Chapter 20

“Ah ain’t satisfied with mahself no mo’.” (Chapter 20, pg. 192)

Phoeby had gotten to a point in her life where she was giving up. Because her relationships didn’t turn out the way she wanted them to either. So she told Janie that she wasn’t feeling herself anymore. And that she wanted to go and do some stuff that was going to make her happy.

Chapter 19

“Where we goin’, Tea Cake?” (Chapter 19, pg. 168)

Janie had been in a dirty place for like two days. And Tea Cake wanted to get her out of there, and get her into some place where she would be comfortable. By this time they were still waiting to see what God plans were for them next. So they had to be patient.

“Ah got money on me, Janie. Dey can’t bother me.” (Chapter 19, pg. 169)

Tea Cake was telling Janie that he had money and that she had nothing to worry about because there were some people looking for Tea Cake at that time. And Tea Cake wanted Janie to know that everything would be ok.

Chapter 18

“Going to high ground. Saw-grass bloom. Hurricane coming.” (Chapter 18, pg. 154)
This chapter was where everyone had gotten word that there was a Hurricane headed that way. Everyone was a little frightened and this so Tea Cake was telling them where he and Janie were going to wait out the Hurricane.

“De Indians gahn east, man. It’s dangerous.” (Chapter 18, pg. 156)

Tea Cake was stressing to everyone that it was getting really bad out, and that everyone needed to get into a safe place. And that the Indians was just as scared because the Hurricane was hitting there territories first.

Chapter 17

“Tea Cake, you sho is a lucky man.” (Chapter 17, pg. 147)

When this quote was sad it was not said in a good way. At this part in the book Tea Cake had been hitting on Janie. And you could see the bruises that he left when he was done. They were noticeable, which made everyone in the town worried.

“Mah Junie is uh high time woman and useter things.” (Chapter 17, pg. 148)

I think that Tea Cake was trying to cover up all the things he has done to Janie. By making it seem like they relationship was just the best thing there was and it wasn’t. Janie knew what was going on but she was afraid to admit the truth. S she tried handling things on her own.

Chapter 16

“Tain’t de poorness, its de color and de features.” (Chapter 16, pg. 141)

Janie was explaining that it’s not how much money you may have and make. But it’s the way you carry and handle you. I think that this is a true statement, because most of the times that are the first thing a girl look at. How you take care of yourself means a lot.

“Course she is. She got some non-count brother she wants yuh tuh hook up wid and take keer of Ah reckon.” (Chapter 16, pg. 143)

I think that this quote mean, like if you had a friend who told you that she had a brother that she wanted you to meet. And she knows that he is broke bumpy and etc. And it takes someone else to tell you that she is trying to set you up. So that he can take you money.

Chapter 15

“Ah believe you been messin’ round her! (Chapter 15, pg. 137)

Janie had come to a conclusion that Tea Cake was cheating on her. And of course Tea Cake denied it. Tea Cake told her that he would never cheat on her. And that what she been hearing was rumors. Then after that was said they got into an argument, and they fought.

“Whut would Ah do wid dat lil Chunk of a woman wid you around?” (Chapter 15, pg. 138)

Tea Cake was still trying to get Janie to understand that he was not cheating. And that he wouldn’t put a woman before her. Rather they are big or small. She is the only one that he wants to be with and is going to be with. He also mentioned that Janie can be they type of person who makes you want to forget everything.

Chapter 14

“Less go intuh Palm Beach and spend some of our money.” (Chapter 14, pg. 131)

Janie and Tea Cake were just talking about going to the woods to hunt. And then Tea Cake told Janie to go into town with him and spend there money. Tea Cake was finally coming to the conclusion that Janie wanted to spend the money as well. Especially because it was her money.

“You don’t think Ah’m tryin’ tuh git outa takin’ keer uh yuh, do yuh, Janie, ‘ cause Ah ast yuh tuh work long side uh me?” (Chapter 14, pg. 133)

At this point, Tea Cake was trying to make sure that him and Janie was on the same page. He didn’t want Janie to feel like he was using her to do his work. But that he just wanted her to help him get it done. And he wanted to do it together.

Chapter 13

“Good Lawd, Janie, whut you doin’ settin on de floor?” (Chapter13, pg. 121)

Tea Cake had been gone for a while. And one morning he showed up at the door and seen Janie lying on the floor. The first thing that came to Tea Cake’s mind was the money. He felt like Janie Thought that he was just there to get her money and leave. But that was not the case. He had just come back from a job that he had and he was going to tell her all about it.

