women

i think that Zora Neal Thurston portrays women in her story in a relatively poor way. throughout the entire novel Janie is treated as more so of a piece of property than she is treated like a person. her first husband was using her as basically a work horse. she would have to get up to work in the fields and still be able to have a hot meal on the table for her husband when he got home at the end of the day. Janie's first husband didn't actually care about her and she obviously never cared about him. the only reason that she stuck around for so long was because he kept telling her that after he was dead and gone that she would inherit all of his land (something like 60 acres). eventually she cannot take it anymore and runs off with Joe Starks, a rich man looking to make his mark in society. starks was different she thought. she married him because she actually loved him. although he did care for her at the start of their relationship, he ended up treating her the exact same as she had been treated by her previous husband. being the mayor of the town and all, starks felt that he was the alpha male and everytime that Janie would try and defend herself against him, he would demoralize her and eventually hit her to "put her in her place". starks dies and after her period of mourning she begins to fall for a younger man. teacake, she feels, treats her like a woman should be treated. although she loves him he begins to take the same shape as her two previous husbands when he hits her to prove a point that he is suppose to have the upper hand in the relationship. thurston portrays women in this novel as items, not as people, and i think that this is how women used to be treated in earlier years of our countries history.