he made till some mo’ happiness come along’ (134-5).He helps her out of her grief and teaches her that it is all right to be herself. With Tea Cake, she is a person (not a mule or a trophy), a decision-maker (not a submissive woman), and his love (not his burden). Here, she learns that she is important and that her lucid, quick mind is a blessing. She evolves from an introverted, nave girl unsure about her own sexuality into a warm, witty woman who cared only for one man, in the course of only two decades. Freed from both personal conflict and social attitudes, she is finally happy.Janie Killicks, Janie Starks, and Janie Woods are three very different people, despite their similar physical structure and dynamic, constantly changing nature. Each has her own values, and the first two are shaped by their husbands. The third throws off her restraints, which are loosened by Tea Cake. Only one is truly satisfied; only she has realized how to live. She had to destroy Janie Killicks and Janie Starks to become Janie Woods, who has a conscience and doesn’t need dreams to live romance and success. Finally she is Janie Woods, who has a voice. Women-- and, for that matter, men-- everywhere, even today, need to follow her in stepping outside the lines to step into their true selves....
