Nansen Kuo

Pd. 4
Expanded Journal Entries
Yeah, now. People dont die til day time come nohow, dont keer where you at. Ahim
wid mah husband in oh storm, dats all (167)
This quote is when Janie tells her husband that she will stick with him through
think and thin. She tells him this when they are in the middle of the big storm and the
author uses diction such as ahim wid mah husband in order to show how Janie truly
loves her husband that she would not leave his side even though there is a life threatening
storm. Seeing this relationship between the two of them shows how Janie has
successfully found true love unlike the past two marriages she has been part of. The main
difference in this marriage is that she actually wants to stay with Tea Cake.

How come you cant sleep in da same bed wid me no no? (178)
This quote comes after when Janie finds out the disease Tea Cake has. The diction
and the questioning from Tea Cake shows how the disease has taken over his mind and
body. It is saddening because Janie still loves Tea Cake and knows this is not the real him
and he is only acting this way because of the disease but she has to space herself away
from Tea Cake in order to keep herself safe.

There was nothing to do in life anymore. Ambition was useless. And the cruel deceit of
Janie! Making all that show humblenesss and scorning him all the time! Laughing at him,
and now putting the town up to do the same. (80)
This quote comes after the scene when Janie and Joe Starks get into a fight over
how their appearance has aged. This quote uses imagery and diction. The diction the

Nansen Kuo
Pd. 4
author uses such as nothing and useless shows how Joe Starks views his reputation as
everything his life is about. He feels like his life has ended after the embarrassment Janie
has put upon him. This shows the friction in their relationship and how it has changed
since the first time they met. The reputation is really all Joe cares about. Imagery is
shown because you can visualize how Joe thinks the townspeople laughing at him and see
how ashamed he feels.

Looka heah, Tea Cake, if you ever go off from me and have a good time lak dat and then
come back heah tellin me how nice Ah is, Ah specks tuh kill yuh dead. You heah me?
(124)
This scene here is when Tea Cake takes Janies two hundred dollars and decides
to go on a big spending spree. He fells like Janie will not enjoy it with him since it would
be too low-class. This quote uses diction to portray how Janie doesnt think about the
class of the person; she just wants to be with Tea Cake. This also shows how Janie truly
loves and trusts Tea Cake because after all that he has spent the money on, Janie wasnt
even mad about the two hundred dollars but she was mad about how she was not invited
to the pary.

To her way of thinking all these things set her aside from Negroes. That why she
sought out Janie to friend with Her disfavorite subject was Negroes. (140)
Here the readers see the viewpoints of Mrs. Turner. The author uses a lot of
imagery in order to describe Mrs. Turner such as her nose was slightly pointed and
thin lip and keep in mind that Mrs. Turner is black herself. However Mrs. Turner does

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Pd. 4
not like to associate herself with black people and praises white people. In my opinion I
find this very odd, knowing from the imagery that the author uses that she is black
herself, that she basically hates on black people.