1.) The first stylistic attribute I recognized was started on page 100 but then completely developed over the next couple of pages. For this scene, Janie asserts herself that Tea Cake is a young man who is just trying to take advantage of her. She is set with the idea of being so cold to him that he never wants to talk to her again where it says, "Fact is , she decided to treat him so cold if he ever did foot the place that he'd be sure not to come hanging around there again." (100) But later she realizes, "It was so crazy digging worms by lamp light and setting out for Lake Sabelia after midnight that she felt like a child breaking rules. That's what made Janie like it." (102) Janie begins to feel a change of heart and begins to let Tea Cake slowly into her life through the rest of the chapter. Hurston applies dynamic character to Janie by beginning with Janie's distrust and skepticism toward Tea Cake. The author then projects a more open and friendly tone when talking about her thoughts and actions with Tea Cake. By using dynamic character, Hurston created drama within the story and a desire in the reader to discover what Janie would eventually choose.
2.) The next attribute that revealed itself began on page 104. Tea Cake had been doing his best to stir up feelings within Janie by spending time with her. In this part, the two of them are sitting on Janie's sofa when they start to argue. Janie states that she is just some friend of Tea Cake's and his reaction is described in the line, "Janie walked towards the stair way slowly, and Tea Cake sat where he was, as if he had frozen to his seat, in fear that once he got up, he'd never get back in it again." (104-5) Here, Hurston uses connotation to give a possibility that Tea Cake may never get this close with Janie ever again. This technique instills a fear that their future together is nonexistent and propels the reader to investigate further, almost like the townspeople.
3.) After their fight, Janie lies in her bed, consoling and reassuring herself that Tea Cake was an absurd waste of time. She said to herself, " Bet he's hangin' round some jook or 'nother. Glad Ah treated him cold. Whut do Ah want wid some trashy nigger out de streets? Bet he's livin' wid some woman or 'nother and takin' me for uh fool. Glad Ah caught mahself in time." (106) The author utilizes an apostrophe to peer into Janie's inter thoughts and grab ahold of her feelings and opinions on Tea Cake. This gave me, the reader, a better insight to how all of these emotions are organized and laid out within the characters mind.
No comments:
Post a Comment