Scan barcode
lyatheenaka's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
my response paper on the book:
Cages and Lovelier Cages
Everyone’s journey to liberation looks different, especially when you do not know that is what you truly want. Janie spends this novel being swept off her feet; not by men, but by lifestyles, by false promises and desires, none of which will fulfill her. All predetermined and laid out for her bow her head into. Tea Cake was far from the ideal man but what he gave her was a taste of liberation, of choice.
When we first meet Janie, she thinks she wants love. She dreams of the flowers and the trees and the pollen blooming together. She was confident that she could find that in marriage, despite her feelings going into it. “Husbands and wives always loved each other, and that was what marriage meant” (Hurston 21). That was not what marriage means and she quickly learned that. She never found love there, but she did find a cage. It was in the shape of plows, sowing needles, and thankless labor. Janie never wanted to slave her days away for a man she never loved. She soon ran from that cage.
Joe Starks extended his hand, in it laid a different cage, a much prettier one. This one was gilded, in the shape of opulence and high status. The cage had a label on it, in careful loopy script, Mrs. Mayor Starks. She was promised a life with little physical labor and where she would be exalted for her beauty. “A pretty doll-baby lak you is made to sit on de front porch and rock and fan yo’self and eat p’taters dat other folks plant just special for you” (Hurston 29). And nothing else. That is where the problem lies. Being pampered is fine until the loneliness sets in. When the pedestal you were put on is so high that you cannot talk to anyone, what is the point of the pedestal. This realization came slower to Janie and was that much harder to accept, but when the time came, she left it all behind without looking back.
Tea Cake was not perfect. It is very easy to fall into Janie’s view of him and make him an angel in our minds. She loved him with every part of her being, even deifying him in the end. But he is none of the sort. He hit her, he took her money, partook in rather strange activities and was overconfident. In fact, I would not say the storm killed him, but his own hubris. Tea Cake gave Janie something different, he gave her freedom. He gave her no cage, but a place by his side. She made decisions, gave her insight, was heard for once. She was liberated, despite Tea Cake’s faults, because her autonomy is fully realized. Are we sure, though? Being in true love is not the same as being liberated. Love can be a powerful binding force for a woman, and much lovelier and comfortable cage but a cage all the same.
That liberation was tested lethally when it was him or her. If she had picked his life over hers, we would know that she was never truly free. Love held her back from being a free woman. But she picked herself. She did not let love blind her and she took a life to keep hers. No cages, not anymore.
Janie knows what a cage looks like. She loved Tea Cake and would do anything for him, but she knew that she must live. Dying for a dead man might be a choice but it is not liberation. It is just another tool to keep a woman tied down, and Janie knows what it feels like. She breaks through and lives.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Terminal illness, and Racism
Minor: Sexual assault, Slavery, and Rape
accidentalfolklore's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexism, Medical content, Death, Grief, and Rape
bimboliciousame's review
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
It was really good! I really liked the pacing which is rare for me. The ending felt like a plot twist but not like it was completely out of nowhere. I really liked how it was written without political claims because it leaves room for discussion while still pushing the readers’ thoughts. The narrator constantly asks questions which forces active reading onto the readers which is amazing. However, the circumstances of Tea Cake’s death felt random although the fact that he ended up dead didn’t. I mean it could be implied that Tea Cake would die because of Janie’s past relationships. But, the fact he died via rabies by a dog in a hurricane felt so random. But, i also believe it could’ve been an element of good being unpredictable and unstoppable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Death, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, and Classism
Minor: Animal death and Rape
wellreadandhalfdead's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Racism, and Misogyny
Moderate: Slavery and Rape
historyoftape's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
There are so many good things packed into this story. A rich understanding if culture and language, characters that grow or are stifled depending on their environments, social, economic and political commentary, great dialogue, captivating imagery... It's a book that had me deeply invested in the main character's goals, dreams, and growth, where I loved the side characters, and where, while I may not have made similar decisions, I could understand and even support Janies decisions because I understood that they were the right path for her. The ending was heartbreaking and real, hurt me in a good way. It's been a while since I read a book that finished this strongly. The way Janies words were so rare in the beginning of the story, to how confident and free in speaking she is by the end was one of the most striking things to me. One of the most effective but subtle ways to show her growth I have encountered in a while.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Gun violence, Murder, Confinement, Grief, Animal cruelty, Classism, Death, Blood, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexism, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Abandonment, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Violence, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Addiction
marygrabul's review
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: Rape
susanatherly's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Slavery, Sexual harassment, Sexism, and Rape
Moderate: Abandonment, Body shaming, Animal cruelty, Violence, and Alcoholism
Minor: War
charliebites's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Death, Emotional abuse, and Racism
Minor: Mental illness, Hate crime, Chronic illness, Dementia, Terminal illness, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, and Rape
serenedancer's review
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Well written interesting story. There were parts that I didn't quite love (like the common references to domestic violence without it being seen as wrong) but I felt like it was included as it would have been historically. I liked the way it was written.
It is definitely slower moving but it still works well.
Also, if you're having issues with the way it's written, I found that the audiobook helped there. It helped me if I hear it read out.
It is definitely slower moving but it still works well.
Also, if you're having issues with the way it's written, I found that the audiobook helped there. It helped me if I hear it read out.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder and Rape
Minor: Racism
carsten_moment's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Their Eyes Were Watching God follows the life of Janie from childhood to her forties through three marriages. As Janie grows up, she learns about who she is and what her reality is like. With an interesting structure and down-to-Earth characters, this novel is replete with more philosophy than expected.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Rape