Early Twentieth-Century Fiction
English 358:358, Fall 2023
“Yo’ mama don’t wear no Draws….
To wear dem dirty Draws” (Hurston 157).
Hurston “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” 157.
The last word of the first and last lines of this chant are the same (Draws), which seems to create a cycle. This repetition could mirror the cyclical nature of men entering Janie’s life, yet ultimately failing her. It could also foreshadow Janie’s return to Eatonville at the end of the novel.
“Dat long-legged Tea Cake ain’t got doodly squat. He ain’t got no business makin’ hissef familiar wid nobody lak you. Ah said Ah wuz goin’ to tell yuh so yuh could know” (Hurston 102-103).
This sticks out to me because this way of thinking hurts both men and women. It hurts poor men because they aren’t seen as capable enough to be loved, while it hurts women because they’re made to believe that only a man with property and money is the only option in terms of love. Having wealth does not mean that a person will treat someone fairly.