I am excited to read Hurston's book with you. I was never assigned this book in any of my classes, and when I read it last summer I was embarrassed to realize that I had somehow overlooked one of the most amazing masterpieces in our literature. This is one of my favorite books. I am curious to see what you all think. The novel is tight, but perhaps not quite as tight as Gatsby, and I'm afraid you might feel it's a let-down, but I think it is very nearly as intensely written, and Hurston performs much more amazing feats of ventriloquism than Fitzgerald attempts. I hope you end up seeing that this book is as virtuosic as Gatsby, and maybe even more mature, because less ironic.
CHAPTERS 10-13 These chapters seem much more eventful, and kind of releasing for Janie. For so long, she had been stifled by Jody, and the dominant voices in the last couple of chapters before this seemed to be the men talking outside the store. The book was focused more around the feeling of the town and the slow injustices of Janie's married life. It did not include much of Janie's own expression- we got little about her own feelings and experiences, and even less of her dialogue. In these chapters, however, Janie is suddenly once again taking the center position in the novel. She is no longer Mrs. Starks, the mayor's wife. It seems that in her romance with Tea Cake, Janie is able to return to her younger state of hopefulness and faith in the love she saw among the bees and the flowers of the pear tree. It's like she was somewhat hidden all along, during her marriage to Jody, and now she has come forward again, after just enough time for us to forget that she had, in fact, been repressed in her expression and that she is truly a much more free, open, and expressive person. April 28, 2011 3:46 PM
Tracey Faber said...
CHAPTERS 10-13 I agree that the point of view expressed how Janie was oppressed by her marriage, and that now she has returned from that bland hiatus and back into her real self, the jovial and expectant one of her youth. However, as idyllic as their relationship seems, it is odd how he leaves her all day and night and spends almost all her money. His reason for it, that he didn't think she would want to be with him if she saw that he was with "commoners", seemed irrelevant and insufficient. Still, he really does appear to love her. This is all very interesting plot-wise because they have gone from rural town to the city, and in such a new place all the characters can be new as well, and take on new forms. April 28, 2011 4:47 PM
The section of the book that introduces Tea Cake always worries me - I want their relationship to work so badly, as I feel like they both deserve each other. They are both open, beautiful people who sometimes sit back a little too much and let others take charge of their strength. At the same time, I always get the panicky feeling that Tea Cake has some ulterior motive; that always happens when what happens to the characters seems too good to be true. Time seems to slow down when Tea Cake is introduced; instead of making more broad, sweeping statements relating how much time has passed, Hurston focuses on the small, the seemingly irrelevant attributes that make Janie love Tea Cake: "Spices hung about him. He was a glance from God." Hurston continues with the beautiful, sweetly strange metaphors to describe different sensations and feelings: "In the cool of the afternoon the fiend from hell specially sent to lovers arrived at Janie's ear. Doubt." She does make their relationship slightly antagonistic, however, to hint at the playful nature of each of their characters, which makes their love more happy than serious: "She adored him and hated him at the same time. How could he make her suffer so and then come grinning like that with that darling way he had?" - Catherine Marris
I like this section although I am a little confused. It is nice to see Janie experiencing a little happiness, but I think that is messing with her mind. I'm not sure if Tea Cake is the right person. To meet someone and marry them as quick as she has done seems a little risky. I hope that It turns out well for her but I still have some questions about Tea cake. Why does he always leave for suck long times and then just show up instantly? I think it was also very irresponsible of him to take the money from janie and have a party. I think that this also shows that tea cake is of a much lower class than Janie right now and I wonder if she will really be able to integrate into the other side of his life.
I liked Tea Cake in chapter 10 because he treated Janie with respect. He played chess with her (which Joe forbade because he thought she was not smart enough). Also, in chapter 11, I loved the way TC and Janie went fishing in the night (seemed like a fun adventure!) and the way they stayed at Janie's home and chilled out on the sofa. However, all of the sweet moments were kind of ruined when Janie just told TC that they should not be together because of their age, and TC just left the house, heartbroken. I must say, I really enjoyed the part whereby Janie recalled her thoughts that she had under the pear tree with the bees etc. It kind of showed the significance of that moment, and showed that it was a recurring thing and not just a simple moment. I loved Catherine's thoughts on "If something is too good to be true, it usually is." I really think that Janie's ultimate search for love rather than wealth was noble. However, if it was me, I would not want to sell the store, leave town, and marry TC and give up all of my financial security. I am not trying to hope that TC and Janie would not have a happy ending, but from a practical perspective, the town is right. What if Joe really wanted to use Janie for her money? After all, Joe used to treat Janie very well too while they were still in courtship...and started treating her badly after they got married. And when I read about how Janie's 200 dollars was gone in chapter 13, I was so angry at TC. He had no right to take her money and use it. And come on, gambling the money back? That seems a little wrong to me.
