How Love Has Changed Throughout Janie’s Life (Their Eyes Were Watching God Book Analysis)

“Love is like the sea. It’s a moving thing and it's different with every shore” -Janie, Their Eyes Were Watching God. Janie’s idea of love is simply pretend or a sense of power. The idea of “love” has changed throughout the years. But, many people and cultures today all have different meanings of love. Love can be very manipulative in some sorts of ways. In “Their Eyes Were Watching God” love changes throughout the book. Janie always wanted to find true love but has barely had a glimpse of it. We can’t really define love today but our cultures change the meaning of it by the years. Which ties into how can Janie’s relationship support how our culture defines the word “love”? Janie has been in many controlling relationships before. People might say that none of these relationships that Janie has been through does not support my idea, but I think otherwise. Some of the people that were a traumatic experience for her were Nanny, Logan Killicks, and Joe Starks.

Janie has never seen her mother before. She ran away to not take care of Janie. Which is why Nanny, her grandma, takes care of her. She’s been with Janie since she was born and teaches her about life. But, Nanny can get a bit controlling sometimes. She has two different sides in the way she treats Janie. There was Nanny, who worked, and Grandma, who took care of Janie. Since Nanny was a slave, she has a different idea of what love is then Janie. She thinks love is a sense of control. When Janie first experienced love, she was happy she finally found all her answers. She kissed a boy named Johnny Taylor. A boy she was interested in when she was 16. They kissed by the gate. Nanny heard her voice, and saw Jaine and Johnny kiss. She was furious and snapped Janie right out of her place. That was the end of Janie’s childhood, which created an emotionally traumatic experience created by Johnny Taylor. After that, Grandma decides for Janie that she should get married at the age of 16. Janie thinks that she isn't ready and argues with Grandma. Grandma slaps Janie. Nanny’s character changes and also changes others around her. Nanny decides that Logan Killicks is the best man for Janie to marry and that she will die peacefully knowing that Janie is safe with Logan. But, Logan doesn't help Janie either.

Logan Killicks marries Janie when she was at the age of 20, while Logan is 50 years old. Janie tries to live with it. Logan Killicks is a rich man with 60 acres on a plot of land and a big house. Before the wedding of Janie and Logan, she questions herself, seeking for answers under the pear tree. She thinks she’ll learn to love Logan after the wedding. Logan was very abusive in this relationship, not having equal shares. He was shoveling manure and Janie was in the kitchen cooking. “Janie!” Logan called harshly. “Come help me move dis manure pile befo’ de sun gits hot.” “You don’t need mah help out dere, Logan. Youse in yo’ place and Ah’m in mine.” Janie says. “You ain’t got no particular place. It’s wherever Ah need yuh. Git uh move on yuh, and dat quick.” says Logan. Logan treats her practically like a slave. Janie runs away from Logan, seeing a new man who compliments her.

Joe Starks is the name of the man who compliments her and wins Janie’s heart to a relationship. Joe Starks and Janie traveled south, to a town in the middle of the woods, with no mayor. Joe then becomes mayor of this town some time after. Joe drags Janie around the town to do what he wants and makes light for the city. He gives a speech with Janie to the whole town, and makes Janie stand there looking pretty like Joe’s trophy. Joe sees himself like a god to the whole town. Janie starts realizing how Joe is changing. She starts thinking about how she and the whole town is a slave to Joe Starks. Janie talks to some townsfolk and they talk about how Joe enjoys how commanding he is to everyone. “Speakin’ of winds, he’s de wind and we’se de grass. We bend which ever way he blows,” They see themselves as something Joe can just control and boss around. Janie’s hair symbolizes power, and Joe took that and destroyed it by forcing her to tie her hair up so other men can’t see it. This rag symbolizes that Janie is under Joe’s control. All this shows how Joe can be a manipulative and controlling person. Which supports how love can be controlling.

Janie’s controlling relationships really defined how love can be controlling. Nanny controls Janie by making her marry a man that she doesn't even know. That man Logan drags Janie around the field even if she’s busy. Also Joe Starks, who tricks Janie with compliments and controls her by forcing her to tie up her hair, and makes her a trophy for his satisfaction. These times made Janie feel lost or unsatisfied. It showed how love can be manipulating. When Janie said that love is just pretend, she meant it because she has experienced it in such a horrible way. Love was the enemy Janie had faced, and took it down by leaving all of these men. “Love is like the sea. It’s a moving thing and it's different with every shore” -Janie, Their Eyes Were Watching God.