Janie is the main character in
Their Eyes Were Watching God, By Zora Neale Hurston. The story traces her
journey to the meaning of true love, and helps her find herself along the way. She
is raised by her grandmother her whole life, and they live in a house behind a
white family. When Janie is caught kissing a local boy, Nanny freaks, and marry
her off to Logan Killiks. She wants to ensure that Janie has a stable life. After Nanny dies, Janie realizes she
does not love Logan, and leaves him for another wealthy man, Jody Starks.
Janie
does not love either of these men, and that leads to an unhealthy relationship.
Growing up, Janie was taught by Nanny to value the superficial things in a man.
She taught her to look for wealth and stability rather than search for a true
love, whatever that may be. Once Jody dies, Janie is left with the task of
finding the meaning of true love, an how to find it.