Bryan- These four chapters mark a transition in Janie's life. Her new lover, Tea Cake, is young, charming, and exciting. However, I think that it was wrong of Janie to marry him so impulsively, and all of her distraught from Tea Cake's late nights and questionable decisions must fill her with some sense of contemporary regret. Despite this feeling of regret, Tea Cake seems to have the ability to make Janie feel better. For example, after taking her money and using it to have a party for him and his "low class" friends, he was able to reimburse Janie and promise her that he will provide for her. I dont believe what Tea Cake says. I think that he is still full of youth and is only looking for wealth. Janie's reputation around town was known, and its unlikely that a young man would being flirting with an old woman just because he instantaneously feels an emotional connection with her. Janie is running into problems now. Her marriage to Tea Cake was a rebellious act against her grandmother and all of the morals and direction she gave her when she was young. Janie thinks that the life opposite that her grandmother wants her to live will be the one that is right for her, but she is mistaken.
Just to clarify- if this is taking place after Jody's death, why is Tea Cake mentioned in the beginning of the book? I finally thought that Janie was getting some release from her horrible relationship with Jody, but now with Tea Cake leaving all the time, basically stealing her money.... maybe those who warned her were right.
To Dalia - The book is not written in chronological order. On a time line, the beginning of the book's scene with Tea Cake is the most present and comes after all the events being discussed later
At the beginning, when Phobie(Janie's friend) goes over to Janie to see how she is feeling, Janie then tells Phoebie what has happened to her and the story of her life...which is also the story we are reading right now. If you have ever watched the movie Prestiege it is very much the same format as that(probably less complicated though to the viewer)
I actually like Tea Cake, I think. At least so far I do, however I think something devastating is going to happen. I can feel it. I loved the last line of the thirteenth chapter, when the narrator says that janie's soul came out of its hiding place. This completely sums up her love life and how she has been hurt so many times.
At first I really liked Tea Cake then he started to make me nervous because i felt like he was going to do something very bad to Janie. I think its a big sign that everyone in the town wants to warn Janie so much about Tea Cake, so there is deffinetly part of his story we are missing and soon will find out. When Tea Cake returned after taking her money and then goes and wins the money I start to like him a lot more, because he sounds honest when he says hes going to provide for Janie.
My initial thought about Tea Cake was that he was OK because at the beginning of the book when Phoeby is talking to Janie, Janie seems to still trust and love him. But then after they moved, my opinion really changed. First, he leaves Janie all day to throw a party with her money. I understand he didn't want her there because he thought she would think badly of him, but he abandoned her all day without even bringing home the food he was supposed to first. Further, after spending all of her money, he determines to win it back through gambling, something I have a feeling will continue happening through the rest of the novel. I think it will lead to his demise because things involving switchblades usually do. Tea Cup reminds me more and more of Jody - as Jody tells Janie she shouldn't have to work, Tea Cup says she should be able to play games. They are also both very ideological and want Janie to be dependent on them. Although I don't really like Janie, I still want her to be happy, and it's too bad she always ends up with these (kind of) awful guys.
i like that Janie is starting to do something for herself that makes her happy. I also like that even though she is being harshly judged by so many people around her, she doesnt stop doing what she wants. I dont think Tea Cake is just using Janie..I think they have established a good enough relationship that she can trust him. Tea Cake is an honest man that does something not so good then redeems himself.
I think were rooting for Janie throughout the story and I loved seeing Tea Cake as the seemingly sweet guy that Janie falls for. We support him as the underdog and I really wanted to see him make Janie happy. I was so angry when Tea Cake started dissappearing on Janie. I think he's a jerk and is taking advantage of Janie and she is blinded by her love for him. I can't see them staying together for the 'happy ending' and Im starting to wonder if Janie will have her fairy tale ending.
I am happy to see Janie with another guy that seems nice and well-mannered and lets her do things that she wants. But i am also worried that he will ditch her for her money just like that other mistress described by Pheoby. I think Janie made a crucial mistake when she told Tea Cake about her money in her bank because I think Tea Cake wants to first act like he is doing something good for the family with her money. Then once she trusts him completly, he will take all of it and leave her alone.
