A Slave in a Free Wold

In the passage, Janie is caught kissing Johnny Taylor. Nanny is angry and tries to persuade her that Logan Killicks is a better match for Janie because he can ensure her safety and comfort. She is doing what she thinks is best, but her perspective of the world is different than Janie’s. Nanny grew up as a slave and was raped, while Janie grew up as a free black girl. Nanny’s bias is seen when in the passage, she says “...as Ah can see” (Hurston 14). “Maybe its some place of in de ocean where de black man is in power, but we don’t know nothin’...” (Hurston 14) is what Nanny says to Janie in her attempt to convince her to marry Logan. This quote signifies her lost hope in an America where everyone is free- the idea seems foreign and far into the future. For now, “de white man throw down de load and tell de n***er man tuh pick it up...because he have to” (Hurston 14). The men only pick it up to satisfy the white men, but “he hand it to his womenfolk...de n***er woman is de mule” (Hurston 14). This is similar to when an older sibling passes off their esignated chore to the younger, weaker child. The author explains that women are the truly oppressed people, which simultaneously takes a stand against slavery and patriarchy. She compares women to mules, which is also an example of them carrying the burden and plays on the animal imagery motif as well. While Nanny doesn't want Janie to make the same mistakes, she is also setting Janie up for failure, which can be seen later in the book.

Ali and Ira