While reading Bastard out of Carolina I wondered how a girl like Bone survived. She has managed to survive abuse and neglect. I think the worst moment for me came when the family found out about Glen abusing Bone. I thought it would be a fresh start for Bone and her family. But in a way it seemed to drag them down more. All through the abuse, Anney had always comforted Bone and Bone strongly loved her mother. To me that is a little disturbing. Anney never did anything to prevent the abuse. But once the family found out, Anney and Bone drifted apart.
I think in part, Anney felt lost. She had lost her husband, but at the same time, she was feeling guilty. Anney never did anything to stop the abuse or to tell her family about it. But at the same time, she truly loved Glen and I believe she felt guilty that her brothers beat him up. He never did abuse Anney and I think that hung over her.
My reaction is how can you choose your cruel husband over your innocent child? I think the reason Anney did was because she was very dependent on Glen. However, most of the time he was out of work and he contributed to the reason they moved so often. Anney really didn't need Glen, he was more of a convenience for her. Glen was someone Anney could go through life with. I think Bone is getting more and more messed up from her life. There really seems to be no hope for this family.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Understanding Dickey
Whenever I read poetry (which is not unless it is required) I always look for underlying meanings. I always feel that I have to "read between the lines." So when I started reading James Dickey's poems, I kept thinking What does this have to do with the South? Where is the racism or the "Southern belle" and gentlemen stereotypes? For a few of the poems, I think I read to far into it. Dickey seems to be pretty straightforward in his writings.
I want to re-examine the poem Cherrylog Road. When I first read this, I had some idea of what was going on. It is a love story without much romance. I didn't pick up on the other themes in this poem until we discussed it in class. The concept of the old cars as a sign of the past relates to many Southerners want to keep intact the old ways of life. The old cars sitting in the hot sun, not moving, not going anywhere, just gathered around reminds me of scenes in Their Eyes were Watching God. All the town people would gather on porches, just sitting around in the hot sun, doing the same thing every night. Usually it was older people who sat on the porch, so the representations are reminders of the past. I also like how this poem changes pace. It starts of slow and quiet, with a sense of stillness, much like life in the South is. Then, there is a degree of anticipation and a faster pace, when Doris Holbrook and this man "hook up." This again reminds me of some of the readings we have done. Something exciting happens in the town, everyone gathers and gossip begins. Then the excitement dies down and everyone goes back to their ordinary life. Just as in this poem, the girl and the man go their separate ways, back to their lives.
Another poem that I tried to interpret was The Heaven of Animals. Needless to say, I was way off in my interpretation. But nonetheless, I still enjoyed this poem. It reminds me of stories that my parents told me about our animals. Even though I had this notion that all people, no matter their age, race, gender, or lifestyle, went to the same heaven. Animals on the other hand, all went to different heavens. Dogs went to dog heaven. Cats went to cat heaven. Rabbits went to rabbit heaven. And fish eventually made their way to fish heaven. When I was young, this was the only explanation I needed. I didn't really think farther than this. But, Dickey sort of idealized this idea and made it make a little more sense. In his sense of Animal Heaven, each animal continued its way of life. Therefore, all animals would have to go to the same heaven, in order to interact as they do here on Earth. In this heaven, they continue their cycle. I think its interesting that most of us have a similar notion when it comes to this concept of heaven. Even though none of us can testify to the validity of Dickey's explanations and descriptions, we can all understand and interpret what he is saying.
Now that I understand Dickey a little better, I am starting to enjoy his poetry a little better. His presentation of stories, such as A Dog Sleeping on My Feet, Falling, Hunting Civil War Relics at Nimblewill Creek, and Cherrylog Road, give us a little insight to things he might have experienced or stories he may have heard.
I want to re-examine the poem Cherrylog Road. When I first read this, I had some idea of what was going on. It is a love story without much romance. I didn't pick up on the other themes in this poem until we discussed it in class. The concept of the old cars as a sign of the past relates to many Southerners want to keep intact the old ways of life. The old cars sitting in the hot sun, not moving, not going anywhere, just gathered around reminds me of scenes in Their Eyes were Watching God. All the town people would gather on porches, just sitting around in the hot sun, doing the same thing every night. Usually it was older people who sat on the porch, so the representations are reminders of the past. I also like how this poem changes pace. It starts of slow and quiet, with a sense of stillness, much like life in the South is. Then, there is a degree of anticipation and a faster pace, when Doris Holbrook and this man "hook up." This again reminds me of some of the readings we have done. Something exciting happens in the town, everyone gathers and gossip begins. Then the excitement dies down and everyone goes back to their ordinary life. Just as in this poem, the girl and the man go their separate ways, back to their lives.