I agree with Cindy, that when Tea Cake was the underdog it was really easy to be on his side. But now that he has Janie, he has been a really unstable husband, leaving for hours at a time, stealing her money, and getting involved in risky gambling with people who he knows are dangerous. I really think he means well that he and Janie truly love each other, but I'm just not sure their marraige is quite stable enough to handle Tea Cake's lifestyle.
Parts of me like Tea Cake while other parts of me don't. They enjoy spending time together and seem perfect for each other. Tea Cake seems to be a good husband who is ready and willing to provide for his wife. However, there some things he does that raise suspicion such as his disappearance for a whole day and his gambling. Janie being dominated by a male again is already starting to become apparent which I think foreshadows Tea Cake doing something bad to Janie.
I love Janie's practical and clearheaded view of life is. Her thought process during this "courtship" has been very logical and sequential and seems to have a broader perspective here, since she has evidently learned from her past two relationships. However, judging from the last line of chapter 13 (about Janie's soul coming out of its hiding place) I get the feeling that something devastating will happen and she will again fall victim to the men in her life.
I thought Janie was really stubborn in these chapters, especially in chapter 12. I was really surprised when she blamed Nanny for her failed marriage with Jody. Janie claimed after her marriage with Logan was over that you can't marry someone and expect to find love. However she falls in love with Jody before she marries him yet after that relationship is over she claims that until that point she has lived the way Nanny wanted her to and that it was time do it her way. But it seems to me that Nanny had nothing to do with Janie's relationship with Jody, she wasn't even alive. -Amina
I like Tea Cake. I think that his gambling is going to lead to more trouble than the incident with the knife that already occurred, but so far, he seems to be a good guy with some flaws. Janie looks past those flaws and is really happy with him and she deserves this happiness. When she was with Jody she lived in comfort but she didn't have love, and even if her relationship with Tea Cake isn't long for this world, it's something.
From the beginning it seemed Tea Cake planned to get with Janie (how is he the one person who doesn't know where the ball game is?). Once they get married this suspicious are confirmed, or at least remain, due to his disappearances and gambling.
In my opinion these last few chapters have been the weakest part of the book. Tea Cake's and Janie's sudden marriage and love-filled moments they share together are nice and all but it's making the story into a boring, gushy romance novel. I'm especially concerned that the next chapter will continue in this manner because Tea Cake tells Janie their going to the everglades so they can live the good life. Unless Janie goes back to her fiercely rebellious, radical self I'll be dissapointed
I think the most interesting part from these last few chapters, is that we actually get to hear Janie speak with another man for an extended period of time. When she was with Jody they always had short disputes and he besides this, he never really allowed her to talk. To me the way in which Janie speaks in these chapters shows me that she is happy, and is willing to change her standards for Tea Cake. It will be interesting to see whether Janie and Tea Cake's conversations remain long, youthfull, and intimate as the book goes on. Henry Lucey
I feel as if tea cake has a plan (he just wants to use janie). At time he seems ok and their relationship seems to go well. They go out to the movies and spend so much time together unlike jody and janie used to do. Other times I just feel as if he wants her money. I'm stuck in between
This section is very polarized. On the one hand Janie finally gets to experience happiness, but on the other we see the beginnings of what could be a very troubling trend for Tea Cake. His gambling problems raise lots of question about his decision making. For someone to incur debts, and associate with people that he knows to dangerous generally means they have some deep seated flaws in their decision making process.
Wow, Tea Cake is sweeter than his name. At first, I felt uneasy because he seemed a little too good to be true but after the party incident, I trust him. His desire to provide for Janie despite her wealth is admirable. The two have great chemistry, which is evident from their first conversation itself. I'm also that glad Janie is finally out of her previous town, where everyone was unbelievably nosy. In chapter 12, it was refreshing to see Janie's more mature outlook on her grandmother. Instead of just saying she "hated" her grandmother, Janie comes to term with the fact that her grandma was born and raised in a completely different environment, which made her the way she was. Now Janie's living the way she wants to, and not like the way she was taught to. So yeah. Still liking this book a lot. Everglades should be fun.
Tea Cake seems nice and to like Jaie a lot, but I don't totally trust him yet. His habit of leaving for periods of time and then returning to Janie are suspicious, and his running of with her money and then claiming to gamble in order to reimburse her is even more so. I guess I'm keeping in mind that we already know she leaves Tea Cake.
