Facing challenges places limits while trying to achieve a goal. In the book, Their Eyes Were Watching God, the author, Zora Neale Hurston, reveals the limits placed on Janie Crawford’s quest for identity. Although there are many limitations, the attitudes of others and Janie’s sex challenges her the most.
The first limit that Janie faces on her quest is Nanny arranging her to marry Logan Killicks. Nanny’s intentions are to arrange a marriage now that Janie has matured so she will have a wealthy man taking care of her. She is doing this because she is getting old and won’t be with Janie much longer. Nanny explains to Janie, “‘Tain’t Logan Killicks Ah wants you to have, baby, it’s protection. Ah ain’t gittin’ ole, honey. Ah’m done ole.” (Page 15). Janie thinks that marriage brings love so she isn’t too worried about marrying Logan. After being together for a while, Janie tells Nanny, “‘Cause you told me Ah mus gointer love him, and, and Ah don’t. Maybe if somebody was to tell me how, Ah could do it.” (Page 23). Nanny’s attitude limits Janie on her quest because she doesn’t let Janie figure out anything on her own. The narrator explains, “She hated her grandmother and had hidden it from herself all these years under a cloak of pit. She had been getting ready for her great journey to the horizons in search of people; it was important to all the world that she should find them and they find her.” (Page 89). Janie resents Nanny and her controlling attitude for getting involved in her love life. “Here Nanny had taken the biggest thing God ever made, the horizon–for no matter how far the person can go the horizon is still way beyond you–and pinched it in to such a little bit of a thing that she could tie it about her granddaughter’s neck tight enough to choke her. She hated the old woman who had twister her so in the name of love.” (Page 89).
The result of Nanny’s actions creates more limitations for Janie. After marrying Logan Killicks, Janie realizes that she was wrong all along. Marriage doesn’t bring the love, you bring the love to your marriage. Logan isn’t respectful towards Janie and always forces her to do work. He treats Janie more like a fellow worker rather than his wife. Logan’s attitude towards Janie makes her feel miserable and unhappy with her life.
Janie’s second husband, Joe Starks (Jody), challenges Janie in multiple ways. Jody doesn’t let her have a voice while he is mayor because she is a women. He only wants her there as a female figure that sticks by him. He forces Janie to wear her hair up with a head rag out of pure jealousy so that other men won’t admirer her. Jody also shows the reader that he limits Janie based on her sex when he doesn’t allow her to attend the mule’s funeral because he says “Why, Janie! You wouldn’t be seen at uh draggin’-out, wouldja? Wid any and everybody in uh passle pushin’ and shovin’ wid they no-manners selves? Naw, naw!” (Page 60). Jody also makes Janie feel bad about herself in front of other so that nobody will pay attention to his ailing body. Jody’s attitude towards Janie also makes her feel miserable about her life. This shows when he dies and Janie is loving finally being independent and not being bossed around. “Besides she liked being lonesome for a change. This freedom feeling was fine. These men didn’t represent a thing she wanted to know about. She had already experienced them through Logan and Joe.” (Page 90).
The townspeople of Eatonville also place a lot of challenges on Janie’s quest. After Jody’s death, the people of Eatonville decide that she automatically needs another man in her life. The narrator says, “Before Jody had been dead a month, she noticed how often men who had never been intimates of Joe, drove considerable distances to ask after her welfare and offer their services as advisor.” (Page 90). These people also limit Janie when she decides whether or not she is going to run away with Tea Cake. They put ideas in her head about Tea Cake and tell her information about him that they don’t know are true or false themselves.
