Journal #10

Identify a theme. Be sure your theme is something that you can commit to writing your own vignette around. Make a list of quotes that inform that theme. Be sure to record the page number and take note of any techniques and or elements present within the quote.

Theme: Individuals who attempt to further their societal standings through the system of capitalism always end up isolating themselves though their actions.
   Possible problems:
  1) Is it too broad when I say "their actions"?
  2) Does the theme make sense?
  3) What could I specify?

1) "If you don't want him, you sho oughta. Heah you is wid de onliest organ in town, amongst colored folks, in yo' parlor. Got a house bought and paid for and sixty acres uh land right on de big road and . . . Lawd have mussy! Dat's de very prong all us black women gits hung on" (23).

Nanny wishes for a better life for Janie through a capitalistic viewpoint. The rest of the passage is a juxtaposition of Nanny's hopes and Janie's desires.

2) "One morning soon he called her out of the kitchen to the barn. he had the mule all saddled at the gate.
     'Looka heah, LilBit, help me out some. Cut up dese seed taters fuh me. Ah got tuh go step off a piece.'
     'Where you goin'?'
     'Over tuh Lake City tuh see uh man about uh mule.'
     'Whut you need two mules fuh? lessen you aims to swap off dis one.'
     'Naw, Ah needs two mules dis yeah. Taters is goin' tuh be taters in de fall. Brinin' big prices. Ah aims tuh run two plows and dis man Ah'm talkin' 'bout is got uh mule all gentled up so even uh woman kin handle 'im'" (26-27).

Hurston's use of dialogue ties Logan into the theme of capitalism. He is a prime example of capitalism when he says he is going to invest in another mule in order to make more money. Logan doesn't love Janie and refers to her as LilBit, showing that he only wants her to advance his societal position as a farmer.

3) "Joe Starks was the name, yeah Joe Starks from in and through Georgy. Been workin' for white folks all his life. Saved up some money-round three hundred dollars, yes indeed, right here in his pocket. Dept hearin' 'bout them buildin' a new state down heah in Floridy and sort of wanted to come. But he was makin' money where he was. But when he heard all about 'em makin' a town all outa colored folks, he knows dat was de place where he wanted to be. He had always wanted to be a big voice, but de white folks had all de sayso where he come from and everywhere else, exceptin' dis place dat colored folks was buildin' theirselves. Dat was right too. De man dat built things oughta boss it" (28).

Motif of circles in which Jody repeats the cycle of oppression in order to advance himself in society. He was lorded over by the white folk in his old town so he jumps on the chance to be able to lord over the blacks in the new town.

4) "'You'se always off talkin' and fixin' things, and Ah feels lak Ah'm jus' markin' time. Hope it soon gits over.'
      'Over, Janie? I god, Ah ain't even started good. Ah told you in de very first beginnin' dat Ah aimed tuh be uh big voice. You oughta be glad, 'cause dat makes uh big woman outa you.'
      A feeling of coldness and fear took hold of her. She felt far away from things and lonely.
      Janie soon began to feel the impact of awe and envy against her sensibilities. The wife of the Mayor was not just another woman as she had supposed. She slept with authority and so she was part of it in the town mind. She couldn't get but so close to most of them in spirit." (46)

Hurston uses the pattern of coldness to describe how Jody's new found power begins to isolate himself from Janie. Janie also expresses her thoughts about how she herself begins to feel isolated because of the spillover from Jody's power.

5)"'And now we'll listen tuh uh few words uh encouragement from Mrs. Mayor Starks.'
     The burst of applause was cut short by Joe taking the floor himself.
     'Thank yuh fuh yo' compliments, but mah wife don't know nothin' 'bought no speech-makin'. Ah never married her for nothin' lak dat. She's uh woman and her place is in de home.' [...]
     But anyway, she went down the road behind him that night feeling cold. (43)

Like above, Hurston uses coldness to signify the isolation that Janie feels from Jody. In this passage, Jody takes methods from capitalism and furthers himself through the expense of other characters.

6) "There was something about Joe Starks that cowed the town. It was not because of physical fear. He was no fist fighter. His bulk was not even imposing as men go. Neither was it because he was more literate than the rest. Something else made men give way before him. He had a bow-down command in his face, and every step he took made the thing more tangible.
    Take for instance that new house of his. It had two stories with porches, with banisters and such things. The rest of the town looked like servants' quarters surrounding the "big house." And different from everybody else in the town he put off moving in until it had been painted, in and out. And look at the way he painted it- a gloaty, sparkly white" (47).

Hurston uses imagery to tie Jody's actions to those of a white man. Jody attempts to make himself out to be a very successful guy although he only achieved his success through oppression and the capitalistic system. The way in which Hurston describes the citizens' and Jody's actions show how Jody himself begins to isolate himself once he attains power.

7) She cried often in the weeks that followed. Joe got too weak to look after things and took to his bed. But he relentlessly refused to admit her to his sick room. People came and went in the house. This one and that oene came into her houe with covered plates of brroth and other sick-room dishes without taking the least notice of her as Joe's wife. people who never had known what it was to enter the gate of the Mayor's yard unless it were to do some menial job now paraded in and out as his confidants. They came to the store and ostentatiously looked over whatever she was doing and went back to report to him at the house. Said things like 'Mr. Starks need somebody tuh sorta look out for 'im till he kin git on his feet again and look for hisself' (83).

By now Jody has achieved his societal advancement but when he begins to die, the gap is power he leaves is fought for by the community. Janie, the woman gaining the most power, begins to become isolated by the community. Jody, due to his capitalistic goals, experiences the more extreme type of isolationism, death.

8) "'Honey, since you loose me and gimme privilege tuh tell yuh all about mahself, Ah'll tell yuh. You done married one uh de best gamblers God ever made. Cards or dice either one. Ah can take uh shoe string and win uh tan-yard. Wish yuh could see me rollin'. But dis time it's gointuh be nothin' but tough men's talkin' all kinds uh talk so it ain't no place for you tuh be, but 'twon't be long befo' you see me'" (125).

Tea Cake attempts to win money through gambling. He doesn't attempt to advance himself in society through capitalism, but rather he attempts to raise money for Janie and pleasure. This is different from the selfish goals of Logan/Jody. (is it really?)

9)"' Dat ain't nothin'. You ain't seen de bossman go up, is yuh? Well all right now. man, de money's too good on the muck. It's liable tuh fair off by tuhmorrer. Ah wouldn't leave if Ah wuz you'" (156).

This is when Tea Cakes gives in to capitalism and sets himself up for isolation. He disregards his and Janie's safety in order to economically advance himself. He prioritizes money over safety and for this reason, Hurston shows the reader that Tea Cake's change in mindset causes him to die.

10) "'Ah naw, honey. Ah laks it. It's mo' nicer than settin' round dese quarters all day. Clerkin' in dat store wuz hard, but heah, we ain't got nothin' tuh do but do our work and come home and love'" (133).

Hurston distinguishes Janie from the others because although Janie works, she doesn't do it to advance herself or to make money. She has money saved up in the bank already. Janie works because it allows her to be near nature and the man that she loves which doesn't lead her to the consequences of capitalism. (She ends up alone at the end) :(

Edit: Commented on Anthony Nguyen, Cara Mitchell and Sean Sakaguchi's blogs.