“First thing, though, us got tuh eat together, Janie. Then we can talk.” (Chapter 13, pg. 121)

Tea Cake was starting to tell Janie that he had something to tell her. But Janie wanted to know right then and there what was going on. But Tea Cake wanted to wait. Which made Janie think that something was wrong.

Chapter 12

“You better sense her intuh things then’ cause Tea Cake can’t do nothin’ but help her spend whut she got.” (Chapter 12, pg. 111)

Janie and Tea Cake were being talked about when this quote was said. They was basically saying that Tea Cake was just there to use her. And not only was Janie noticing that but as well as the town’s people. In my opinion I think that Tea Cake was taking advantage of Janie. Due to the fact that she had money, but Janie didn’t start realizing that until most of it was gone.
“Folks seen you out in colors and dey thinks you aint payin de right amount uh respect tuh yo dead husband.” (Chapter 12, pg. 113)

I think that the town’s people were beginning to think that Janie was getting a little beside herself. I think that Janie was just trying to enjoy doing the things that she couldn’t do with Joe Starks. But at the same time she was just trying to live the life she dreamed of having.

Chapter 11

“Mah likes and dislikes ought not tuh make no difference wid you, Tea Cake.
(Chapter 11, pg. 104)

She was telling Tea Cake this because she was beginning to feel like he wasn’t caring anymore. Tea Cake was always somewhere gambling. And Janie was getting very mad because she just knew they relationship would be much different than the rest of her relationships.
“Tea Cake, Ah clare Ah don’t know whut to make outa you.” (Chapter 11, pg. 107)

Janie was having different feelings. Because Tea Cake was doing something bad, next minute he’s trying to make up. So she told him that she don’t know what to make outa him. In other words she doesn’t know what to think of him.

Chapter 10

“No suh! Not my king. You kin take another one, but not dat one.”

I think that Janie was actually taking up for Joe Starks. Janie had been asked to be partners with someone else, since he didn’t know how to play the game. So, she took up for him by saying that she wasn’t going to switch partners with no one, but she is going to stay with him. And that they could find another partner because she was staying with him. (Chapter 10, pg. 96)

“Tea Cake! So you sweet as all dat?”

Janie was surprised when Tea Cake was telling her about himself.. Janie didn’t give herself enough time to get over her past relationships and that’s why it didn’t work out the way that she wanted, and planned it to. (Chapter 10, pg. 97)

Chapter 9

“Uh woman by herself is uh pitiful thing,” (Chapter 9, pg. 90)

I think this mean, that women that are single must be living a pitiful life. But I don’t think that’s rue because I know a lot of single women that’s single and they’re doing just fine. But it was probably different during this time period.

Chapter 8

“When a man’s kidney’s stop working altogether, there is no way for him to live.” (Chapter 8, pg. 83)

In this part in the book Joe Starks was ill and Janie went to visit him. And the doctor was telling Janie that no sooner his kidneys fail on him then he’s going to die.

Chapter 7

“When you pull down yo’brtiches, you look lak de change uh life.” (Chapter 7, pg. 75)

This quote or saying is basically saying that when you mess up something good. Automatically look for something bad to come back at you in return. This doesn’t happen to everyone but it does happen often. During this time period Janie was being told not to mess up the good things that she has in stored in life.

Chapter 6

“Janie loved the conversation and sometimes she thought up good stories on the mule, but Joe had forbidden her to indulge. He didn’t want her talking after such trashy people.” (Chapter 6, pg. 67)

This meant that Janie was a nice person but since she was married that all changed. Joe Starks wanted her to act like a mayor’s wife. He wanted Janie to seem like she was better than the others. But she really didn’t want to act like that.

“Somebody got to think for women and chillun and chickens and cows. I god, they sure don’t think none their selves.” (Chapter 6, pg. 67)

This quote meant a lot to me as a person. Because the world we live in today, you have no choice but to live for someone else. Whether it’s your family, a friend, a neighbor or ECT. And that’s what is happening in this book, she was living not only for herself but others a well.

Chapter 5

“God, they call this a town?” (Chapter 5, pg. 34)

This was said to make the towns people feel like they needed to take better care of they town than what they been doing. The way it was described in the book, the town was pretty bad and needed allot of work. So, as the Mayor Joe Starks decided to beautify the town and make it nice, comfortable, and livable.

“Take for instance that new house of his. It had two stories with porches, with banisters and such things. The rest of the town looked like servants’ quarters surrounding the “big house”. And different from everybody else in the town he put off moving in until it had been painted, in and out. And look at the way he painted it – a gloaty, sparkly white.” (Chapter 5, pg. 44)

At this part in the book, the town’s people were noticing what was going on. Starks was making them fix his house up before they actually started rebuilding the town. And the town’s people were getting a little upset.

