Their Eyes Were Watching This Blog (10-12)

Chapter 10:

In this chapter, Tea Cake is first introduced. From the beginning of the novel, we know that Janie had "run off" with Tea Cake, but returned to Eatonville by herself. It has been about 2 months since Joe died and Janie has been constantly asked about a new marriage. While everyone is at a game, Janie works in the store until about 5:30 when a man she has never seen before comes in. Unlike Joe, Tea Cake believes that she is smart enough to learn how to play checkers and resolves to teach her. Although Janie finds Tea Cake attractive, she thinks that he must be only after her money, not only because she is forty, but also because he is 25. It is interesting that Janie believes Tea Cake to not have any money just because he is young. Right before she left Logan, Joe was only about 30 and had plenty of money to spend on her and himself. Since we already know that Janie will end up marrying Tea Cake, we will have to see how her mind changes about his intentions.

Chapter 11:
Janie decides to be very cold to Tea Cake in this chapter so she can find out what kind of person he really is. Her act lasts less than a day and then Tea Cake tells her that nobody is as good as she is. The most important part of this chapter is when Janie realizes that Tea Cake is the man that she wanted when she was sixteen and used to sit underneath the pear tree. Do you think that Tea Cake will end up being that person that she wants or will it end up the same way that her marriage to Joe did?

Chapter 12:
In this chapter, Phoeby goes to Janie to talk about her spending time with Tea Cake. Janie admits that they are planning on getting married right after she sells the store. While Phoeby warns Janie that Tea Cake is only after her money, Janie says that it's not true. From what she says of Tea Cake, it becomes apparent that Tea Cake treats her as an equal and not as a possession as Joe did. He takes her hunting and fishing and to the movies, whereas Joe made her sit and do nothing when she wasn't in the store. How important is being treated like an equal to Janie? Is Tea Cake the only person who does this?