Love is obviously one of the major themes of Their
Eyes Were Watching God. Throughout the story, Janie searches for the kind
of love she's always wanted, a kind of love that is as beautiful and true as
what she saw between a bee and a pear tree blossom. However, it's not until
after experiencing many other different types of love that Janie gets the kind
of love she truly desires.
Nanny, Janie's grandmother, gave her a protective love.
Because Nanny wanted Janie to have a better life than she did, she arranged
Janie's marriage to Logan Killicks in hopes that Janie would be safe, telling
her that love will come with marriage. With Logan, Janie has a sense of
security, since Logan is wealthy. However, Janie is not satisfied with this,
and she realizes that Nanny was wrong for saying that love comes with
marriage.
When Joe Starks appears, Janie is provided with an escape
from this unsatisfying love with Logan. She leaves Logan for Joe, thinking that
she'll finally be treated like a lady and that she'll find true love with Joe.
However, this is not so. Joe shows her a possessive love by ordering her
around, forbidding her to do certain things, and treating her as an item.
After Joe dies, Janie finally finds true love with the
charming Tea Cake Woods. Although there is a big age difference between them,
Janie still can't help but fall in love with him. Janie leaves behind
everything she knows for Tea Cake, and embraces her new life and new friends in
the Everglades.
As Janie searches for love, she gradually becomes stronger
inside and gains independence. When Hurston, the author, published this book in
1937, such strong female roles in literature were uncommon. Hurston might have
chosen to portray Janie as a strong, independent woman in order to encourage
other women and show them that opportunities do exist for them.