Tea Cake's brash and happy-go-lucky spontaneous personality may either open Janie's naive eyes to the beautiful world, or it may crush her blind trust and adoration for him. Her relationship with Tea Cake is bordering reverence - she was literally eating his wild, unbelievable stories out of the palm of his hand. If it were me, I'd be angry at the money that he took and spent. I look forward to Janie gaining more confidence, and I see arguments down the line regarding trust.
I'm very suspicious of Tea Cake. Janie keeps thinking that every guy is "the one". The one that will actually be right for her and they all end up bad. We know how things will eventually end with Tea Cake and I'm just waiting for him to go wrong but so far he seems like a really good choice!
I still don't trust Tea Cake. He seems to glorify himself too much, it makes his stories seem a little ridiculous and implausible. I'm suspicious that he did not get those $300 from a game of dice, especially with the cuts on his back. It seems like there is much more to Tea Cup that Janie, and the reader, is just now starting to see. I still can't decide whether he was going for Janie in the first place when he walked into her store the first time or not. But i have a feeling we are definitely going to find out.
As usual, Ariel's comment makes me think something I haven't thought before but maybe should have. Is TC too sweet? Is this too gushy? Maybe. I still like it--like Ayush, I am still liking the book a lot and I really liked the shift in Janie's view of her grandmother--that second passage about her is an explanation of and a reaction to the passage that bothered Amina...
I really like these chapters, especially when Janie firsts meets Tea Cake. He lets her talk, and play checkers, and it is just such an abrupt change for her, it's so nice to see. Like some other people said, I am worried about what will happen, and I don't want their relationship to deteriorate, but for now, I really like it.
I believe that these chapters show clearly that wealth and class are not everything for Janie. She seems to like Teacake a lot more than she ever liked Jody, because he lets her be herself more. Janie enjoys the independence and freedom of being herself much more than the wealth and class aspects in her life.
I am still dubious about Tea Cakes intentions and I worry for Janie. His actions seem very premeditated. I feel like at first his intentions were to use her for money but then as they got to know each other he may have fallen in love and thus she believed him more.
Eh I'm still on my guard right now. Tea Cakes seems like a gentlemen, but so did Logan and Jody. I still think Tea Cakes planned the whole "meeting" her bit, I mean who doesn't know where the ball game is in such a small town. It's a bit fishy but I'll go with it.
Unfortunetly some friends of mine accidentally spoiled what will happen, but anyway yeah... Tea Cake, he seems nice... the most we talked about the book was on the subject if Janie was being a jerk or not. The two in the3 group said yes, while the boy just didn't like Janie in general. Not sure if this is based on how both genders can relate to her differently, but i thought it interesting that a hefty portion of the girls don't think what Janie did was a little harsh at all. But on Friday when I was saying how Janie was a little harsh, and you (Eric) asked what she should have done. All I can say it, I don't know, she may have been able to do something in the past, but she couldn't and I am very well aware about that... Also YAY! Osama is dead.
Now that Jody has passed due to his Kidney failure, and Tea Cake seems to have taken his place I wonder what type of a lover he will be. Rude and violent like Jody or a nicer version...
Though Tea Cake's initial sweet and loving personality made me believe he was a truly caring guy, I'm starting to feel like he might be "playing" Janie, as all the townspeople believe. After all, Tea Cake's visits to Janie before they went off together were inconsistent and often just spontaneous, and his flirting seems almost a little unrealistic. I really hope that my suspicions of Tea Cake are false, because Janie truly deserves someone to love her after what she went through with Jody and even after being disappointed with her relationship with Logan.
I feel like Tea cakes is a genuinely nice man and all he wants is to have a submissive wife like the rest of Janie's suitors. Unfortunately these are the times Janie lives in, to and this is the role women are suspected to play especially in pre-Women's rights era. I feel like Janie will never actually be pleased with any man in her life, she was certainly not born for that century. --Nathan R.
In the first chapter with Tea Cake my initial reaction was that their relationship would be one demonstrating class differences. Though Janie was a women, she seemed much smarter than Tea Cake and he was very much subordinate to her. As we read on however Janie's suspicions spilled over into my own. Once again (As in My Antonia) we know some part of how the story ends. We know Janie returns to the town having left Tea Cake, but is this because he was tricking her? or did the relationship fail for other reasons
Coco said...
