Eyes Journal 5

They put her to bed and sent for her married daughter from up around Ocala to come see about her.  The daughter came as soon as she could and took Annie Tyler away to die in peace.  She had waited all her life or something, and it had killed her when it found her.
      The thing made itself into pictures and hung around Janie's bedside all night long. Anyhow, she wasn't going back to Eatonville to be laughed at and pitied.  She had ten dollars in her pocket and twelve hundred in the bank.  But oh God, don't let Tea Cake be off somewhere hurt and Ah not know nothing about it.  And God, please suh, don't let him love nobody else but me.  Maybe Ah'm is uh fool, Lawd, lad dey say, but Lawd, Ah been so lonesome, and Ah been waitin', Jesus.  Ah done waited uh long time.
      Janie dozed off to sleep but she woke up in time to see the sun sending up spies ahead of him to mark out the road through the dark.  he peeped up over the door sill of the world and made a little foolishness with red.  but pretty soon, he laid all that aside and went about his business dressed all in white.  But it was always going to be dark to Janie if Tea Cake didn't soon come back.  She got out of the bed but a chair couldn't hold her.  she dwindled down on the floor her head in a rocking chair.

Tone: Somber, hopeless

Parallels between Annie Tyler and Janie: They both start off in bed, and they were both waiting for something or someone.  Annie Tyler also had a lot of younger loves, just like Janie, and in the end she lost it all. 

Biblical References:  The words highlighted are all related to the bible. The sun coming over the horizon shows God answering her prayers.

Word Choice: Hurston uses a lot of vague references in this passage, using the word "it" repeatedly in the first part. Half way through she begins to reference everything as a "He".

Metaphor

Imagery

The very last sentance in this passage tells how Janie cant even sit in her chair, Hurston shows how weighted down she is with the burdens of worrying about Tea Cake. 

Eyes Journal 4

So Katie began contemplate Anguish. Anguish, that little monster, always near by. The feared shadow, constantly peeking around the corner, jumping out when least expected. He crawls around the ally ways in your heart, waiting for the right moment to strike. What would anguish do if he was set free to reek havoc on the world? He stays hidden, not wanting anyone to remember he exists. He was shy during the good times. Oh Anguish! He never should have appeared! He lives a life of bringing pain and sadness to the unfortunate. He believes in anger, oh what a pathetic life! To His dismay we learn to overcome. To move on. Poor Anguish, replaced with his biggest enemy. Hope appears slowly like a pink sunrise over the dark and quiet ocean.

Eyes Journal 6

Topic Sentences:
1. In the first paragraph, Janie is remembering and worrying about Annie Tyler's story.
2. In the beginning of the second paragraph, Janie's fear is forming and causing her mind to imagine things.
3. In the end of the second paragraph, Janie's fear has consumed her, it's all she can think about.
4. In the beginning of the third paragraph, Janie is seeing God answer her prayers through the sun.
5. In the end of the last paragraph, Janie has hit a point of exhaustion in her life.

Purpose: Hurston shows the stages of Janie's love for Tea Cake, through the worry, and the mistrust, but with love ruling over them all.

Comment on Adria's:
I like your reference to the personification of the sun. I thought she was adding complexity by changing the tone of the writing from light to dark.


Comment on Courtney's:
I liked your point about how Hurston uses a married daughter to lay Annie Tyler to rest, I'd never thought of that before! I also agree with you saying that Janie was waiting for a man and that was why Hurston used the word "dwindle". However i also thought that possibly it could have to do with her spirit running low? Could she just be exhausted from worrying so much about him?


Comment on Austin's:
I liked how you said that it "doesn't matter" if Tea Cake is her dream. The point that he is what will make her happy is something I hadn't considered. I also think that Hurston is showing that while Janie may be happy right now, and think her life revolves around a man, or companion, in the end, it wont matter as much as she thinks it will. 

