Journal #Acht: 3 Stylistic Attributes

1. Hurston's use of an apostrophe on page 106.

In the passage, Janie is consoling herself about Tea Cake's absence. Tea Cake told her that he likes her, however, Janie brushed him off because of her internal conflict between society's expectations and her desire for love. The next day her mind is trouble by the doubt of whether Tea Cake is lying about loving her or not.

So Janie speaks in a apostrophe on page 106:
"Bet he's hangin' round some jook or 'nother. Glad Ah treated him cold. Whut do Ah want wid some trashy nigger out de streets? Bet he's livin' wid some woman or 'nother and takin' me for uh fool. Glad Ah caught mahself in time."

Using an apostrophe, Hurston reveals Janie's inner feelings about Tea Cake. The dialogue combined with the previous descriptions paint Janie as insecure about her feelings for Tea Cake. I think it contributes to Hurston's attempts to show how doubtful Janie is.

2. Pheoby speaks in periodic sentences on page 112.

Pheoby, being Janie's best friend, goes over to talk to Janie about her relationship with Tea Cake. She takes a roundabout route to avoid making her intentions too obvious. She speaks to Janie about her concerns that Tea Cake may just be someone looking for money.

Pheoby uses a periodic sentence: "But, Jaine, Tea Cake, whilst he ain't no jail-bird, he ain't got uh dime tuh cry."

Hurston uses periodic sentences to make Pheoby appear to talk about delicate subjects, such as Tea Cake's financial situation, indirectly. Hurston goes out of her way to describe Pheoby "going straight by walking crooked." I think by using periodic sentences, Hurston shows that this cautious trait extends over to Pheoby's speech.

3. Janie uses an idiom (right word?) (falling under connotation) on page 114.

Pheoby is talking to Janie about her relationship with Tea Cake. Some people think Tea Cake is out to steal her money. Janie explains why she is willing to take a chance in a relationship with Tea Cake.

Janie saids: "Ah done lived Grandma's way, now Ah means tuh live mine."

Janie uses the connotation of "Grandma's way," which the reader understands as marrying to successful men, to describe the previous relationships that she had. Hurston uses connotation to quickly relay the image of Janie's failed marriages. All the knowledge that the reader knows about "Grandma's way" is easily contrasted with Janie's desire to live her way in the same sentence. It reflects Janie's growing independence.