Journal #3

"'Tony won't never hit her. He says beatin' women is just like steppin' on baby chickens.'" -Simile

"The salt pork box was in the back of the store and during the walk Mrs. Tony was so eager she sometimes stepped on Joe's heels, sometimes she was a little before him. Something like a hungry cat when somebody approaches her pan with meat. Running a little, caressing a little and all the time making little urging on cries." -Simile

"You saw a fluttering fan before her face and magnolia blooms and sleepy lakes under the moonlight when she walked" -Imagery

Janie and Jody's marriage is slowly crumbling apart due to Jody's cruel words and Janie's lack of submission. "The spirit of the marriage left the bedroom and took to living in the parlor. It was there to shake hands whenever company came to visit, but it never went back inside the bedroom again." Hurston uses personification to emphasize Janie and Jody's marriage tearing them apart. I believe Hurston uses personification in this passage to help the reader understand how damaging Jody's words and actions are being on their relationship. It brings a picture to mind of people shaking hands and then the friendliness fading away as they make their way to the bedroom. It really helps develop the mood of the home like you were there almost, interacting with this couple falling out of love.

The menfolks are sitting on the porch of the store talking about Joe Starks. "'Speakin' of winds, he's de wind and we'se de grass. We bend whichever way he blows..'" In this quote by Sam Watson, Hurston uses a metaphor comparing Jody Starks and the rest of the menfolk. I believe Hurston uses a metaphor in this quote to make it clear what the townspeople think of Joe. When Joe is around they talk nice to him and make him feel at a higher level than they are, but when he leaves they compare him to the wind and themselves, the grass, in which Joe makes the grass blow wherever he wants it to go. Joe is in complete control of these people and they realize that Joe is pulling them in to this trap.