Freedom At Last

In this passage Joe Sparks has passed away with Janie was at his bedside. She was free. She went to look in the mirror and let down her hair. She had come to a realization that she has aged. She made herself presentable for the public and cried the news to the town. In the quote “ Years ago she had told her young girl self to wait in the looking glass. It had been a long time since she remembered. Perhaps she better go look. ” This describes her want to stay young and beautiful, and the motive to go look in the mirror. The looking glass shows what you are. She notices that, “The young girl was gone, but a handsome woman has taken her place.” She has accepted the fact that she is ageing, this is significant because she has noticed this on her own without Joe’s constant nagging about how she’s an old woman but, also shows she is still confident in her looks. “she tore off the kerchief from her head and let down her plentiful hair.” The letting down of her hair is symbolic of her freedom from Jody. She no longer has to hear his constant nagging to put it up. “ the she combed her hair and tied it back up again” she has done this out of respect for Joe. “she starched and ironed her face, forming it into just what people wanted to see...” Women have this unending expectation to be perfect. In order to cry out the window she needs to look decent and young. The tone of this passage is realization and respectful. We almost need inspirational music, its read with a slower speed out of respect for Joe. Janie no has the freedom to express her self and let her hair down.