Greetings Novel Students
Here are some questions for your first blog. Choose ONE of the questions below. Pick at least one specific scene that helps you respond to the question. Post one to two paragraphs and include at least one quotation from the novel to support your ideas. Post your blog by Sunday March 20, midnight, and please respond to others who are exploring interesting questions. This blog may be the beginning of an essay.
Click on the pencil at the bottom of this post to begin posting. Also, please create a word version of your post in case you decide to expand it to an essay.
1. How do the "big porch talkers" in the opening chapter and the story telling tricksters in the Mule episode contribute a particular voice to the novel? What are the qualities of that voice? What do the people enjoy? How does Hurston use the townspeople as a way of depicting the colorful community of Eatonville?
2. We have discussed the way Jody introduces himself as someone who wants to be a "big voice." Characterize his voice. How does the town respond to him? How does Janie feel? How is his voice both a good thing a bad thing, revealing his strengths and weaknesses?
3. Janie may be described as a character in search of a voice. Who are the individuals who deny her a voice? Why? How do we see her finding her voice, sharpening her feelings and insights, even if that voice is initially private?
4. In class we discussed Hurston's use of "mythic voice" (see definition and example in coursepak p 7). If you are loving Hurston's lyrical, poetic, mythic voice, choose an example or two and discuss the effect of this "mythic voice." What does it do? How does add to her prose in terms of mood, power?
Nigora Ziyaeva
ReplyDeleteNovel class
March, 13
Blog #1
Hurston's lyrical, poetic, mythic voice, is powerful by just saying within words. When I read them they explaining of black literary voice.
" Hurston's theory of Negro dialect: language is like a money: it evolves from bartered goods into coin: highly developed languages have words detached from ideas-legal tender:chair comes to stand for what we squat on: primitive man stays close to picture-action words p 94" in this sentence explaining of how humans action is works. Language is like a money, I think she mean by money person can show what they want to say or they will show they words through words that they want to say others. High developed language have words separated from ideas and legal side. She explains within the way she looking into language, this is how she thinks about languages, because in her book the girl who lives in this kind of situation and society where money is like a language.Action is shows the words. In her second voice," The speakerly text: oral literary tradition recaptured and represented-self-conscious attention to voice other eg Hurston's definition of Negro Expression". In this quote, she talks about negro people expression which is it is show in book too, how tradition is captured and well going on in the story.
Jody is the character in this book that I have a problem deciding if I like or not, especially with the beginnings of Eatonville. There are aspects to his personality that I respect, but those aspects lead to other aspects that I do not respect. I separate his work life from his personal life. From his work life, the pros that I find are his ethic and dedication to his sense of community. His aesthetic is boastful and arrogant, but his resolve speaks for itself. As grandiose as he wants to appear, you can't deny that his actions get results. His personal life. It makes me cringe every time he refers to himself as god. "I god". The image of him sitting on his chair behind his desk rolling his cigarette reminds me of Boss Tweed. However, he did build the town. As far as how he treats Janie, its sad to see that he did not marry her for love, but for show. Janie was his trophy and both of them knew it. Janie was able to move away from a life of physical loveless labor by going with Joe, but in the end, up until his end, what she got was an opposite of a life of labor, but loveless still. Despite his arrogance, Joe was what Eatnville needd, but not what Jodie needed.
ReplyDeletewhat Janie* needed.
DeleteI like your analysis of Jody's arrogant resolve--we can see how he gets things done--and that social groups do sometimes need some organizing! But he is still annoying :). i think when he says "I God" it is the equivalent of "in God's name" or "for God's sake" or what we say the most now: "Oh my God," but it's interesting to see the slippage into (I=God!) or I am God...
DeleteCatherine martinez
ReplyDeleteNovel eng 260
March 14
2) strange trains,people and places didn't scare Jody,and that made Janie proud of him . "Their was no doubt that the town respected him and even admired him in a way".The town took Jody seriously. He was able to prove people wrong. He was succesfully able to buy 200 acres of land from the captain.He was also a bully he forced people to do things for him around the store. Janie states that he talks a lot.Jody aimed to be a big voice, but it affected Janie in a negative way.It made Janie feel fearful,lonely and also felt far away from things.Janie would fight back, but it didn't do her any good,Jody would keep on fighting till he had it.She eventually learned to be quiet.
You pinpoint the way Jody shuts Janie down--if you wanted to write about this there are a good number of moments when we see her withdrawing because of the way he treats her...