ReplyDeleteCHAPTERS 10-13
These chapters seem much more eventful, and kind of releasing for Janie. For so long, she had been stifled by Jody, and the dominant voices in the last couple of chapters before this seemed to be the men talking outside the store. The book was focused more around the feeling of the town and the slow injustices of Janie's married life. It did not include much of Janie's own expression- we got little about her own feelings and experiences, and even less of her dialogue. In these chapters, however, Janie is suddenly once again taking the center position in the novel. She is no longer Mrs. Starks, the mayor's wife. It seems that in her romance with Tea Cake, Janie is able to return to her younger state of hopefulness and faith in the love she saw among the bees and the flowers of the pear tree. It's like she was somewhat hidden all along, during her marriage to Jody, and now she has come forward again, after just enough time for us to forget that she had, in fact, been repressed in her expression and that she is truly a much more free, open, and expressive person.
April 28, 2011 3:46 PM
Tracey Faber said...
CHAPTERS 10-13
I agree that the point of view expressed how Janie was oppressed by her marriage, and that now she has returned from that bland hiatus and back into her real self, the jovial and expectant one of her youth. However, as idyllic as their relationship seems, it is odd how he leaves her all day and night and spends almost all her money. His reason for it, that he didn't think she would want to be with him if she saw that he was with "commoners", seemed irrelevant and insufficient. Still, he really does appear to love her. This is all very interesting plot-wise because they have gone from rural town to the city, and in such a new place all the characters can be new as well, and take on new forms.
April 28, 2011 4:47 PM
The section of the book that introduces Tea Cake always worries me - I want their relationship to work so badly, as I feel like they both deserve each other. They are both open, beautiful people who sometimes sit back a little too much and let others take charge of their strength. At the same time, I always get the panicky feeling that Tea Cake has some ulterior motive; that always happens when what happens to the characters seems too good to be true. Time seems to slow down when Tea Cake is introduced; instead of making more broad, sweeping statements relating how much time has passed, Hurston focuses on the small, the seemingly irrelevant attributes that make Janie love Tea Cake: "Spices hung about him. He was a glance from God." Hurston continues with the beautiful, sweetly strange metaphors to describe different sensations and feelings: "In the cool of the afternoon the fiend from hell specially sent to lovers arrived at Janie's ear. Doubt." She does make their relationship slightly antagonistic, however, to hint at the playful nature of each of their characters, which makes their love more happy than serious: "She adored him and hated him at the same time. How could he make her suffer so and then come grinning like that with that darling way he had?"
ReplyDelete- Catherine Marris
I like this section although I am a little confused. It is nice to see Janie experiencing a little happiness, but I think that is messing with her mind. I'm not sure if Tea Cake is the right person. To meet someone and marry them as quick as she has done seems a little risky. I hope that It turns out well for her but I still have some questions about Tea cake. Why does he always leave for suck long times and then just show up instantly? I think it was also very irresponsible of him to take the money from janie and have a party. I think that this also shows that tea cake is of a much lower class than Janie right now and I wonder if she will really be able to integrate into the other side of his life.
ReplyDeleteI liked Tea Cake in chapter 10 because he treated Janie with respect. He played chess with her (which Joe forbade because he thought she was not smart enough). Also, in chapter 11, I loved the way TC and Janie went fishing in the night (seemed like a fun adventure!) and the way they stayed at Janie's home and chilled out on the sofa. However, all of the sweet moments were kind of ruined when Janie just told TC that they should not be together because of their age, and TC just left the house, heartbroken. I must say, I really enjoyed the part whereby Janie recalled her thoughts that she had under the pear tree with the bees etc. It kind of showed the significance of that moment, and showed that it was a recurring thing and not just a simple moment.
ReplyDeleteI loved Catherine's thoughts on "If something is too good to be true, it usually is."
I really think that Janie's ultimate search for love rather than wealth was noble. However, if it was me, I would not want to sell the store, leave town, and marry TC and give up all of my financial security. I am not trying to hope that TC and Janie would not have a happy ending, but from a practical perspective, the town is right. What if Joe really wanted to use Janie for her money? After all, Joe used to treat Janie very well too while they were still in courtship...and started treating her badly after they got married.
And when I read about how Janie's 200 dollars was gone in chapter 13, I was so angry at TC. He had no right to take her money and use it. And come on, gambling the money back? That seems a little wrong to me.
