Their Eyes Were Watching God Chapters 9-12
Jody’s funeral was a glamorous affair, and Jane used her black veil to shield herself from the touch of dead things. That night she went home and burned all the head rags she owned. She began to wear her hair in a long braid that went way past her waist, but that was the only change that she actually made to her life. She proceeded normally with her routine, but spent the evenings on the porch, while she left Hezekiah to mind the store inside. She returned to a home where she lived with her loneliness, and she even spoke to it sometimes. She came to realize that she did not want to go back to the place where she had come from and that she had no desire to see her mother or her grandmother. And although it was hard to admit, she realized that she hated her grandmother.
Janie was hounded by men from all over as they came down to see her and pay their respects to the memory of her late husband. All of the men said the same thing, that she couldn’t be on her own. That she needed a man to care for her and keep her safe. Janie knew from her experience with Logan and Jody what marriage had to offer, and wished to enjoy her freedom. She told the same to Phoeby when she was making the case for an interested suitor.
More than six months had passed since Jody’s death when Janie met Teacake. He came into the store when most of the other townspeople had gone to see a game. Janie connected with him, as he made her laugh, and offered to teach her checkers. A game that Jody had claimed was too complex for Janie. She enjoyed Teacake’s company, and they were able to laugh with one another. Teacake stayed until late at night and helped her close the shop. He walked her home, which was something she had not allowed any of the other men who had expressed an interest in her.
Janie was resolved to snub Teacake the next time he visited but she couldn’t help herself when he came. They played Checkers again and spent the rest of the day in laughter. Janie allowed Teacake to walk her home again, and they both sat on her front porch. Instead of calling it a night, Teacake took Janie out for fishing. They caught a couple of fish in the dark and returned to Janie’s home before the sun rose. Teacake left her then and returned the following night. In the meanwhile, Hezekiah cautioned Janie against Teacake. He claimed that though Teacake wasn’t involved with anything nefarious, he was still extremely poor and so he was probably trying to swindle money from her. Teacake had brought along some fish, so they cooked them together and had them with some cornbread. He then began to play the blues on the piano, and Janie found herself getting drowsy. She closed her eyes briefly and found him combing through her hair. He explained that he had been thinking about doing so for the longest time, and told her how beautiful her eyes and her mouth were. Janie retorted that he must say that to all the women, and Teacake confesses that he has been known to do so.
Teacake notices the change in Janie’s expression when he tells her so and then tells her that he wants to be with her over the long term. Janie believes that Teacake is lying and that his thoughts are likely to change in the morning. Janie points out the difference in their age, but Teacake dismisses it. He leaves in a hurry and returns another morning. Janie wakes up to find him at the door, but he doesn’t stay long. He confesses his liking for her, gives her some strawberries, and leaves in a hurry. That night, Janie returns from the store to find him lying in the hammock. They spend the night together, and Teacake leaves early the next morning, while Janie remains in bed processing the absence of Teacake. He doesn’t come to town for the next two days, and Janie begins to experience the pangs of doubt. Teacake comes to the store with a rickety old car, and Janie tries to be cold with him for leaving her for so long but she can’t quite manage it. He tells her that he has been working like a dog all of the previous week because he wanted to take her to the Sunday picnic. He brought the car so that he can take her to get some special groceries for the picnic. Janie confesses her feelings to him then, and Teacake swears by God that he has no ill intentions towards her.
The townsfolk begin to notice the relationship between Teacake and Janie, which is when the rumors begin to fly. Teacake spends an inordinate amount of time with Janie, and they are always doing something together, whether that’s going to a baseball game, or going hunting. Sam makes mention of the concerns that the townspeople have about Tea cake’s intentions and requests his wife Phoeby to caution Janie. Phoeby willingly obliges and lays out the distrust the townspeople feel towards Teacake. Janie rebuts all accusations and claims that she no longer wants to live like her grandmother had wanted her to live. Her grandmother had been a slave, and so had been unable to ever sit back and relax. She had wanted such a luxury for her granddaughter, but Janie had found it suffocating. She now wanted to live her own life the way she desired, and so she was going to marry Teacake. They were then going to sell the store and move away from the town to begin anew. She also defended Teacake against the accusation of being only interested in her for her money, since he had never taken so much as a penny from her.
Analysis
Jody's death is undoubtedly the beginning of Janie's liberation and development. The first two chapters after Jody's death deal with Janie coming o grips with all the parts of her that Jody had suppressed or that she has done to live with him. Janie's liberation is symbolized in the liberation of her hair, which also happens to be the very first thing she does when she realizes that Jody has passed. She then begins to become more talkative, as the narrator's voice fades out and Janie's voice becomes more present in the narration of the story. This restoration of speech is further evidenced in her interactions with the other townspeople. The next step for Janie is understanding what she wants from her life, as she can ask herself questions that she had never before considered. She realizes that she has no wish to see her mother and that she harbors hate for her grandmother who had forced her to marry without ever understanding what Janie wanted from her own life.
Teacake's interactions with Janie are laid out clearly in the book, in contrast to Janie's first interactions with her other two ex-husbands. Logan is never truly introduced to Janie since she has always just known about him, while the narrator describes Janie's initial interaction with Jody. The details of their first interaction are never fully covered, while Janie's encounters with Teacake are extremely detailed. Teacake also differs in his treatment of Janie. It is evident that he treats with a lot more respect than Jody and Logan, and this is represented in the activities they perform together. Initially, Teacake and Janie play checkers and converse with one another, both activities are carried out between equals, therefore Teacake recognizes Janie as an equal whereas Logan and Jody both saw her as something that could be owned and controlled.
