and continues her development as a woman. When they first meet, Jody bestows compliments on Janie, convincing her of her special qualities. For two weeks, before they married, they talked and Janie believed that Jody "spoke for change and chance" (Hurston 28). The problem Janie found with Jody dealt with him not treating her as an equal. He would not let her speak in front of people, teach her to play checkers, or participate in other events. Like Janie, Hurston’s voice seems dismissed- as not bitter enough, not depicting the harsher side of black southern life. Janie notices the problem early in the relationship and confronts Jody about it when she says "it jus' looks lak it keeps us in some way we ain't natural wid one 'nother. You'se always off talkin' and fixin' things, and Ah feels lak Ah'm jus' markin time. Hope it soon gits over" (Hurston 43). Janie realizes that she cannot be open with Jody and that he does not seem like the same man she ran off with to marry. Jody has many of his own interests, and none of them are concerned with Janie. "She found out that she had a host of thoughts she had never expressed to him ... She was saving up feelings for some man that she had never seen" (Hurston 68). Jody only gave material goods to Janie. His lack of love and his faults make her realize the next man she meets seems perfect for her. Her development as a woman feels complete after living and learning with Vergible "Tea Cake" Woods. Tea Cake seems like the catalyst for the final stage of development of Janie as a woman. From Tea Cake, Janie learns to love and what it feels like to be loved. Through Janie, Hurston gives an example of a women in society who follows her dreams and takes control of her soul. Tea Cake not only makes Janie feel special with his words, but proves it as well by taking her fishing, hunting, to the movies, dancing, gardening with her, and other "signs of possession" (Hurston 105). For a while, Janie and Te...