Another poem that I tried to interpret was The Heaven of Animals. Needless to say, I was way off in my interpretation. But nonetheless, I still enjoyed this poem. It reminds me of stories that my parents told me about our animals. Even though I had this notion that all people, no matter their age, race, gender, or lifestyle, went to the same heaven. Animals on the other hand, all went to different heavens. Dogs went to dog heaven. Cats went to cat heaven. Rabbits went to rabbit heaven. And fish eventually made their way to fish heaven. When I was young, this was the only explanation I needed. I didn't really think farther than this. But, Dickey sort of idealized this idea and made it make a little more sense. In his sense of Animal Heaven, each animal continued its way of life. Therefore, all animals would have to go to the same heaven, in order to interact as they do here on Earth. In this heaven, they continue their cycle. I think its interesting that most of us have a similar notion when it comes to this concept of heaven. Even though none of us can testify to the validity of Dickey's explanations and descriptions, we can all understand and interpret what he is saying.
Now that I understand Dickey a little better, I am starting to enjoy his poetry a little better. His presentation of stories, such as A Dog Sleeping on My Feet, Falling, Hunting Civil War Relics at Nimblewill Creek, and Cherrylog Road, give us a little insight to things he might have experienced or stories he may have heard.
Friday, April 13, 2007
The Heaven of Animals by James Dickey
I need to start off by saying that I don't enjoy poetry and I never have. I don't understand it, know how to interpret it, and always miss the underlying meanings. So, in my attempt to break down James Dickey's poems, I apologize if I am way off, which I probably will be.
The poem I chose was "The Heaven of Animals." This poem appealed to me with the first line: Here they are. The soft eyes open. Although the title refers to animals, I think he is actually referring to the black race. But he is not saying that they are animals. I think this poem represents African Americans' life of slavery and fight for civil rights. The soft eyes refers to the innocence and decency of the African Americans. They stalk more silently... and their descent upon the bright backs of their prey.. I think this line refers to the slave masters. They kept a close eye on their slaves, and if a slave was to disobey, the master would put them in their place. And those that are hunted know this as their life, their reward: to walk. I think this line represents slaves fight for freedom. In the end, Dickey refers to African Americans struggle for freedom and equal rights. They go through a cycle, where every time they are beaten down by society, they rise up against it: They fall, they are torn, they rise, they walk again.
I think the overall tone of this piece is calm. The visual imagery of woods and a rolling plain seem peaceful. Even his references to violence are very mellow. Dickey makes repeated references to the landscape, each time describing them a little differently: grass rolling, landscape flowers, richest wood, deepest field, limbs of trees, trees full of knowledge. I'm not sure of what Dickey is referring to with these references. But because Dickey refers to heaven, he believes that even if all people aren't treated the same on Earth, they will all be treated the same in heaven.
Having no souls, they have come, Anyway, beyond their knowing. This line really struck me when I read this poem. Even though African Americans were seen as inferior to the white race, everyone goes to the same place in the end. And when that time comes, color won't matter, everyone will be treated the same.
The poem I chose was "The Heaven of Animals." This poem appealed to me with the first line: Here they are. The soft eyes open. Although the title refers to animals, I think he is actually referring to the black race. But he is not saying that they are animals. I think this poem represents African Americans' life of slavery and fight for civil rights. The soft eyes refers to the innocence and decency of the African Americans. They stalk more silently... and their descent upon the bright backs of their prey.. I think this line refers to the slave masters. They kept a close eye on their slaves, and if a slave was to disobey, the master would put them in their place. And those that are hunted know this as their life, their reward: to walk. I think this line represents slaves fight for freedom. In the end, Dickey refers to African Americans struggle for freedom and equal rights. They go through a cycle, where every time they are beaten down by society, they rise up against it: They fall, they are torn, they rise, they walk again.
I think the overall tone of this piece is calm. The visual imagery of woods and a rolling plain seem peaceful. Even his references to violence are very mellow. Dickey makes repeated references to the landscape, each time describing them a little differently: grass rolling, landscape flowers, richest wood, deepest field, limbs of trees, trees full of knowledge. I'm not sure of what Dickey is referring to with these references. But because Dickey refers to heaven, he believes that even if all people aren't treated the same on Earth, they will all be treated the same in heaven.
