Power of the Mane

In Their Eyes Were Watching God Zora Neale Hurston does a great job of symbolically showing how Janie is a strong character. She endures a lot in her life, but it only makes her stronger. The most important symbol used in the novel was that of the protagonist, Janie's hair. Her hair was long and flowing, making her beautiful but it represented something much greater than her. With each husband Janie as well as the reader discovers something different about her. One of the strongest symbols that emphasize her journey is her hair. Janie's Hair is symbolic of many things in her life. Her hair symbolizes the power that she has to intimidate others, even men. It symbolizes the individuality and confidence within her also because Janie stands beyond community standards. Last but not least her hair symbolizes her advantages due to her Caucasian ancestors.

Janie's hair is a symbol of her power and where she holds her identity. She believes that her hair is her best feature. . The men in the novel go crazy over Janie's hair. They love how it is so different and straight. Her second husband Jody saw it as an intimidation so he made her wear it up. This shows a bit of irony because Jody first spots Janie because of her long mane." Hurston makes it clear very early on that hair is going to be a primary issue in Janie and Joe's relationship. It was Janie's hair that first caught Joe's attention"(Ashe). Jody knew the effects that it must have on other people as well. He was jealous of the other men looking at her and made sure she didn't draw any more attention to herself. "While married to Jody Starks, the most domineering of Janie's husbands, she was made to bind up her hair up: "Joe never told Janie how jealous he was. He never told her how often he had seen the other men figuratively wallowing in it..."(51) (Dilbeck). By Janie tying up her hair, it gave Jody the comforting feeling of having control over her assets. He was very intimidated by his wife's beauty. Dilbeck states, "The tying up of Janie's hair is clearly an exertion of power on Joe's part ... he sends a message to Janie that her hair is not hers to wear the way she wants". Janie saw this as well the people in the town. She was the "trophy wife". "Whut make her keep her head tied up lak some ole 'oman round de store? Nobody could git me tuh tie no rag on mah head if Ah had hair lak dat"(Hurston 44). She was there to look pretty and not have say in anything that went on in the town. Not only did he try to take away Janie's identity by tying her hair up, he also tried to take her voice and opinion. When Jody dies, Janie rips the kerchief off and lets her hair hang down. "She tore off the kerchief from her head and let down her plentiful hair. The weight, the length, the glory was there" (Hurston 87). When Joe dies, Janie wastes little time in burning all of the head-rags she owns. "The burning of Janie's head rags symbolized her freedom from Joe's strict ways" (Symolism). She felt powerful and liked to express her individuality with her hair. Janie had once again regained herself after 20 years of an overbearing marriage.

Janie's hair also symbolizes her independence. Her hair-when let down-represented freedom and individualism, as well as youth and joy. She sets standards for herself and could care less about how the town views her. It is also always worn down or in a braid, when she has her choice. This is indicative of her forceful, independent nature. Janie's hair stood out when compared to other women. At the beginning of the book, the porch sitters were commenting on Janie's hair showing that that was not the normal way for a woman of that time to wear her hair.. When her hair is worn down it is decorative, and draws attention-it is a sign of dominance." Janie's hair is what makes her stand out as independent and powerful, as demonstrated when she returns to Eatonville: Hurston notes "the great rope of hair swinging to her waist". The town people wonder, "What dat ole forty year ole "oman doin' wid her hair swingin' down her back lak some young gal?"(Dilbeck). Janie didn't mind them which prove that she doesn't care what other people think and that she is an individual. Janie embodied confidence that most women never experienced. She experienced life and true love and her hair represents her glory. Janie does a lot to make sure that her hair is neat and looks nice. She makes sure that people can see it and she is not afraid to show off her individual spirit. Her refusal to bow down to the norms shows her strong rebellious spirit. Her independence is also shown when she marries Tea Cake. She starts wearing overalls and goes out into the fields and helps him work. Tea Cake also teaches Janie how to shoot a gun and she ends up being better than him. She goes hunting and unlike when she was married to