Journal #1- Their Eyes Were Watching God

1.) I perceive Janie as a young beautiful woman that seeks something that even she is confused on. I feel that in this first chapter alone it is clear that Janie does not have a lot of power where she lives, and struggles to find her place in her community and her only help it seems is Phoeby. It is obvious that she is disliked among her community " Seeing the woman as she was made them remember the envy they had stored up from other times. So they chewed up the back parts of their minds and swallowed with relish."(pg.2) In this quote the people that remember her only remember her for the bad things that she has done and are quickly to judge her. Janie easily grabs the attention of men through her body " The men noticed her firm buttocks like she had grape fruits in her hip pockets; the great rope of black hair swinging to her waist and unraveling in the wind like a plume; then her pugnacious breasts trying to bore holes in her shirt." (pg.2) I think this could be why Janie is disliked among her community, because of the fact that she has something that other women want and therefore are quickly judge many bad things about her.

2.) It is clear that the narrator has a feminine view on things which is carried on throughout the rest of the book. She uses a lot of metaphors that convey a really strong message to the audience. She writes in third person omniscient to provide a truth about certain things " Phoeby eager to feel and do through Janie, but hating to show her zest for fear it might be thought mere curiosity." (pg.7). In addition the narrator when talking conveys many facts that she thinks are true and you are able to see the author's voice come through.

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