Having no souls, they have come, Anyway, beyond their knowing. This line really struck me when I read this poem. Even though African Americans were seen as inferior to the white race, everyone goes to the same place in the end. And when that time comes, color won't matter, everyone will be treated the same.
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
The Displaced Person Displaced Me
Of all the readings we've done, I find Flannery O'Connor's style of writing long and odd. "The Displace Person" contained so much extra information that I lost interest after the first few pages. While reading it, I didn't understand the underlying meanings or message she was trying to convey. But I was able to pick up on few topics that we had discussed with other works we've read.
I think when I was reading it I was looking for specific examples of racism, the typical "southern belle" and gentlemen stereotypes, or notions to the Old South. There were only a few of these examples that I caught. For instance, Mrs. Shortley compares the black workers to mules and notes their worthlessness. Another example is the Judge, who represents an older generation and most likely the Old South.
In class, I realized that O'Connor's writing was nothing like we've read yet. Her focus is on religion. It took a lot for me to realize the point of her writing. The only religion I picked up on was Mrs. Shortley's vision. But we also discussed O'Connor's need to shock her audience. The ending of The Displaced Person showed violence, but not the way we are used to seeing it. Although the Displaced Person was deliberately killed, there were hardly any gruesome descriptions: "...she had heard the little noise the Pole made as the tractor wheel broke his backbone." In other readings, we've seen much more violence. In A Streetcar Named Desire, we saw Stanley's temper in action, in Their Eyes were Watching God we read about Janie's beatings, and in Dry September we read about the horrible mistreatment of an accused black man. So The Displaced Person seems mild to me.
In order to really enjoy O'Connor's writings, I think you must know a lot about her background and her intentions. Before we discussed this in class, I thought that the story was rather dull. I thought it dragged on and there was a lot of unnecessary information. After our discussion, I understood her motives and reasons for her writings, but I still find the plot to be lacking.
I think when I was reading it I was looking for specific examples of racism, the typical "southern belle" and gentlemen stereotypes, or notions to the Old South. There were only a few of these examples that I caught. For instance, Mrs. Shortley compares the black workers to mules and notes their worthlessness. Another example is the Judge, who represents an older generation and most likely the Old South.
In class, I realized that O'Connor's writing was nothing like we've read yet. Her focus is on religion. It took a lot for me to realize the point of her writing. The only religion I picked up on was Mrs. Shortley's vision. But we also discussed O'Connor's need to shock her audience. The ending of The Displaced Person showed violence, but not the way we are used to seeing it. Although the Displaced Person was deliberately killed, there were hardly any gruesome descriptions: "...she had heard the little noise the Pole made as the tractor wheel broke his backbone." In other readings, we've seen much more violence. In A Streetcar Named Desire, we saw Stanley's temper in action, in Their Eyes were Watching God we read about Janie's beatings, and in Dry September we read about the horrible mistreatment of an accused black man. So The Displaced Person seems mild to me.
In order to really enjoy O'Connor's writings, I think you must know a lot about her background and her intentions. Before we discussed this in class, I thought that the story was rather dull. I thought it dragged on and there was a lot of unnecessary information. After our discussion, I understood her motives and reasons for her writings, but I still find the plot to be lacking.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
A Streetcar, burning with Desire
I have to start by saying "wow!" I think this movie was almost exactly as I had pictured the play to be. The characters went beyond what I had imagined as I read the play. But I think the movie expanded on my ideas and notions and really brought to life the characters and their actions.
Each character truly exemplified what had been presented in the play and made you feel personally connected. When I read the play, I thought Stanley was a man's man, with a bursting ego, who didn't allow anyone to tell him what to do or how to live. In a word, I thought he was a jerk. But watching the movie, I had mixed feelings for him. Stanley seemed very untrustworthy, selfish, and had an animalistic sense to him. He was very demanding of Stella and very intrusive of Blanche's things, claiming he was only looking for what was rightfully his. And I say animalistic for two reasons. The first is because of his constant eating. The gross way in which he shovels food into his mouth reminds me of a wolf praying on a dead carcass. The second reason is the scene where Blanche comes out of the bathroom. Stanley stares at her with such evil in his eyes, if I hadn't known better, I thought he would attack her. But Stanley also has a caring side, which also implies his selfishness. I think deep down Stanley truly loved Stella, but was selfish with his love. He only wanted Stella for himself, and didn't want anyone to come in between them (as Blanche had done.) Stanley wanted all Stella's attention focused on him. After they fight, Stanley embraces Stella. I think this is his way of showing his apology. Also, when Stanley was telling Stella about Blanche's "secret life", he sees how upset this makes her. So, he rubs her back to soothe her, but continues his story. In a way, I think this is him saying that he cares, but he still is thinking about himself.