Chapter 4

“ Ah’m just as striff as you is stout” (Chapter 4, pg. 26)

In other words this quote means that he is slow as he is fast. I identified this as the main thing that Joe is trying to say. These words are words you might not hear or see all the time but by me being the student that I am identified this as the meaning of this quote

“Janie pulled back a long time because he did not represent sun-up and pollen and blooming trees, but he spoke for far horizon. He spoke for change and chance”. (Chapter 4, pg. 28)

This quote means that, Janie feel like “Joe Starks” did not care about the things and ideas that she had, and that she felt would make a difference in their town all he cared about was his feelings and thoughts and didn’t even acknowledge hers.

Chapter 3

“You, come heah wid yo’ mouf full of foolishness on uh busy day” (Chapter 3, pg. 23)

This quote was said by nanny because Janie came in upset. So nanny told her to come and talk to her because they were both going through sort of the same thing. So she was trying to help her because it was too much going on in one day.

“Ah wants things sweet wid mah marriage lak when you sit under a pear tree and think. Ah….” (Chapter 3, pg.23)

Joe Starks was doing the same thing that Janie was doing in the beginning of the story. And that was planning his life out before it actually happened. He was telling the people how his dream marriage would turn out. Not all the time do these plans turn out the way you would want them to but it never hurts to dream.

Chapter 2

“Janie saw her life like a great tree in leaf with the things suffered, things enjoyed things done and undone. Dawn and doom was in the branches”. (Chapter 2 pg. 8)

In other words this quote mean that Janie pictured her life as a time where she would enjoy doing what she likes to do whether it was digging, socializing ect. Janie also seen her daylight and nights as the tree branches meaning that they stayed strong and tried there best not to let anything break them.

“Naw, nanny, naw ah ain’t no real’ oman yet.” (Chapter 2, pg.)
After Janie had planned out her dream lifestyle she and nanny had a talk. And nanny was telling her that it was time for her to grow up. Janie told her straight up like she wasn’t grown yet and that she wasn’t a real woman yet. Meaning that she wasn’t ready for what life was going to bring her.

chapter 1

“These sitters had been tongue less, earless, eyeless conveniences all day long. Mules and other brutes had occupied their skins. But now, the sun and the boss man were gone, so the skins felt powerful and human. They became lords of sound and lesser things. They passed nations through their mouths. They sat in judgment”. (Chapter 1, pg. 2)

Nanny said this to Janie to tell her that when she decides to be in a committed relationship that this is what she is going to face. Nanny also mentioned to her about ow she might be treated and what the outcome will be.

“She ain’t even worth talkn after” (Chapter 1,)

This quote is a quote that I’ve seen all my fellow classmates use. And I can see why. This quote has been used time after time in my school. It’s usually said when someone is getting ready to fight and then they stop and think about the consequences that they are going to face after they say what they want to say.

My Dreams

My two dreams are going to the going to Michigan University and going to the NBA (Nation Basketball Association). For me to the college I have to stay focus in school and do not do anything foolish well I am in high school. For me to make it to the NBA I must work hard and keep my head on straight on and off the court.

My first dream is to attend the University of Michigan for four years of Mechanical Engineering. To achieve my dream must study hard in school and pay a lot of attention to the teacher well they are giving directions to my assignments. Gain good note taking skills because in college I will have to take a lot of notes and study for test and pop quizzes. Study for the ACT and the SAT so I can get high scores and get accepted into Michigan. I must get keep my grade point average at lease at a 3.5 or better and be at the top of my class.

When I am outside of school I must get all of my community service hours and do not do something I will regret doing. Listening to my mother and my father and going their rules at home I should be able to stay out of trouble and stay away from the wrong crowd of people I should be all right. If I want to go out with my friends I would finish m homework or studying before I leave so it will be out the way when I get home from what I want to do.

My second dream was to make it to the NBA and takes care of my family. This dream is very hard to achieve because every kid in the world want to go to the NBA and every kid out working on their game. Every kid in the world is in a gym by their selves working on their handles, jump shot, speed, defense, and quickness. For me to be better than them I must be smarter than them as a player on the court and off the court. I must work just as hard as they as working on their game cause when I stop working there is someone out there working well I’m doing nothing.

So I must get stronger, faster, quicker, and more health than what I am now. If I want to for full my dream I must go to the gym and shot two hundred jump shots and go to the weight room and be focus and go hard so I can be strong as I need to be. I must go hard in practice and games because the way you practice is the way you are going to play so if I practice hard I’m going to go even harder in the game. For me to play basketball I must have the grades because if there are no grades then there is no basketball at all.