Janie's Hair
Although we have only covered the first couple chapters of the novel their eyes were watching god, it is
apparent that metaphors and figurative language play an essential role in the
narration of the story. Not only does the narrator use allegory throughout this
tale, but the dialogue incorporates a lyrical tone to a point where it seems
quite unnatural. Janie Crawford’s hair is one of her most defining physical
characteristics and can also be viewed as a metaphor throughout the novel.
Janie’s hair is straight, which is usually a trait of Caucasian hair,
specifically reminding the reader that Janie Crawford’s father and grandfather
were white, which may be important for the further reading of the text.
Janie doesn’t know much about her parents, as she was raised primarily
by her grandmother. However, the reader is given many contextual clues as to
her parent’s relationship. Nanny Crawford was originally a domestic slave and
was raped by her owner. His wife became jealous of her and planned to have her killed
and her child sold. Janie’s grandmother fled and had high hopes for her
daughter, Leafy. She wanted her to have a much better life and to eventually
become a school teacher. Not all went as planned, however, as Leafy was raped
by her white school teacher and never recovered from the psychological trauma
this caused her.
At the beginning of Janie’s story, she explains how she grew up among
white children and on their plantation. She never realized that she was black
until a photographer came and she couldn’t identify herself in the picture.
Several characters in the book accuse her of “acting white”, including her
first husband when she doesn’t want to help him with the yard work.
Hair is an ideal symbol for heritage and family history as it can be
worn in several forms. Specifically, the style of a braid evokes historical
images, as with the poem we read in class about the Gordian Knot. The knot
highlights the fact that although the white owners may try to erase their
“mistake” it is impossible to do so, and their history lives on through these
children.
Great post! I also thought of the Gordian Knot as I was reading this book. Since I missed out on the first discussion day, I didn't realize the full extent of the metaphors and figurative language. I also thought it was very interesting that Janie's hair is straight instead of curly. Being accused of acting white is just icing on the cake. I'm interested in finding out if her "whiteness" becomes a major theme in the rest of the novel.
ReplyDeleteReally good attention to detail and great connection to the Gordian Knot. I also appreciate the summary you gave of Janie's backstory because I was a little confused about the details. I think this kind of detailed reading is what we need for this novel, especially because Hurston literally slows us down with the dialect she writes the dialogue with.
ReplyDeleteNice post! Your point about the Gordian knot is great. I hadn’t realized that Janie’s hair was straight but I did find it weird how much some of the men we’ve met so far have fixated on it. It’s really sad that those men are both find her hair attractive because it’s straight and criticize her for being too white. I wonder how Janie will address address and deal with that part of her identity as the novel progresses.
ReplyDeleteI loved your post! The Gordian Knot is a really interesting point to make, because there will always be white in Janie and black in Janie. You can't wipe out one from the other, which made me think of Ellison as well.
ReplyDeleteI liked the tie in to the Gordian Knot and it was a good connection. I agree with Annemily that it's sad that men are being hypocritical and liking her for the things they criticize her for. Nice post!
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