Taylor Jones

1/8/14
Hon. English
Period 2
Expanded Journal Entries


Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurtson

But she sat there a long time with the walls creeping in on her. Four walls squeezing her
breath out. (84).
After Joe became sick he would show no emotion towards Janie this caused Janie to feel
lonesome. She was determined to talk to her husband because even though she wasnt happy
she still loved him. She sat and contemplated on what to do next she had sat there for hours
and she felt as if the room was closing in on her. The walls closing in on her illustrated a sense
of personification she felt so empty in that room, feeling as if the walls were squeezing the
breath out of her. Just that description alone shows how depressed and lonely Janie really was;
she would not feel relief until she got up and talked with Joe.

Sometimes it (the house) creaked and cried under the weight of lonesomeness. (89)
Joes funeral was the morning before and Janie is left in the house alone. She had nothing
but that house, Joes passing really had a powerful effect on her. All along it was only the two of
them now its just her by herself. The personification of the creaking and crying of the house
really was a representation of how Janie actually felt. She feels empty and lonely now that she
has lost her husband. She now has to live the rest her life with nothing but her and the empty
house, living up to the image of Mrs. Starks.

Then he held her there melting her resistance with the heat of his body. (137)
Tea Cake and Janie had just got into an argument and the tension in the room is rising
rapidly. Tea Cake doesnt want to fight nor does he want to argue. This metaphor describes the
intense relationship between Tea Cake and Janie. This passage showed the readers just how
much of an effect Tea Cake had on Janie. She simply couldnt stay mad at him once he wrapped
his arms around Janie she became weak to his touch she melted and fell right into his arms. She
couldnt resist the temptation. They were so fed up with fighting they just kissed and made
up literally.

Joe noted the scant dozen of shame-faced housed scattered in the sand and palmetto roots.
(34)
Janie and Joe had just arrived to the new town and Joe wasnt pleased with what he seen.
The description and imagery of the houses revealed how Joe really felt. He was disappointed in
the town he had high hopes and when they arrived he felt left down. The shamed faced
houses represented the quality of the houses. The town was poor and not up to par, so Joe felt
he should take initiative and do the town some justice and buy some more land and invest.

It was the next day by the sun and the clock when they reached Palm Beach. It was years later
by their bodies. (166)
The quiet after the storm, Janie and Tea Cake have survived the hurricane. This metaphor
explains the way they looked after all theyve been through. Although not much time passed,
their physical features would show differently. They looked as if years have gone by but in
actuality its only been a few days. Their bodies have weakened and aged faster than they
should have.