Journal #8

1. My first stylistic attribute is the usage of dialect on page 114. Janie is talking to Pheoby about how Tea Cake isn't a regular man and wont take advantage of her. At the bottom she says "Oh, Ah know you don't talk. We ain't shame faced. We jus' ain't ready tuh make no big kerflommuck as yet." In this passage I really had to stop and think about what they were trying to say. If I was going to say this I might say. Yeah don't feel bad about it, but we just don't want to make a big deal about it yet. This has already been stated but I feel as if dialect plays a huge role in the novel. I am just not really starting to see how much of a difference dialect can make. It completely changes the view of the book. Some could say they just be uneducated or maybe its just where they are from. The talk of the people in the novel could be considered a caricature and seem like they are just dumb people when really its all they've ever know. And it also makes they story more challenging to read, but more interesting when you get the hang out it.

2. Hurston also continues her motif of hair but in the most powerful way. All along Janie's hair has been an object of desire for men. Some men want it and others (Logan and Joe) have it but don't want it anymore. Janie's has never let anyone besides her husbands touch her hair.
"Tea Cake, where you git uh comb from tuh be combin' mah hair wid?"
"Ah brought it wid me. Come prepared tuh lay mah hands on it tuhnight." [...]
"Ah been wishin' so bad tuh git mah hands in yo' hair."
Again Hurston portrays Janie's hair as her women hood. Her hair is who she is. And I think this could symbolize that Tea Cake wants to be with Janie for who she is. This can also be concluded because she is a lot older than he is.

3. Hurston personifies Doubt almost the same way as she did with Death. She talks about how Doubt is all the fears that circumstance could provide and the heart feel, attacked her on every side. Hurston explains Doubt because Janie is afraid that Tea Cake is not really in love with her. She has Doubt because of the age difference. I think Hurston personifies it in this way to make it seem like something you can grasp. She uses the language to make it clear that this is really something that Janie is struggling with and can't get away from.