Sexism and Racism in Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay Sample

In Their Eyes Were Watching God we have been subjected to sexism and racism that our main character and the rest of the cast had to face countless times. Janie had to deal with sexism and racism by friends, family, and even her spouses. Janie was considered to be different and unique according to the book along with her impulsive nature she had to deal with numerous encounters with racism and sexism. In the numerous marriages Janie had each husband treated Janie poorly with the use of sexism, except for the last one.

In the first chapter we have a quote “The sun was gone. It was the time to hear things and talk. These sitters had been tongueless, earless, eyeless conveniences all day long. Mules and other brutes had occupied their skins. But now, the sun and the bossman were gone, so the skins felt powerful and human. They became lords of sounds and lesser things. They passed nations through their mouths. They sat in judgment.” The meaning behind this quote alone gives us a tone for the rest of the book. In the first chapter alone it shows the effect of racism. It says that the people living in this town don’t feel like themselves until the white men leave at night. It implies that the black residence of Eatonville can only live out their lives when they are away from white people. We also notice that Janie does not really associate herself with blacks according to ”Everybody laughed, even Mr. Washburn. Miss Nellie, de Mama of de chillun who come back home after her husband dead, she pointed to de dark one and said, ‘Dat’s you, Alphabet, don’t you know yo’ ownself?’ Dey all useter call me Alphabet ‘cause so many people have named me different names. Ah looked at de picture a long time and seen it was mah dress and mah hair so Ah said:’Aw, aw! Ah’m colored!’” In chapter two it shows that Janie don't even know her own skin color. She believed she was white because she hung out with other white kids when she was a kid. Janie defines herself based on the community she is with, not her skin color. 

Couple of chapters later Janie was forced into an arranged marriage with Logan Killicks by Nanny Crawford. “So de white man throw down de load and tell the n-- man tuh pick it up. He pick it up because he have to, but he don’t tote it. He hand it to his womenfolks.” Nanny Crawford believes that life would be challenging for a black female such as Janie. Nanny believes that Janie’s life can only be somewhat good with an arranged marriage. Since Logan can provide home and property despite being something Janie does not want.

Janie for twenty years stayed with Logan having nowhere else to go until meeting a stranger who goes by Joe. Janie’s impulsiveness makes her leave Logan to marry Joe barely knowing who he is behind all of those kind gestures. Joe over several years treated Janie like an object.  Joe has been cruel to Janie and does not care about her as a person. Joe also restricts Janie from expressing herself because Joe fears another man will take Janie away. After the passing of Joe Janie was finally able to meet her final husband, Tea Cake. Tea Cake and Janie treated each other like a happy couple. 

In conclusion we mostly saw sexism from Janie’s husbands which in turn made Janie jump from one person to the next more often. Racism was more prevalent in other characters such as Mrs. Turner who was racist to her own race. “They’s mighty particular how dese dead folks goes tuh judgement…. Look lak dey think God don’t know nothin’ ’bout de Jim Crow law.” This was what Tea cake said after the hurricane, it states that how they at least provide simple pine cones were provided for the burying of the white residence as a way to send them off with dignity, while they do not provide anything for the burying of the black residence.