to do, but Ahcan’t tell you nothn’ Ah see!” “Dat’s cause you need telln’,” he rejoined hotly. “It would be pitiful if Ah didn’t. Somebody got to think for women and chillunand chickens and cows. I god, they sho don’t think none theirselve’s.” (Pg. 71) In the 1930’s it was common for a husband to speak at or down to his wife. Itwas unheard of for a wife to back talk to her husband, if she did, she was mostlikely to be beat. This is unfair and wrong. A woman, especially a mans wifeshould be treated with the utmost respect, especially by her husband. Amarriage should be equal and fair; a husband should not be controlling andabusive. Jody, Janie’s husband was insecure with himself and as Janie got olderhe took it out on her. Jody had always been a handsome man, and when he was oldyou could tell that time had worn on him. To compliment physically beatingJanie he also found it easy to verbally humiliate and abuse her. When she wouldback talk him, or even speak for that matter, he would become violent. “I godamighty! A woman stay round uh store till she get old as Methusalem and stillcan’t cut a little thing like a plug of tobacco! Don’t stand dere rolln’ yo’ popeyes at me wid yo’ rump hangn’ nearly to yo’ knees!” “ Tain’t no use in gettn’all mad, Janie, ‘cause Ah mention you ain’t no young gal no mo’”(pg.79) Janiereplys, “Naw, Ah ain’t no young gal no mo’ but den Ah ain’t no old womanneither. Ah reckon Ah looks my age too. But Ah’m uh woman every inch of me, andAh know it. Dat’s mor’n you can kin say. You big-bellies round here put out alot of brag, but ‘tain’t nothn’ to it but yo big voice. Humph! Talkin’ bout melook’n old! When you pull down yo’ britches, you look like d...
