is physical property, Janie. He puts on a pedestal, as an object to be seen. Janie as his property is overworked, to show his achievements, as a mule would be. Jody actually buys a mule its freedom in the novel, and yet makes Janie stay in the store when there is a ceremony for its death. Jody shows his ownership of Janie through his commands, and rules. Women, like mules, carry the biggest load. This can be seen through Janie’s efforts, as an African American woman. Janie has to maintain the household for her first husband, as well as her increasing jobs on the farm. While married to Jody, she has to take care of the store, where she is expected to work all day, everyday. When the store closes she is then expected to cook the perfect dinner, and be the perfect wife. When dinner does not turn out one evening Jody hits her, as he feels she has not met his expectations. She bears the burden similar to that of many other black women. She holds the responsibility of her marriage, and its well fair in her hands. If anything were to falter, it would consequently be her fault.Through the course of the novel the women portrayed bare similar representation to mules. They are continuously unappreciated, overwhelmed with no one to help them, and burdened with high expectations of fulfilling a patriarchal societies requirements. It is easily seen how the animal the mule can represent similar qualities given to African American women. Starting with white men, and working down the social scale of class, black women are at the bottom of everyone’s world. Throughout endless struggles, unbeneficial work, and a title of property bestowed on their heads, black women’s work holds a strong relation to that of mules. ...
