Journal #10

Journal #10: Identify a theme within Their Eyes Were Watching God (if you know it still has some weaknesses, make a list of questions or concerns you have about your theme below it - it doesn't have to be perfect yet). Be sure your theme is something that you can commit to writing your own vignette around. Make a list of quotes that inform that theme. Be sure to record the page number and take note of any techniques and or elements present within the quote.

Theme: Individuals who try to advance themselves through a capitalistic system end up isolating those around them.

I just used the theme that we came up with the first time we met up in groups of 4. It’s still kind of vague, “isolating” could be replaced with hurt maybe? “advance themselves” is pretty vague as well.

Quotes:

1.) In the few days to live before she went to Logan Killicks and his often-mentioned sixty acres, Janie asked inside of herself and out. (21)

2.) “Aw you know ah’m gwine chop de wood fuh yuh. Even if you is stingy as you can be wid me. Yo’ Grandma and me myself done spoilt yuh now, and Ah reckon Ah have tuh keep on wid. (26)

3.) “Whut you need two mules fuh? Lessen you aims to swap off dis one.” “Naw, Ah needs two mules dis yeah. Taters is goin’ tuh be taters in de fall. Bringin’ big prices. Ah aims tuh run two plos, and dis man Ah’m talkin’ ‘bout is got uh mule all gentled up so even uh woman kin handle ‘im. (27)

4.) “He meant to git dere whilst de town wuz yet a baby. He meant to buy in big. It had always been his wish and desire to be a big voice and he had to live nearly thirty years to find a chance. (28)

5.) “Thank yuh fuh yo’ compliments, but mah wife don’t know nothin’ ‘bout no speech-makin’ Ah never married her for nothing’ lak dat. She’s uh woman and her place is in de home.” (43)

6.) “Take for instance that new house of his. It had two stories with porches, with banisters and such things. The rest of the town looked like servants’ quarters surrounding the “big house.” (47)

7.) “Whut make her keep her head tied up lak some ole ‘oman round de store? Nobody couldn’t git me tuh tie no rag on mah head if Ah had hair lak dat.” (49)

8.) “Well, honey, how yuh lak bein’ Mrs/ Mayor?” “it’s all right Ah recon, but don’t yuh think it keeps us in uh kinda strain?” “Strain? You mean de cookin’ and waitin’ on folks?” “Naw, Jody, 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.”