Blanche is quite the character. I'm actually at a loss for words. Blanche, on the other hand, wasn't. Her mouth flowed like a raging river; her brain and all its thoughts working faster than her mouth could keep up. And she likes to overreact to everything. So much so that no one could really carry on a normal conversation with her. Not only does she have a lot to say, but her body language creates a story all on its own. I noticed she was always fumbling with her hands and her face, like she is producing the typical "scared" pose in a scary movie: the nail-biting, teeth chattering sort of thing. And if she's not in that pose, she is frumped over with her head down. The way she always would whimper and hide reminded me of a dog with its tail between its legs. This got me to thinking if she had been abused- mentally, physically, or verbally- or if she just had such awful memories from her past. Her eyes always looked worried and nervous, like she was afraid someone would find out about her past. Another thing that struck me as odd, but added to Blanche's character, was the way she always covered her chest. For her being so promiscuous, it seems that she would want to flaunt it more. what I didn't get from the play was how she shied away from light. Mitch had never seen her in the light, and when he does, she shies away from him. Again, this gives me a sense that something from her past his haunting her; not just her dead husband, but maybe something else that had happened.
I didn't care too much for Stella's character. In the movie, it seemed as though she was in the background more. I thought she had more presence in the play. What I did get from her was that she was very passive. Although she had the will to stand up to Stanley and express her hurt and concern for her sister, she never acted on any of these feelings. She let Stanley continue to torment her sister. Although Stanley was the one who provided her with a sense of security, what he was doing to Blanche was not right, and Stella knew it.
I thought the end of the movie was a good twist to the play. Stella lost her sister, but left her husband behind. In a way, Stella and Blanche ended in a similar situation. Both are driven away by the ones they love, have no one to confide in, and don't know where they are going to end up.
Each character truly exemplified what had been presented in the play and made you feel personally connected. When I read the play, I thought Stanley was a man's man, with a bursting ego, who didn't allow anyone to tell him what to do or how to live. In a word, I thought he was a jerk. But watching the movie, I had mixed feelings for him. Stanley seemed very untrustworthy, selfish, and had an animalistic sense to him. He was very demanding of Stella and very intrusive of Blanche's things, claiming he was only looking for what was rightfully his. And I say animalistic for two reasons. The first is because of his constant eating. The gross way in which he shovels food into his mouth reminds me of a wolf praying on a dead carcass. The second reason is the scene where Blanche comes out of the bathroom. Stanley stares at her with such evil in his eyes, if I hadn't known better, I thought he would attack her. But Stanley also has a caring side, which also implies his selfishness. I think deep down Stanley truly loved Stella, but was selfish with his love. He only wanted Stella for himself, and didn't want anyone to come in between them (as Blanche had done.) Stanley wanted all Stella's attention focused on him. After they fight, Stanley embraces Stella. I think this is his way of showing his apology. Also, when Stanley was telling Stella about Blanche's "secret life", he sees how upset this makes her. So, he rubs her back to soothe her, but continues his story. In a way, I think this is him saying that he cares, but he still is thinking about himself.
Blanche is quite the character. I'm actually at a loss for words. Blanche, on the other hand, wasn't. Her mouth flowed like a raging river; her brain and all its thoughts working faster than her mouth could keep up. And she likes to overreact to everything. So much so that no one could really carry on a normal conversation with her. Not only does she have a lot to say, but her body language creates a story all on its own. I noticed she was always fumbling with her hands and her face, like she is producing the typical "scared" pose in a scary movie: the nail-biting, teeth chattering sort of thing. And if she's not in that pose, she is frumped over with her head down. The way she always would whimper and hide reminded me of a dog with its tail between its legs. This got me to thinking if she had been abused- mentally, physically, or verbally- or if she just had such awful memories from her past. Her eyes always looked worried and nervous, like she was afraid someone would find out about her past. Another thing that struck me as odd, but added to Blanche's character, was the way she always covered her chest. For her being so promiscuous, it seems that she would want to flaunt it more. what I didn't get from the play was how she shied away from light. Mitch had never seen her in the light, and when he does, she shies away from him. Again, this gives me a sense that something from her past his haunting her; not just her dead husband, but maybe something else that had happened.