Bryan- These four chapters mark a transition in Janie's life. Her new lover, Tea Cake, is young, charming, and exciting. However, I think that it was wrong of Janie to marry him so impulsively, and all of her distraught from Tea Cake's late nights and questionable decisions must fill her with some sense of contemporary regret. Despite this feeling of regret, Tea Cake seems to have the ability to make Janie feel better. For example, after taking her money and using it to have a party for him and his "low class" friends, he was able to reimburse Janie and promise her that he will provide for her. I dont believe what Tea Cake says. I think that he is still full of youth and is only looking for wealth. Janie's reputation around town was known, and its unlikely that a young man would being flirting with an old woman just because he instantaneously feels an emotional connection with her. Janie is running into problems now. Her marriage to Tea Cake was a rebellious act against her grandmother and all of the morals and direction she gave her when she was young. Janie thinks that the life opposite that her grandmother wants her to live will be the one that is right for her, but she is mistaken.
ReplyDeleteJust to clarify- if this is taking place after Jody's death, why is Tea Cake mentioned in the beginning of the book?
ReplyDeleteI finally thought that Janie was getting some release from her horrible relationship with Jody, but now with Tea Cake leaving all the time, basically stealing her money.... maybe those who warned her were right.
To Dalia - The book is not written in chronological order. On a time line, the beginning of the book's scene with Tea Cake is the most present and comes after all the events being discussed later
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning, when Phobie(Janie's friend) goes over to Janie to see how she is feeling, Janie then tells Phoebie what has happened to her and the story of her life...which is also the story we are reading right now. If you have ever watched the movie Prestiege it is very much the same format as that(probably less complicated though to the viewer)
Andrew
I actually like Tea Cake, I think. At least so far I do, however I think something devastating is going to happen. I can feel it. I loved the last line of the thirteenth chapter, when the narrator says that janie's soul came out of its hiding place. This completely sums up her love life and how she has been hurt so many times.
ReplyDeleteAt first I really liked Tea Cake then he started to make me nervous because i felt like he was going to do something very bad to Janie. I think its a big sign that everyone in the town wants to warn Janie so much about Tea Cake, so there is deffinetly part of his story we are missing and soon will find out. When Tea Cake returned after taking her money and then goes and wins the money I start to like him a lot more, because he sounds honest when he says hes going to provide for Janie.
ReplyDeleteMy initial thought about Tea Cake was that he was OK because at the beginning of the book when Phoeby is talking to Janie, Janie seems to still trust and love him. But then after they moved, my opinion really changed. First, he leaves Janie all day to throw a party with her money. I understand he didn't want her there because he thought she would think badly of him, but he abandoned her all day without even bringing home the food he was supposed to first. Further, after spending all of her money, he determines to win it back through gambling, something I have a feeling will continue happening through the rest of the novel. I think it will lead to his demise because things involving switchblades usually do.
ReplyDeleteTea Cup reminds me more and more of Jody - as Jody tells Janie she shouldn't have to work, Tea Cup says she should be able to play games. They are also both very ideological and want Janie to be dependent on them.
Although I don't really like Janie, I still want her to be happy, and it's too bad she always ends up with these (kind of) awful guys.
-Ayesha
i like that Janie is starting to do something for herself that makes her happy. I also like that even though she is being harshly judged by so many people around her, she doesnt stop doing what she wants. I dont think Tea Cake is just using Janie..I think they have established a good enough relationship that she can trust him. Tea Cake is an honest man that does something not so good then redeems himself.
ReplyDeleteI think were rooting for Janie throughout the story and I loved seeing Tea Cake as the seemingly sweet guy that Janie falls for. We support him as the underdog and I really wanted to see him make Janie happy. I was so angry when Tea Cake started dissappearing on Janie. I think he's a jerk and is taking advantage of Janie and she is blinded by her love for him. I can't see them staying together for the 'happy ending' and Im starting to wonder if Janie will have her fairy tale ending.
ReplyDeleteI am happy to see Janie with another guy that seems nice and well-mannered and lets her do things that she wants. But i am also worried that he will ditch her for her money just like that other mistress described by Pheoby. I think Janie made a crucial mistake when she told Tea Cake about her money in her bank because I think Tea Cake wants to first act like he is doing something good for the family with her money. Then once she trusts him completly, he will take all of it and leave her alone.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Cindy, that when Tea Cake was the underdog it was really easy to be on his side. But now that he has Janie, he has been a really unstable husband, leaving for hours at a time, stealing her money, and getting involved in risky gambling with people who he knows are dangerous. I really think he means well that he and Janie truly love each other, but I'm just not sure their marraige is quite stable enough to handle Tea Cake's lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteParts of me like Tea Cake while other parts of me don't. They enjoy spending time together and seem perfect for each other. Tea Cake seems to be a good husband who is ready and willing to provide for his wife. However, there some things he does that raise suspicion such as his disappearance for a whole day and his gambling. Janie being dominated by a male again is already starting to become apparent which I think foreshadows Tea Cake doing something bad to Janie.
