Janie Crawford Character Analysis in Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay Example

Throughout Their Eyes Were Watching God, the main character Janie Crawford endures many challenges that are landmarked by various symbols and representations to express both what Janie is going through and how far the characters have progressed in the story. One of these symbols that holds substantial value throughout the entire novel is Janie’s hair, and how Janie’s hair remains an extremely vital part of Janie’s character. 

Firstly, her hair stands to serve as a symbol of power for Janie and is good at representing her strength throughout various events in the book. For example, during her relationship with Joe Starks, Janie was forced to keep her hair up in a head-cloth to prevent other men from getting jealous of Janie Throughout her entire relationship with Joe, she had been held almost as a prisoner, following his every command. Every time she would try and argue against her ex-husband’s abuse, she would be punished physically. After Joe’s death, however, Janie decides to throw the rag away and let her beautiful hair out to signify her freedom and independence from Joe. The hair stands as a symbol of independence and strength. Not only does she see that she has the potential to be much more than what she is told she is, but she is also aware of her strengths and perseveres through each challenge that comes her way regardless of its difficulty. Letting her hair free represented that in a major way, serving as a turning point in Janie’s story.

Secondly, Janie’s hair serves as a representation of her beauty, seeing as her hair is seen as unique and gorgeous in the eyes of men. It gets to the point where Janie’s second husband, Joe Starks, becomes jealous of other men messing with her hair, as Walter had done in the store where Joe bared to witness it happen. From that moment forward, Joe had forbidden Janie from showing her hair again and had her tie it up when she was around the store. Another example would be from the people of Eatonville, who witness Janie walking down the road after Tea Cake dies and state that her hair had been “swingin’ down her back lak some young gal” and wrongfully shame her for having some amount of youthful energy. Janie’s hair stands as a good representation of beauty and nonconformity, with other people in the novel taking notice of her for her unique hair and her ways of expressing herself through it. This could also be used as another example of strength, as her walk through the town with her hair let down shows a good amount of confidence and strength even after Tea Cake’s death. 

Thirdly, Janie’s hair serves to symbolize Janie’s whiteness. While by today’s standards this kind of symbolism is obsolete, back then it served to represent different levels of power: White over Black. Towards the middle part of Janie’s story, she encounters a woman who goes by Mrs. Turner. Mrs. Turner is, by lack of a better term, racist. She wholeheartedly believes that Black people are in every way inferior to White people, and praises Janie for having a remote amount of whiteness in her. One characteristic that Mrs. Turner particularly praises is her straight hair, which is widely accepted as a Caucasian trait amongst their community and is a result of Janie’s mixed heritage. Janie’s hair almost contributes to some amount of white power that she holds, which in turn helps her overturn traditional positions of power in relationships throughout her story. 

Janie's hair is additionally representative of the manners in which race illuminates power in the book. Janie's long hair is surprising as it is a consequence of her blended legacy. It is in this manner seen as an impression of a higher societal position. Their Eyes Were Watching God isn't worried about race, however, Janie's hair is one illustration of the manners by which racial elements swarm her local area, as well as the book. Jody means to copy the conduct and way of life of a well-off White man. He is attracted to Janie due to her exceptional excellence, which mirrors her White family. After Jody passes on, Janie removes her head-rag. Her hair's "weight, length, and greatness" is reestablished, similar to her self-awareness.