?” he responds “Over tuh Lake City tuh see man about uh mule.” Janie does not understand why Logan needs two mules. There just does not seem to be any connection between Logan and Janie, although her economic needs are met, something still seems to be missing.
The next socio-economic context that Janie finds herself in is when she decides to leave Logan for Joe Starks. The first thing that the reader learns about Joe is that he is a “stylish dressed man” and it seems as though she is attracted to Joe more than she is to Logan. As Janie gets to know Joe a little bit more at the water pump the learner learns that Joe is very wealthy, “been workin’ for white folks,” and was interested in becoming a part of the “town all outa colored folks.” Joe was also someone that she could talk to, a piece to Logan and Janie’s relationship that was never there. Janie ends up leaving Logan for Joe, moving to the all colored town and watches as her husband rises to the top of the colored society in the town while she runs the town store. Janie finds herself in a different socio economic context again with Joe, yet as their relationship continues Janie is still in search of the horizon, she feels that her personality is being bound by Joe, and although she was all the money and comforts that she wants something still seems to be missing.
The third and final socio-economic context that Janie is in comes after the death of her second husband Joe. Shortly after his death Janie meets another man, Tea Cake. It is her relationship with Tea Cake that she begins to realize what a relationship is truly about. It seems that will the first two men, financial stableness, a nice home, and even attractiveness did not satisfy her with Joe because he eventually got old and fat. Tea Cake comes along and treats Janie as an individual, as an equal in the relationship. Tea Cake seems to have no promise of money and as the story continues he learn that he has periods of irresponsibility. Something that Joe and Logan did not seem to have. It is with Tea Cake that she does not feel bound, even though financial at times they were. Janie also builds relationships with other people in the town and become rather popular which is also a significant difference from her previous relationship situations.
Political Context
The only area of politics that Janie seems to be involved in would be her relationship to Joe Starks, her second husband, who was the mayor of Eatonville. The reader learns that this is the first all colored community. Although slavery has ended, there still seems be much disconnect with blacks, whites, and Indians. This become quite clear at the end of the story when the Indians are passing by to get to high ground and Janie does not think highly of them, “Indians are dumb anyhow, always were,” and when the whites and blacks that died in the hurricane are being buried different. There does seem to be some connections that Tea Cake and Janie make with the “American crowd” due to their presents in the “Glades.” Tea Cake also seems to be turned off to the most of the white community when he voices his concern of Mrs. Tuner’s comments about black people.
Arts & Entertainment Cultural Context
There is not much mentioned during Janie’s short relationship with Logan, but during her relationship with Joe, the topic of playing checkers comes up and Joe does not think Janie could handle the game mentally and orders her back to working in the town store. In chapter six there is also the introduction of “the mule-talkers” this seems to be a type of entertainment for the people of Eatonville where they get to make fun and crack jokes about “Matt Bonner’s yellow mule.” There also seems to be discussions on the porches that are more then just gossip sessions that seems to be a form of entertainment for the culture. There seems to be a topic and two or three people engage in an rational argument, making there cases about the way something is or isn’t. When Tea Cake and Janie move to the glades and make friends with the white people there seems to be dances that are held nightly around a fire which would be both part of the arts and entertainment in this context. Janie also learns how to fish and shoot a gun from Tea Cake. There is also the reference right before the coming of the hurricane to people dancing to the picking of a guitar, so there seems to also be a musical aspect to Janie’s culture.
Completed by: Grant Bostrom