ReplyDeleteI love Janie's practical and clearheaded view of life is. Her thought process during this "courtship" has been very logical and sequential and seems to have a broader perspective here, since she has evidently learned from her past two relationships. However, judging from the last line of chapter 13 (about Janie's soul coming out of its hiding place) I get the feeling that something devastating will happen and she will again fall victim to the men in her life.
ReplyDeleteI thought Janie was really stubborn in these chapters, especially in chapter 12. I was really surprised when she blamed Nanny for her failed marriage with Jody. Janie claimed after her marriage with Logan was over that you can't marry someone and expect to find love. However she falls in love with Jody before she marries him yet after that relationship is over she claims that until that point she has lived the way Nanny wanted her to and that it was time do it her way. But it seems to me that Nanny had nothing to do with Janie's relationship with Jody, she wasn't even alive. -Amina
ReplyDeleteI like Tea Cake. I think that his gambling is going to lead to more trouble than the incident with the knife that already occurred, but so far, he seems to be a good guy with some flaws. Janie looks past those flaws and is really happy with him and she deserves this happiness. When she was with Jody she lived in comfort but she didn't have love, and even if her relationship with Tea Cake isn't long for this world, it's something.
ReplyDeleteFrom the beginning it seemed Tea Cake planned to get with Janie (how is he the one person who doesn't know where the ball game is?). Once they get married this suspicious are confirmed, or at least remain, due to his disappearances and gambling.
ReplyDelete-Benny
In my opinion these last few chapters have been the weakest part of the book. Tea Cake's and Janie's sudden marriage and love-filled moments they share together are nice and all but it's making the story into a boring, gushy romance novel.
ReplyDeleteI'm especially concerned that the next chapter will continue in this manner because Tea Cake tells Janie their going to the everglades so they can live the good life. Unless Janie goes back to her fiercely rebellious, radical self I'll be dissapointed
I think the most interesting part from these last few chapters, is that we actually get to hear Janie speak with another man for an extended period of time. When she was with Jody they always had short disputes and he besides this, he never really allowed her to talk. To me the way in which Janie speaks in these chapters shows me that she is happy, and is willing to change her standards for Tea Cake. It will be interesting to see whether Janie and Tea Cake's conversations remain long, youthfull, and intimate as the book goes on.
ReplyDeleteHenry Lucey
I feel as if tea cake has a plan (he just wants to use janie). At time he seems ok and their relationship seems to go well. They go out to the movies and spend so much time together unlike jody and janie used to do. Other times I just feel as if he wants her money. I'm stuck in between
ReplyDeleteThis section is very polarized. On the one hand Janie finally gets to experience happiness, but on the other we see the beginnings of what could be a very troubling trend for Tea Cake. His gambling problems raise lots of question about his decision making. For someone to incur debts, and associate with people that he knows to dangerous generally means they have some deep seated flaws in their decision making process.
ReplyDeleteWow, Tea Cake is sweeter than his name. At first, I felt uneasy because he seemed a little too good to be true but after the party incident, I trust him. His desire to provide for Janie despite her wealth is admirable. The two have great chemistry, which is evident from their first conversation itself. I'm also that glad Janie is finally out of her previous town, where everyone was unbelievably nosy.
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 12, it was refreshing to see Janie's more mature outlook on her grandmother. Instead of just saying she "hated" her grandmother, Janie comes to term with the fact that her grandma was born and raised in a completely different environment, which made her the way she was. Now Janie's living the way she wants to, and not like the way she was taught to.
So yeah. Still liking this book a lot. Everglades should be fun.
Tea Cake seems nice and to like Jaie a lot, but I don't totally trust him yet. His habit of leaving for periods of time and then returning to Janie are suspicious, and his running of with her money and then claiming to gamble in order to reimburse her is even more so. I guess I'm keeping in mind that we already know she leaves Tea Cake.
ReplyDeleteTea Cake's brash and happy-go-lucky spontaneous personality may either open Janie's naive eyes to the beautiful world, or it may crush her blind trust and adoration for him. Her relationship with Tea Cake is bordering reverence - she was literally eating his wild, unbelievable stories out of the palm of his hand. If it were me, I'd be angry at the money that he took and spent. I look forward to Janie gaining more confidence, and I see arguments down the line regarding trust.
