Entry 45

In the second chapter of the book, Janie reflects on a moment of realization she experienced while “she was stretched on her back beneath the pear tree” (11). Hurston includes this symbol of a female tree to indicate the mutual and harmonious relationship Janie wished to have. To emphasize the sincere beauty and calamity of this moment, Hurston notes, “Soaking in the alto chant of the visiting bees, the gold of the sun…when the inaudible voice of it all come to her” (11). It was at this time, when the bees were working melodiously in the shining sun, that an “inaudible voice” appeared before Janie, signifying her instant of realization. As she continued to focus on the nature around her, “She saw a dust-bearing bee sink into the sanctum of a bloom; the thousand sister-calyxes arch to meet the love embrace…so this was a marriage!” (11). While observing the marvelous actions of Nature, Janie discovers her ideal vision of a marriage. The male bee, similar to the black males of the African American community, “is in control of the love making process and approaches the female partner. Yet, in this case, Janie notes how the branches of the tree ‘arch to meet’ the male partner, symbolizing mutual respect and control. Both partners played equal roles in the lovemaking process. This interaction revealed to Janie that she hoped to enter a marriage in which she had self-worth and importance instead of merely being titled the property of her husband.
This symbol of a pear tree had such a deep impact on Janie that she continued to dream of this moment after departing the scene. Later on in the day, Janie remarks, “Oh to be a pear tree –any tree in bloom! With kissing bees singing of the beginning of the world!” (11). Clearly, Janie remembers this interaction amongst nature as a pleasant, idealistic encounter between two partners. By italicizing the word any, Hurston emphasizes how Janie wished to be any tree, or woman, who was an active participant in a mutual relationship. After failing to achieve this shared bond with her first two husbands, Janie experienced this intimate connection with Tea Cake and proposes he could be a “bee to a blossom.” Furthermore, to recall the lessons she learned from each of her marriages, the book is structured for Janie to tell about her experiences rather than write about them, a technique that helps to portray the quest of self-identity and discovery Janie embarked on.
By telling about her past marriages in third person rather than writing about them first hand, Janie demonstrates a clear understanding of what aspects of each relationship she liked and, more importantly, disliked. Hurston creates this distance from the protagonist to allow Janie to have powerful moments of silence and to allow her audience to further connect with Janie’s character. For instance, Janie was forced to live in silence during her marriage to Logan. After following Nanny’s instructions and marrying into security, Janie had become property of Logan and was unable to express herself. For instance, Hurston writes, “Logan was accusing her of her mama, her grandmamma and her feelings, and she couldn’t do a thing about any of it” (32). By speaking in third person and using the word ‘she,’ Hurston’s readers are able to relate to Janie since they can all recall moments where they were powerless and in an inferior position. Janie discovers that she lacked self-expression and passion while she was married to Logan. And when she decides to leave Logan in hope to find true love, Janie recalls how Jody Starks, “Spoke for change and chance. Still she hung back. The memory of Nanny was still powerful and strong” (29). Nancy’s lessons of how women are mules in African American communities and how they must secure their position in society were haunting Janie’s decisions. Yet Jody makes false promises of equality and Janie once again finds herself in an inferior position where she must remain silent.