My favorite—“Words walking without masters; walking altogether like the harmony in a song.” Pg. 2
1. “The sun was gone, but he had left his footprints in the sky.” Pg. 1 This describes how the sun has set, but there is still some light on the horizon. This may also be referring to the symbol of Tea Cake as the sun and saying that though he is dead Janie remembers him.
2. “She searched as much of the world as she could from the top of the front steps, then went on down to the front gate and leaned over to gaze up and down the road. Looking, waiting, breathing short with impatience. Waiting for the world to be made.” Pg. 11 This shows how she was looking for adventure and opportunity.
3. “It was a lonesome place like a stump in the middle of the woods where nobody had ever been.” Pg 21-22 This shows how secluded Janie is in Logan’s house and how that was boring for an adventurous and fun-loving girl like her.
4.
a. “Logan with his shovel looked like a black bear doing some clumsy dance on his hind legs.” Pg 31 This mental image is supposed to contrast with that of Joe Starks so that one can see the difference in the demeanor of the two men and that Joe is after something bigger.
b. “From now on until death, she was going to have flower dust and springtime sprinkled over everything.” Pg 32 This states how happy she feels when she runs away with Joe and she believes that this feeling with never disappear.
5.
a. “It was just a handle to wind the tongue up with.” Pg 48 This expression is used to say that the townspeople talked well about Joe just to make sure they didn’t get in trouble for the other things they say.
b. “…he’s de wind, and we’se de grass.” Pg 49 this is used to tell of how much control Joe had over the townspeople.
6.
a. “Every morning the world flung itself over and exposed the town to the sun.” pg 51 This tells that even with all that was going on with her life, Janie’s world went on.
b. “He had more spirit left than body.” Pg 56 though this is used to describe the mule, it tells that a being’s spirit and body are not the same thing.
7.
a. “She was a rut in the road. Plenty of life beneath the surface but it was kept beaten down by the wheels.” Pg 76 this shows that Janie had a lot of fight left in her, but Joe kept such a tight control on her that she couldn’t start fighting.
b. “She got so she received all things with the stolidness of the earth which soaks up urine and perfume with indifference.” Pg 77 This shows that she learnt to deal with Joe quietly and indifferently.
8.
a. “But stillness was the sleep of swords.” Pg 81 This is saying that the stillness between Joe and Janie was only preparation for a fight.
b. “She was liable to find a feather from his wings lying in her yard any day now.” Pg 84 This is referring to Death and saying that soon it will come for Joe and barely leave any traces behind.
9.
a. “It was all according to the way you see things. Some people could look at a mud-puddle and see an ocean with ships.” Pg 89 This tells of how some people are optimistic and see lots of oppurtunity while others do not.
b. “To my thinkin’ mourning oughtn’t tuh last no longer’n grief.” Pg 93 Janie says this to indicate that it would be rude to the dead to mourn them only for public appearance, without ever grieving them.
10.
a. “Jes lak uh lil girl wid her Easter dress on.” pg 98 Here Tea Cake is showing how pleasing and cute it is to have Janie call him by his nickname. He is also trying to break the age barrier between them.
b. “Soon its amber fluid was drenching the earth, and quenching the thirst of the day.” Pg 99 This is talking about the moon and it means that the night finished the day and brought about love and rest.
11.
a. “It was so crazy digging worms by lamplight and setting out for Lake Sabelia after midnight that she felt like a child breaking rules.” Pg. 102 This shows how thrilling it was being with Tea Cake and how much younger she felt by having so much fun.
b. “It feels jus’ lak underneath uh dove’s wing next to mah face.” Pg. 103 Tea Cake uses this description to tell of how luscious Janie’s hair is.
c. “Janie awoke next morning by feeling Teak Cake almost kissing her breath away.” Pg. 107 This phrase is used to show the magnitude of Janie’s love and how it was different than with her other husbands.
12.
a. “When you see uh woman doin’ so much rakin’ in her head, she’s combin’ at some man or ‘nother.” Pg. 111 Here Sam Watson is explaining Janie’s actions to Phoeby.
b. “ Git up on uh high chair and sit dere. She didn’t have time tuh think whut tuh do after you got up on de stool uh do nothin’.” Pg. 114 This line is Janie talking of her grandmother and her dream for Janie. The chair symbolizes an important or cushy place in society; a honest living and a good marriage.
13.
a. “The train beat on itself and danced on the shiny steel rails mile after mile.” Pg. 116 Here Janie is telling of her trip to join Tea Cake.
b. “But, don’t care how firm your determination is, you can’t keep turning round in one place like a horse grinding sugar can.” Pg. 118 Here Mrs. Hurston uses the symbol of a horse grinding sugar cane to show that you have to make progress to go anywhere.
14.
a. “Shining their phosphorescent eyes and shooting them in the dark.” Pg. 131 Now one of Janie and Tea Cake’s adventures is being told, making their relationship sound exciting and fun.
b. “…but heah, we ain’t got nothin’ tuh do but do our work and come home and love.” Pg. 133 This is where Janie is telling of how she enjoys her working life with Tea Cake and comparing it to her old relationships.
15.
a. “A little seed of fear was growing into a tree.” Pg. 136 Mrs. Hurston uses this phrase to describe how Janie and Tea Cake’s relationship is starting to have flaws.
b. “You done hurt mah heart, now you come wid uh lie tuh bruise mah ears!” Pg. 137 Janie is trying to stop Tea Cake from hurting her further after she gets jealous of Nunkie.
16.
a. “She was an ironing board with things thrown at it.” Pg. 140 Here Mrs. Turner’s posture is being commented on.
b. “He was a vanishing-looking kind of a man as if there used to be parts about him that stuck out individually but now he hadn’t a thing about him that wasn’t dwindled and blurred. Just like he had been sand-papered down to a long oval mass.” Pg. 144 Mr. Turner is being described here.
17.
a. “She got ninety-nine rows uh jaw teeth and git her good and mad, she’ll wade through solid rock up to her hip pockets.” Pg. 148 This is what a man says when comparing his wife to Janie and how his wife would never stand him hitting her.
b. “…broken dishes and crippled tables and broken-off chair legs and window panes and such things. It got so that the floor was knee-deep with something no matter where you put your foot down.” Pg. 152 Mrs. Hurston describes the scene in Mrs. Turner’s after the riot.
18.
a. “The winds, to the tiniest, lisping baby breath had left the earth. Even before the sun gave light, dead day was creeping from bush to bush watching man.” Pg. 155 The premonitions of the hurricane are talked of.
b. “…and the monster began to roll in his bed. Began to roll and complain like a peevish world on a grumble.” Pg. 158 The hurricane is symbolized as a monster.
19.
a. “He stood once more and again in his high flat house without sides to it and without a roof with his soulless sword standing upright in his hand. His pale white horse had galloped over waters, and thundered over land.” Pg. 168 Death is personified for a better effect after the hurricane.
b. “Some dead with fighting faces and eyes flung wide open in wonder. Death had found them watching, trying to see beyond seeing.” Pg.170 Mrs. Hurston talks of the dead and the aftermath of the storm.
20.
a. “Love is lak de sea. It’s uh movin’ thing, but still and all it takes its shape from de shore it meets, and it’s different with every shore.” Pg. 191 Janie says this after everything, when she has returned to Eatonville.
b. “And listenin’ tuh dat kind uh talk is jus’ lak openin’ yo’ mouth and lettin’ de moon shine down yo’ throat.” Pg. 192 This is the comment Janie makes when talking to Phoeby about the porch-sitters.
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