Symbol Chart
By Laura Bosshard
By Laura Bosshard
Symbol
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Meaning
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Evolution
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Importance/ Creativity
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Janie's Hair
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Janie’s hair is a symbol of her identity. It shows her power as a woman later in the novel. When her hair is tied up it demonstrates her
repressed spirit. However, when she lets her hair down she feels free. This symbol shows Janie’s feelings throughout the novel. |
Janie’s hair evolves with her various relationships. When she is young in the beginning of the novel, her hair is worn down. This demonstrates her carefree youth. Once she married she was required to wear her hair up. This shows how men were trying to exert power over her. However, once Jody died she
kept her hair down in order to feel free. Even after she married Tea Cake, Janie kept her hair down. This evolution demonstrates Janie standing up for herself and not living her life for others. |
4- This is very important symbol that is used during the various stages of Janie’s life. Janie’s emotions change based on how her hair is worn. It is very creative to use hair to represent the emotions of a
character. |
Pear Tree
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The pear tree represents Janie’s positive views on
nature. In sections of the novel with the pear tree Janie sees the world as a beautiful place filled with love and passion. Janie makes her decisions about love while sitting under the tree. It is this ideal of love that Janie strives for throughout the novel. This also shows Janie becoming a woman who is searching for love. |
The pear tree does not evolve throughout the novel. This shows that Janie’s views on love do not change as well. She strives for the same goal throughout the entire novel.
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1- This symbol only occurs in the very beginning of the novel.
Trees often symbolize various traits in novels. Therefore, it is not particularly creative. It is important because it displays Janie’s positive outlook on life during her youth. |
Mule
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The mule represents women and Janie in particular. The mule is
talked about in disrespectful language and is physically abused. The men make snide comments about the mule and never acknowledge all of the hard work it does. This parallels how women were treated in the 1920s. They were not respected by men, just as animals were not always treated with respect by their owners. |
This symbol evolves dramatically. For most of the chapter the mule was made fun of. When the mule dies it is given a fancy funeral and a big party in its memory.
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3- This symbol is only used in one chapter of the novel. However it is very important in showing the treatment of women. Janie identifies with
the mule and shows it compassion because she understands its feelings. It is creative to use an animal to represent a group of people. |
Horizon
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The horizon represents Janie’s hopes and dreams for the future. She is unhappy with her life and looks towards the horizon in the hopes that her life will change. She is searching for love in life, not just someone to provide for her. The horizon represents this desire.
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The horizon starts out by representing Janie’s dreams. Each time it is mentioned it refers to the future. However, in the end of the novel Janie mentions pulling in her horizon. This is where she finally has realized her dreams and who she is.
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5- The horizon is used often throughout the novel to show Janie’s desires for life. She spends most of her life attempting to reach her
horizon, a point where she is happy with her achievements. This is especially important in the end when she achieves her goals. |
Hurricane
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The hurricane shows destructiveness in nature. This is seen when trucks of dead bodies are collected after the hurricane. It also shows the power that God has. He allowed something to kill many people and the characters struggle to understand why. The hurricane causes the characters to question God.
The title of the novel stems from this section of the novel. While the hurricane rages outside, “their eyes were watching God.” |
The hurricane does not evolve. It is a one time event. This shows that although something bad can happen, good can come out of it. In the end, Janie discovers who she is and is happy.
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2- While this symbol only occurs once in the novel, it
contributes greatly to the overall message. The characters question God because He let something bad happen. It shows the struggle between humans and God. It is not a very creative symbol. Natural disasters are often used as symbols. |
Rating Scale:
1-Not very creative, used infrequently, and/or not very important
3-Moderately creative, used a couple of times, and/or moderately important
5-Very creative, used frequently, and/or very important
1-Not very creative, used infrequently, and/or not very important
3-Moderately creative, used a couple of times, and/or moderately important
5-Very creative, used frequently, and/or very important