Eyes Journal 3

Matt Bonner:

We first see Matt on page 51 when the "mule-talkers" are teasing him about his yellow mule (51). He seems to be quite gullible. When Sam and Lige start making up the story about a "mighty serious matter, man. Serious!!" he seems to think something really is wrong (52). Janie says that "They had him up for conversation every day the Lord sent" (51). This comment makes me assume that, even though the mule talkers tease him everyday, he never seems to learn. They make fun of his mule and ridicule him for the way he takes care of it, suggesting that he neglects it, "others had 'im flat on the ground usin' his sides fuh uh wash board" (52). Hurston also shows his temper, he's not one to fight, he gets more flustered, "Matt realizes they tricked him again and the laughter makes him mad and when he gets mad he stammers" (52). When a person gets mad, they each react differently, in Matt's case, he get frustrated and has trouble thinking strait. He tries to prove that he does care for it the best he can, he doesnt want to seem like a cruel owner. Hurston portrays him to be gentle man, I picture an older man with a hunched back and a crooked smile.
Hurston continues to repeat his full name through out the passage, i thought there might be some historical importance that I was missing so I Googled "Matt Bonner", when nothing came up, I took Ms. Townzen's idea and looked up what his name meant. The name "Matt" means "Gift of God". I believe it's possible that Hurston put him in here for comical relief, a "gift" per say to take a break from the drama going on in Janie's life. It is also possible that he brightens up the mood of the town and gives Janie something to listen to every day while working at the store.


Questions: I wonder exactly why Matt was brought in?
Is his mule a metaphor?

Eyes Journal 2

    " 'Whut make her keep her head tied up lak some ole 'oman round de store? nobody couldnt git me tuh tie no rag on mah head is Ah had hair lak dat.'
   'Maybe he make her do it. Maybe he skeered some de rest us mens might touch it round dat store. It sho is uh hidden mystery tub me.'
   'She sho don't talk much. De way he rears and pitches in de store sometimes when she make uh mistake is sort of ungodly, but she don't seem to mind at all. Reckon dey understand one 'nother.'
The town had a basketful of feelings good and bad about Joe's positions and possessions, but none had the temerity to challenge him. They bowed down to rather, because he was all of these things, and then again he was all of these things because the town bowed down" (50)

Eyes Journal 1

Hurston uses Janie to show how easy it is to judge one by appearance alone without knowing the full story. The porch sitters "sat in judgement" (1) commenting on her hair, "What dat ole forty year ole 'oman doin' wid her hair swingin' down her back lak some young gal?" and clothing, "The women took the faded shirt and muddy overalls and laid them away for remembrance" (2). Hurston shows that it is mainly women taking part in the judgement and gossip. While the men are more interested in staring and lusting after her "saving with the mind what they lost with the eye" (2). Hurston also shows Pheoby to be a good friend, sticking by Janie's side "The worst thinkg Ah ever knowed her to do was taking a few years offa her age and dat ain't never harmed nobody. Y'all makes me tired" (2).

I wonder why Hurston chose to show the distinct differences between men and women?  I also wonder why she chose to have only one person stand up for Janie? Why didn't Janie have more friends?

Hurston shows us a lot about the character's personalities through imagery using body parts, mainly the mouth and eyes. After hearing laughter from "the big road" Janie makes fun of the porch sitters "Ah see Mouth-Almighty is still sittin' in de same place. And Ah reckon they got me up in they mouth now" (5). The reference of mouth reminds me of the common saying of being a big mouth today. "Mouth-Almighty" (5) makes the  women talking sound loud, obnoxious and annoying. I think Janie's nickname for the women is fitting and gives us insight into a slightly playful personality. After getting laughed at, she can still make jokes.

Hurston starts out the first paragraph with a reference to eyes "the watcher turns his eyes away in resignation" (1). Within the first page that same word is repeated twice more. In each reference the eyes do not seem to be taking in anything "turns his eyes away", "the sodden dead, their eyes flung wide open in judgement", and "These sitters had been tongueless, earless, eyeless" (1).

I wonder why Hurston uses so many references to the mouth and eyes? Why does the mouth seem more relevant than the eyes?

When Janie begins her story to Pheoby, she starts in the very beginning. From the start it is clear that her nanny has a very clear view of what women's place in society should be "De nigger woman is de mule uh de world so fur as Ah can see" (14). She believes that women are there to help the man, to do their work. She wants Janie to marry well so that she will not have to experience so much hard labor. Janie, however, believes that one should marry for love. When this is not possible, she believes that marriage will create love. When Janie learns "marriage did not make love" and because of that "she becomes a woman" (25). I believe Hurston put this in here to show that being a women includes many hardships and when you learn to accept them, that is when you truly grow up.

I wonder why Hurston chose nanny to have such a harsh view of women? Why must Janie go through a failed marriage to learn how to become a woman?