I didn't care too much for Stella's character. In the movie, it seemed as though she was in the background more. I thought she had more presence in the play. What I did get from her was that she was very passive. Although she had the will to stand up to Stanley and express her hurt and concern for her sister, she never acted on any of these feelings. She let Stanley continue to torment her sister. Although Stanley was the one who provided her with a sense of security, what he was doing to Blanche was not right, and Stella knew it.
I thought the end of the movie was a good twist to the play. Stella lost her sister, but left her husband behind. In a way, Stella and Blanche ended in a similar situation. Both are driven away by the ones they love, have no one to confide in, and don't know where they are going to end up.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Streetcar and Reign Over Me
Before anyone begins to read this blog, I have to warn you that I compare it to the new movie, Reign Over Me. If you plan on seeing this movie, you may not want to read this blog.
I wasn't really sure what I was going to write about in my blog this week. Last night I saw Reign Over Me and immediately saw a comparison to A Streetcar Named Desire. Although the two story lines have completely different settings and circumstances, a similar theme exists. In Streetcar, Blanche tells numerous lies and embellishes many stories. The reason for this is that Blanche doesn't want to face the truth. She'd rather live in a fantasy world than in her real life. By telling these lies, Blanche is creating her own imaginary world, where she can pretend certain things don't exist. In Reign Over Me, Adam Sandler's character, Charlie, has lost his wife and 3 daughters in 9/11. He creates a pretend world for himself as well. He blocks memories of his family and memories prior to 9/11. He buries himself in remodeling his kitchen (several times a month) and video games, so that he has removed himself from his previously normal life. He doesn't even recognize his college roommate, Allen, when he runs into him on the street.
In Streetcar, Stanley tries to bring Blanche back to reality. However, some may believe that he does it in a cruel manner. He knows that Blanche has created a web of lies and he tries to get her caught in her own web. In the end, Blanche is forced to face reality, no matter how hard she wants to hide from it. Reign Over Me takes a different approach. Allen knows that Charlie needs help. Whenever Allen brings up a topic regarding Charlie's family or previous dental career, Charlie goes ballistic. He throws tantrums and mentally shuts down. However, Allen refuses to give up on Charlie. Instead of ruining the fantasy world that Charlie has created for himself, Allen lets Charlie slowly integrate reality.
Both stories show that if you are willing to, you can shut your mind off to anything. If you tell yourself a lie for long enough, you will eventually learn to believe it and live by it. However, facing reality can be hard when you've lived in a fantasy world for so long.
I wasn't really sure what I was going to write about in my blog this week. Last night I saw Reign Over Me and immediately saw a comparison to A Streetcar Named Desire. Although the two story lines have completely different settings and circumstances, a similar theme exists. In Streetcar, Blanche tells numerous lies and embellishes many stories. The reason for this is that Blanche doesn't want to face the truth. She'd rather live in a fantasy world than in her real life. By telling these lies, Blanche is creating her own imaginary world, where she can pretend certain things don't exist. In Reign Over Me, Adam Sandler's character, Charlie, has lost his wife and 3 daughters in 9/11. He creates a pretend world for himself as well. He blocks memories of his family and memories prior to 9/11. He buries himself in remodeling his kitchen (several times a month) and video games, so that he has removed himself from his previously normal life. He doesn't even recognize his college roommate, Allen, when he runs into him on the street.
In Streetcar, Stanley tries to bring Blanche back to reality. However, some may believe that he does it in a cruel manner. He knows that Blanche has created a web of lies and he tries to get her caught in her own web. In the end, Blanche is forced to face reality, no matter how hard she wants to hide from it. Reign Over Me takes a different approach. Allen knows that Charlie needs help. Whenever Allen brings up a topic regarding Charlie's family or previous dental career, Charlie goes ballistic. He throws tantrums and mentally shuts down. However, Allen refuses to give up on Charlie. Instead of ruining the fantasy world that Charlie has created for himself, Allen lets Charlie slowly integrate reality.
Both stories show that if you are willing to, you can shut your mind off to anything. If you tell yourself a lie for long enough, you will eventually learn to believe it and live by it. However, facing reality can be hard when you've lived in a fantasy world for so long.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Tea Cake vs. Jody
While I did enjoy Hurston's novel, I was just reading along without really thinking what was going on. The beginning of the novel didn't have too much excitement in it, but once the hurricane scene came, I was embedded into the novel.
