HatziaSalazar

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ArgumentOnePager#2
Quote:
BeforetheweekwasoverhehadwhippedJanie.Notbecauseherbehaviorjustifiedhis
jealousy,butitrelievedthatawfulfearinsidehim.Beingabletowhipherreassuredhim
inapossession.Nobrutalbeatingatall.Hejustslappedheraroundabittoshowhewas
boss(Hurston147).

ThisquotedemonstratesthatTeaCakefindsitacceptabletobeatJanie,sothathecan
feelsuperior.Thisquotealsodemonstrateswhattypeofmanheisbecause,fromthequote,
TeaCakedemonstratesthatheisveryabusivebylayinghandsonJanie.AsJaniesaid,You
donehurtmahheart,nowyoucomewiduhlietuhbruisemahears!Turngomahhands!
(Hurston137).FromJaniesdemandingwords,sheverifiesthatTeaCakehashurtherandleft
bruisesonherbody,showingthatherrelationshipwithTeaCakeisveryphysical,meaningthat
allthosemarksonherbodyandearsarefromwhenbothherandTeaCakegotphysicalwith
eachotherbecause,TeaCakepossessherbywantingtofeellikethebossintheirrelationship.
TeaCakehimselfsays,
Po me, hed tore me tuh pieces, if it wuznt fuh me, baby, cause Ahm
heah, and then Ah want yuh tuh know its uh man heah (Hurston 167). Tea Cake reflects
himself as a respectful man in Janies life, for supporting her and comforting her whenever she
needs that shoulder but what he doesnt realize is that he is showing Janie a bad
representation of a man by throwing abuse towards her and reminding her of feeling like a
puppet because, like in her last marriage with Joe, she was controlled by him all the time.
After that night Jody moved his things and slept in a room downstairs.why must Joe be so
mad with her for making him look small when he did it to her all the time? Had been doing it for
years (Hurston 81). This flashback goes to show that there's nothing new in Janies marriage
with Tea Cake because, Tea Cake abusing Janie makes her look small by leaving marks on her
body just like Joe made Janie look small by controlling her and making her stay home all the
time.

Therefore,Hurstonismakingtheclaimthatintheworld,menfeelpleasuredwhen
womendontretaliatetotheirabusivenessandthattheyenjoythefeelingwhentheyseeany
hurtontheirpartner'sfaceorbody.Hurstonismakingtheclaimofmenfeelingpleasedwhen
theyabusetheirpartnerbecause,inchapter17,SopdeBottomsaystoTeaCake,Uhperson
canseeeveryplaceyouhither.Ahbetsheneverraisedherhandtuhhityuhback,neither.
Takesomeuhdeseolrustyblackwomenanddeywouldfightyuhallnightlongandnextday
nobodycouldnttellyouneverhitem.Lawd!WouldntAhlovetuhwhipuhtenderwomanlak
Janie!Ahbetshedontevenholler.Shejuscries,ehTeaCake?(Hurston148).FromSopde
Bottomswords,itsclearthatSopdeBottomsupportsthatTeaCakeevenlaysahandon
Janie.Alsoheshowsthatmenactuallyenjoyabusingwomenandtheyloveseeingthembeing
hurtbecause,itgivesamanamessagethatheistheman.Inadditiontothat,fromourpaideia
todayaboutthevideosandhealthyrelationshipsingeneral,intheLovetheWayyouLiemusic
videobyEminemandRihanna,therewaslyricsthatsang,Youpush,pulleachothershair,
throwthemdown,pinthem,demonstratingthatRihannawassingingaboutatimewhereshe
experiencedabuseinherpersonalrelationship.Thelyricsalsorepresentthetropeofviolence
andjustlikeinTEWWG,itconnectstothetropeofviolencebecause,inthischapter,TeaCake

isbeingveryabusivetowardsJanieandenjoyseveryminuteofitbecause,ashesaidhimself,
hefeelslikeaboss,meaningthathefeelsthathehascontroloverJanie.Thisallsupportsthe
ideathatHurstonmakesaboutmenfeelingpleasuredwhentheyabusetheirpartnerandfeel
liketheyhavecontrolwhentheyseehurtontheirpartner'sbodyorfacebecause,likein
TEWWGandthemusicvideo,bothcontainorcreateanimagewithwordsaboutmen
performingviolenceonawomanandfeelinglikeitsacceptable.

However,thisraisesthequestionofwhetherJanieactuallyrespectsTeaCakeforhis
abusivenesstowardsher.Itraisesthisquestionbecause,yesweseeJaniesresponsestoTea
Cakesabusebutsheneverreallysaysanythingabouthowshefeelsabouttheabusivenessin
herandTeaCakesmarriage.Itisneveroktoverballyorphysicallyabusemenorwomen,butis
iteveroktohityourpartnerifonesuspectstheotherisbeingunfaithful?Janiewastryingto
beatTeaCakewhenhewasflirtingwithNunkie,JanielearnedwhatitfeltliketobejealousIt
wasn'tlongbeforeTeaCakefoundherthereandtriedtotalk.Shecuthimshortwithablowand
theyfoughtfromoneroomtoanother,Janietryingtobeathim,andTeaCakekeptholdingher
wristsandwhereverhecouldtokeepherfromgoingtoofar,(Hurston1367).Thisshowshow
menandwomenhandlethings,whentheygetoutofhand.HereJanieismadwithTeaCake,
tryingtobeathimbutTeaCake,asmandoesntrespondtoherhittingbecause,hecaresfor
herandtriedtokeepherfromgoingtoofar.ButwhydoesTeaCakefinditoktogofarandhit
Janiebymakinghergetmarksonherbodytoo?Thisgoestoshowthatagain,thisstorydeals
withgenderandpresentsimagesofhowmenthinkitsoktohitawomenbutitsnotokfor
womentohitmen.Overall,itsabouthoweachgenderthinksoftheother.LikehowTeaCake
founditoktoabuseJanieandJaniefounditokinattemptingtohitTeaCake,butattheendof
thedayshewastheonewiththemarksonherbodyandnotTeaCake.