e Starks (Collins 146). Joe provides Janie with the “front porch” existence of Nanny’s dreams, but in doing so, he isolates her from direct participation in any life except his own (Williams 101). He gives Janie possessions and status, but assumes that her identity will come only from her role as his wife (Bush 1037). Her status is high above everyone else’s, but her identity is still not shown. Johnson remarks, “Janie soon finds that her pedestal to be a straitjacket, particularly when it involves her exclusion –both as a speaker and a listener-from the tale-telling sessions on the store porch and at the mock funeral of the mule” (168). Joe says, “[Janie] Ah aims to keep yuh in de dark all de time” (Hurston 60). Joe makes Janie wear her hair tied up while working in the store; he is very jealous of her. “Janie [feels] far away from things and lonely” (Hurston 44). Janie is a woman that cannot be herself, someone she doesn’t even fully know while married to Joe Starks. Jody took Killicks place, but Joe is a false dream too, “just something she had grabbed up to drape her dreams over” (Hurston 79).Janie does not want possessions and status for herself. Joe’s verbal abuse dominates her through their marriage. Though Janie begins to emerge with a powerful voice when she defends herself from his coarse words, “You big-bellies round here and put out a lot of brag, but ‘tain’t nothin’ to it but yo’ big voice. Humph! Talkn’ bout me lookin’ old! When you pull down yo’ britches, you look lak de change uh life” (Hurston 75). This triumphal scene in Joe’s store marks the immediate decline of her marriage with him, but also marks the next step she will take toward self-fulfillment. Though, Joe responds with a pathetic command for silence and the wish that lightening strike Janie dead. ...