Delete2) Jody's is a voice that we all have inside us. It wants to be big, it wants to be heard, it wants to make a difference. Many of us never let that voice out, but he did. He let it out and turned it into a thriving community of freed slaves. In the process, he quieted other voices, principle among them Janie's. The townsfolk resented him, but they spoke aloud behind his back. Janie kept her opposing voice inside, not wanting to rock the boat of their relationship. She kept the peace, but her silence was an admission of approval to Jody, and he kept on using his voice like a weapon, to beat other voices down.
ReplyDeleteIn the first few days of his arrival in Eatonville, it was Jody's voice that brought forth his ideas, one of the most important of which was to build a shop, so he could "have a place tuh be at when folks comes tuh buy land." Already he's established himself as the heart of the town, giving life--food--to his people. But his voice also reveals his weakness of character, particularly when he chooses to use it to put down Janie about her age and appearance. His voice becomes a shield, deflecting his own insecurities on someone he thought wouldn't fight back.
Crystal--I admire the way you analyze the power of Jody's voice, the fact that we all have this voice but that he uses it like a weapon--and also the way Janie keeps her opposing voice inside--this would make an interesting paper topic!
DeleteKrzysztof Matejkowski
ReplyDeleteOne of Hurston's defining characteristics is her use of the mythic voice. Her prose turns Janie's narrative into something akin to a fairy tale. It becomes magical and dream-like. In Janie's world nature is alive. “The sun was gone, but he had left his footprints in the sky.” Even if not taken latterly, we get a sense that there is something more magical just beyond the veil of reality. In her world “kissing bees” sing, trees and seeds talk, and even people were forces of nature. Hurston describes Nanny's face as having “looked like the standing roots of some old tree that had been torn away by storm.” While Nanny is Janie's grandmother she also becomes an ancient part of nature. Almost a timeless being. Hurston language affects us like the pear tree blossoming effects Janie. “It connected itself with other vaguely felt matters that had struck her outside observation and buried themselves into her flesh. Now they emerged and quested about her consciousness.”
Krysztov--you've really captured some of the magic of Hurston's voice--I especially like the way you see Nanny as "an ancient part of nature" based on the "standing roots" image--it's so clearly there but it helps to name it because she is such a survivor of the great storm of slavery!
DeleteThroughout the novel Janie is constantly trying to find her voice but, many characters keep her from doing so. I think that Nanny, in a way, was the first to stifle Janie's voice when she forced her to live a certain way and marry Logan Killicks, who also leaves Janie without a voice. But the person that affects Janie the most, is Joe Starks. He treats her like more of an object or possession rather then a person. He keeps her from speaking her mind and associating with the other people in the town. Because Jody has a large desire for power and such a "big voice" there isn't much room for Janie to express her thoughts or individuality. She learns that she has to separate her inside and outside voice, and keep certain thoughts to herself, that is until she decides that enough is enough and lets Jody know how she feels. I think that Janie was kind of relieved after Joe's death because she finally felt free and, even if she didn't choose to, was able to say and do as she pleases. When Janie meets Tea Cake, he is the first guy to ever treat her as an equal, as someone who is capable of thoughts and opinions rather than just something to be seen and not heard. I think thats one of the reasons why Janie feels such a strong attraction to him. He is respectful and doesn't force her to be what she's not. Instead of stifling her voice, he encourages it to grow.
ReplyDeleteEmily--you trace the different "stiflers" of Janie's voice very sensitively--this would be a good essay topic :)
DeleteJody is known as Janie's second husband. Jody always wanted in what we called a "big voice," but his big voice made his personality a bit difficult to like. He was known at first as making things happen for the people in the town of Eatnville. He was willing to do what ever it took to make the first all black town the best. The town took Jody as a great leader for them. He was able to show everyone that he has a "big voice"and he wants everyone to hear it. Janie being the wife of Jody loved his big voice, at first. She loved his dedication, his voice, his work, his ideas and everything about him. As the town began to look better and bigger she began to feel as if Jody lost interest in her. She started to feel like she can't be herself anymore or have a voice as big as her husband. Jody didn't allow Janie to do anything besides work the store or sit on her porch pretty.This is when she began to have mixed feelings about his big voice. Jody's voice revealed both his strengths and weaknesses. It showed strength because he was able to show his people as mayor that he means business and he was willing to do anything he had to do to fix his town.This gave everyone confidence in what was now the first all black town.As for weaknesses he showed jealousy in his voice as he began to age. "' T'ain't no use in gettin' all mad, Janie, 'cause Ah mention you ain't no young gal no mo'. Nobody heah ain't lookin' for no wife outa yuh. Old as you is.'" (Hurston, 79) In this quote Jody began to use his voice in a way Janie didn't like. As Jody got older in his looks and Janie not looking aged a bit then he began to get jealous. I believe it is because her beauty was so strong while Jody was just getting fat and old. He used his voice as a shield to cover up that he hates the way everyone looks at Janie and admire her beauty while he just gets old and rotten.