ReplyDeleteI'm very suspicious of Tea Cake. Janie keeps thinking that every guy is "the one". The one that will actually be right for her and they all end up bad. We know how things will eventually end with Tea Cake and I'm just waiting for him to go wrong but so far he seems like a really good choice!
ReplyDeleteI still don't trust Tea Cake. He seems to glorify himself too much, it makes his stories seem a little ridiculous and implausible. I'm suspicious that he did not get those $300 from a game of dice, especially with the cuts on his back. It seems like there is much more to Tea Cup that Janie, and the reader, is just now starting to see. I still can't decide whether he was going for Janie in the first place when he walked into her store the first time or not. But i have a feeling we are definitely going to find out.
ReplyDeleteAs usual, Ariel's comment makes me think something I haven't thought before but maybe should have. Is TC too sweet? Is this too gushy? Maybe. I still like it--like Ayush, I am still liking the book a lot and I really liked the shift in Janie's view of her grandmother--that second passage about her is an explanation of and a reaction to the passage that bothered Amina...
ReplyDelete--EC
I really like these chapters, especially when Janie firsts meets Tea Cake. He lets her talk, and play checkers, and it is just such an abrupt change for her, it's so nice to see. Like some other people said, I am worried about what will happen, and I don't want their relationship to deteriorate, but for now, I really like it.
ReplyDelete-Sydney
I believe that these chapters show clearly that wealth and class are not everything for Janie. She seems to like Teacake a lot more than she ever liked Jody, because he lets her be herself more. Janie enjoys the independence and freedom of being herself much more than the wealth and class aspects in her life.
ReplyDeleteI am still dubious about Tea Cakes intentions and I worry for Janie. His actions seem very premeditated. I feel like at first his intentions were to use her for money but then as they got to know each other he may have fallen in love and thus she believed him more.
ReplyDeleteEh I'm still on my guard right now. Tea Cakes seems like a gentlemen, but so did Logan and Jody. I still think Tea Cakes planned the whole "meeting" her bit, I mean who doesn't know where the ball game is in such a small town. It's a bit fishy but I'll go with it.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunetly some friends of mine accidentally spoiled what will happen, but anyway yeah... Tea Cake, he seems nice... the most we talked about the book was on the subject if Janie was being a jerk or not. The two in the3 group said yes, while the boy just didn't like Janie in general. Not sure if this is based on how both genders can relate to her differently, but i thought it interesting that a hefty portion of the girls don't think what Janie did was a little harsh at all. But on Friday when I was saying how Janie was a little harsh, and you (Eric) asked what she should have done. All I can say it, I don't know, she may have been able to do something in the past, but she couldn't and I am very well aware about that... Also YAY! Osama is dead.
ReplyDeleteNow that Jody has passed due to his Kidney failure, and Tea Cake seems to have taken his place I wonder what type of a lover he will be. Rude and violent like Jody or a nicer version...
ReplyDeleteThough Tea Cake's initial sweet and loving personality made me believe he was a truly caring guy, I'm starting to feel like he might be "playing" Janie, as all the townspeople believe. After all, Tea Cake's visits to Janie before they went off together were inconsistent and often just spontaneous, and his flirting seems almost a little unrealistic. I really hope that my suspicions of Tea Cake are false, because Janie truly deserves someone to love her after what she went through with Jody and even after being disappointed with her relationship with Logan.
ReplyDeleteI feel like Tea cakes is a genuinely nice man and all he wants is to have a submissive wife like the rest of Janie's suitors. Unfortunately these are the times Janie lives in, to and this is the role women are suspected to play especially in pre-Women's rights era. I feel like Janie will never actually be pleased with any man in her life, she was certainly not born for that century.
ReplyDelete--Nathan R.
In the first chapter with Tea Cake my initial reaction was that their relationship would be one demonstrating class differences. Though Janie was a women, she seemed much smarter than Tea Cake and he was very much subordinate to her. As we read on however Janie's suspicions spilled over into my own. Once again (As in My Antonia) we know some part of how the story ends. We know Janie returns to the town having left Tea Cake, but is this because he was tricking her? or did the relationship fail for other reasons
ReplyDeleteDan M
i tried posting that yesterday, but it hadnt worked and i didnt realize
ReplyDeleteDan M