"Thank yuh fuh yo' compliments, but mah wife don't know nothin' 'bout no speech-makin'. Ah never married her for nothin' lak dat. She's uh woman and her place is in de home." Janie made her face laugh after a short pause, but it wasn't too easy. She had never thought of making a speech, and didn't know if she cared to make one at all. It must have been the way Joe spoke out without giving her a chance to say anything one way or another that took the bloom off of things. But anyway, she went down the road behind him that night feeling cold. He strode along invested with his new dignity, thought and planned out loud, unconscious of her thoughts. "de mayor of uh town lak dis can't lay round home too much. De place needs buildin' up. Janie, Ah'll git hold uh some body tuh help out in the de store and you kin look after things whilst Ah drum up things otherwise." "Oh Jody, Ah can't do nothin' wid no store lessen youse there. Ah could maybe come in and help you when things git rushed," (Page 43).
Motif - "She's uh woman and her place is in de home." This is a motif because of the racial and sexist expectations of both African Americans and women that are expressed. This would likely be a motif for any novel written in this time period when both suffrage and civil rights were just getting started.
Symbol - "mah wife don't know nothin' 'bout no speech-making'" In this quote, it almost seems implied that when "speech making" is said it could be interpreted to mean general intelligence. The only expectation Janie is held to is that of a house keeper as her "place is in de home".
Antihero - "Oh Jody, Ah can't do nothin' wid no store lessen youse there." Here, a line spoken to Jody portrays him in an unfavorable light when reading it. It makes it seem like Janie is again totally helpless without Jody or a male figure.
Mood - Cordial
Tone - Condescending
Purpose - The purpose of this section of the novel could be to see the effect that sexism and racism has on an individual, Janie in this case. Later on she's transforms into a carefree women who is seemingly strong willed. But, right now she seems weak and generally docile. First there's this idea that all women have a predetermined role which can only be fulfilled within a a kitchen. On top of this you have the belief that they have no real intelligence and they have no business sense.
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