Although Janie's relationship with Tea Cake is much more serious than with Jody, I noticed some similarities between the two men. We all know that Jody was very controlling and very demanding of Janie. She felt that he put her on a pedestal, but to keep her away from everyone. Jody wouldn't let her talk to the people of the town, unless she was assisting them in the store. Jody thought that she was too good for the townspeople. He didn't want her talking to trashy people." (p. 54) This was his way of controlling her. Tea Cake also puts Janie on a pedestal, but he does it as a way to praise her. Tea Cake isn't trying to keep her from society and socializing, but to show his love and affection for her. "Dem wuzn't no high muckty mucks. Dem wuz railroad hands and dey womenfolks. You ain't usetah folks lak dat and Ah wuz skeered you might git all made and quit me for takin' you 'mongst 'em." (p. 124)
I also noticed a similarity in the two deaths. Both husbands' deaths had a preceding illness, which made each of them crazy. Both of them seemed to lose their lifes before they were really dead. Although Jody wasn't mentally crazy, he didn't want to see her wife as he lay on his deathbed. I mean, they had been together for 20 years and Jody had nothing to say to his wife as he lay dying? To me, they could at least made ammends just so Jody could die peacefully and Janie could move along with her life with no regrets. (However, Janie never really had regrets about Jody's death.) During his illness, Janie noticed that Jody had no life left to him. One day she noticed that Joe didn't sit down. He just stood in front of a chair and fell in it. That made her lok at him all over. Joe wasn't so young as he used to be. There was already something dead about him.... Eyes a little absent too. (p. 77) Tea Cake's death was similar to this. After being bitten by a rapid dog, Tea Cake comes down with the disease and began to have awful fits. Janie knew that she was going to lose Tea Cake. Tea Cake had two bad attacks that night. Janie saw a changing look come in his face. Tea Cake was gone. Something else was looking out of his face. (p. 181)
Poor Janie, to lose two husbands must be an awful experience. However, the first was probably more of a relief, but her second was heartache. I think Janie was more accepting of Tea Cake's death. With Tea Cake, she had found what she had always hoped to find. She was able to let go of Tea Cake because he had fulfilled her life. But with Jody, Janie had wasted so much time being miserable.
Although Janie's relationship with Tea Cake is much more serious than with Jody, I noticed some similarities between the two men. We all know that Jody was very controlling and very demanding of Janie. She felt that he put her on a pedestal, but to keep her away from everyone. Jody wouldn't let her talk to the people of the town, unless she was assisting them in the store. Jody thought that she was too good for the townspeople. He didn't want her talking to trashy people." (p. 54) This was his way of controlling her. Tea Cake also puts Janie on a pedestal, but he does it as a way to praise her. Tea Cake isn't trying to keep her from society and socializing, but to show his love and affection for her. "Dem wuzn't no high muckty mucks. Dem wuz railroad hands and dey womenfolks. You ain't usetah folks lak dat and Ah wuz skeered you might git all made and quit me for takin' you 'mongst 'em." (p. 124)
I also noticed a similarity in the two deaths. Both husbands' deaths had a preceding illness, which made each of them crazy. Both of them seemed to lose their lifes before they were really dead. Although Jody wasn't mentally crazy, he didn't want to see her wife as he lay on his deathbed. I mean, they had been together for 20 years and Jody had nothing to say to his wife as he lay dying? To me, they could at least made ammends just so Jody could die peacefully and Janie could move along with her life with no regrets. (However, Janie never really had regrets about Jody's death.) During his illness, Janie noticed that Jody had no life left to him. One day she noticed that Joe didn't sit down. He just stood in front of a chair and fell in it. That made her lok at him all over. Joe wasn't so young as he used to be. There was already something dead about him.... Eyes a little absent too. (p. 77) Tea Cake's death was similar to this. After being bitten by a rapid dog, Tea Cake comes down with the disease and began to have awful fits. Janie knew that she was going to lose Tea Cake. Tea Cake had two bad attacks that night. Janie saw a changing look come in his face. Tea Cake was gone. Something else was looking out of his face. (p. 181)
Poor Janie, to lose two husbands must be an awful experience. However, the first was probably more of a relief, but her second was heartache. I think Janie was more accepting of Tea Cake's death. With Tea Cake, she had found what she had always hoped to find. She was able to let go of Tea Cake because he had fulfilled her life. But with Jody, Janie had wasted so much time being miserable.
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