ReplyDeleteMarkita--nice point about how Jody's voice also betrays his jealousy! We hear so much of his BIG voice this almost gets lost but it certainly is there in that important scene about aging!
Delete3.Janie may be described as a character in search of a voice. Who are the individuals who deny her a voice? Why? How do we see her finding her voice, sharpening her feelings and insights, even if that voice is initially private?
ReplyDeleteNanny has denied her voice in how she forced her to marry logan. Logan also denied her voice by making her stay in home and work. Janie's second husband, Jody denied her voice plenty times. First was when he didn't let her wear the dress she wanted to wear. Second was when he didnt let her do a speech for him. Janie started finding her voice when she spoke up to Jody for saying "Somebody got to think for women and chillun and chickens and cows. I god, they sho don't think none theirselves." She finally wanted to not be controlled by someone. After Jody died, she had a time to run the store and learn more about being independent and speaking up.
Madelyn--it is interesting to watch how Janie's voice asserts itself when she is directly attacked! And we will see much more of her voice now that she has found Tea Cake :)
DeleteThe town loved having someone to talk for them and back up that talk with action before they realized that he was the main one benefiting from everything going on in the town even though they still liked and appreciated everything he was doing for the town that they wouldn't have otherwise have had if he never became the mayor of the town. But while all of this was going on Janie who loved Jodys big voice at first because he took control and seemed like a mans man didn't see the future implications of just how controlling he would need to be over her own voice. When he began to stifle her own voice and make her a pretty face she realized she didn't like his voice as much as she thought she did.
ReplyDeleteHis voice is a good thing for both Jodie and the town in the beginning because upon his entrance into the town as he begins talking about a mayor and finds that they don't have one he is able to speak for them and in turn allowed them to grow as a town. But then with them now being the big voice after a speech as they wish for his wife to give one as well he says " Thank yuh fuh yo compliments, but mah wife don't know nothin' 'bout no speech-making'." Showing the his excessive need to be the big voice led to him even undermining the voice of his own wife so no voice could be bigger then his.
Krystal--great point at end of your post about his "excessive need to be the big voice" and how he undermines Janie. It's also true that attacking her eventually unleashes her voice--interesting to think about...
DeleteThe first person to deny Janie her voice is her grandmother. Her grandmother imposed her values and believes without any concern, what Janie thinks or feels. The Grandmother is more concern what is in Janie best interested is to marry Logan Killlicks. Even Though Janie is so against idea of marry a man she doesn't love and much older than her.
ReplyDeleteThe next person to deny Janie her voice is Logan Killlicks. Janie has become more like servant in house than a wife. The next person to deny Janie her voice is Jody however in beginning he gave Janie false illusion that she can be independant person with dreams and ideas. However, he changed quickly all Jody wants was pretty woman by his side as trophy of his accomplishment he had acquired. Janie voice become suppress due to Jody becoming domineering and belittle Janie in public. For example: chapter 5 Tony wanted Mrs. Spark to make a speech but before she could, Joe Sparks interrupted by stating “ Thank yuh fuh yo’ compliments, but mah wife don’t know nothin’ ‘bout no speech making. Ah never married her for nothin’ lak dat. She’s uh woman and her place is in the home.” By Jody not allowing Janie not speak it robbing her of identity and her voice to express how she feels. However, Janie starting evoluting first in her head with ideas and feeling to express herself but for now she keep it inside. Until one day she finally exploded in letting out many years of suppressed feeling she had build up. To end of marriage when Jody died she feels a sense of relief that she can finally lived independence with no controlling man telling her how to dress or not speak. Finally finding her own worth in life.
Really good example you give Miriam--we see just how selfish Jody is, not wanting his wife to have the stage even when invited by others! And yes, she will certainly grow in the second half of the novel.
Delete