Welcome!

Hello and welcome to my blog for Their Eyes Were Watching God. I will be posting projects and activities that have to do with the book. I hope you enjoy reading my blog!

25 random facts about me

1. I did gymnastics from ages two to five
2. I danced from ages five to thirteen
3. I played softball from ages nine to thirteen
4. My middle name is Nicole
5. I speak Spanish, French, and Italian
6. I went to St. Stephen School Pre-K 3 to 8th grade
7. I like Sun Chips
8. I was born on September 1, 1995
9. I have lived at the same address since I was born.
10. I have one sister, Megan.
11. I am the tenth person in my family to go to John Carroll
12. I have five cousins
13. I am in the chorus and musicals at John Carroll
14. I performed in Disney World
15. I was born on the same day as my grandmother
16. My favorite color is purple
17. My favorite holiday is Halloween
18. I like to go to the beach
19. I have been to Sicily and Rome
20. I like to write
21. I have been to eight different states
22. Both of my parents, my sister, and my cousin work for the government
23. I have a dog named Harley
24. I was born in Baltimore
25. My favorite actresses are Sandra Bullock and Rachael McAdams

Symbolism

Janie’s hair shows independence from men by going against social norms and wearing it down even when she gets older.

The overalls tell people that Janie does not care what others think; she does what makes her comfortable.

The pear tree symbolizes love to her, and what the perfect love to be because that is the place that she always went when she had spare time, and she also wants her husband to appreciate the pear tree's beauty as much as she does. It also kind of symbolizes her growth and becoming a woman. It blooms and grows as time goes on just as she is.

The gate represents the confines of marriage and that she is stuck inside a marriage she does not want to be in. She cannot get out and see the world.

The horizon represents that there is always tomorrow and tomorrow will always hold a second chance, like the song, “Tomorrow,” from Annie. Janie sees the horizon over her gate and it gives her hope that things will be better.

The mule symbolizes that these people’s work is never done and they have to do it to live, even though it is killing them. Matt Bonner’s mule symbolizes that Joe wants to make some things up to Janie and to show the townspeople that he is a good person.

Manure pile symbolizes that Logan and Janie's marriage is only based on her doing hard work when he doesn't want to do it. Nanny also said that when the guy kissed her over the fence, he was wiping manure on her and walking all over her. The manure symbolizes men walking all over her and making her do things that she doesn’t want to do.

The head rag symbolizes men taking away Janie’s freedom and sort of her womanhood also. Joe just doesn’t want other men to look at her, and that kind of takes away her womanhood.

Checkers symbolizes that Joe thinks that women are good for helping out, but cannot actually do things. Joe also thinks that they are not as intelligent as men and are not capable of doing a lot of things.

Joe Stark’s house symbolizes Joe being above everyone else even though he is black just like everyone else. He is also trying to set himself above the white people.

Imagery

1. “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.” Pg 8

2. “The rose of the world was breathing out smell.” Pg. 10

3. “The gold of the sun and the panting breath of the breeze” Pg. 11

4. “The golden dust of pollen had beglamored his rags and her eyes.” Pg. 12

5. “Nanny’s head and face looked like the standing roots of some old tree that had been torn away by a storm.” Pg. 12

6. “Ah wanted yuh to school out and pick from a higher bush and sweeter berry.” Pg. 13

7. “Mind –pictures brought feelings, and feelings dragged out dramas from the hollows of her heart.” Pg. 16

8. “Did marriage compel love like the sun the day?” Pg. 21

9. “There is a basin in the minds where words float around on thought and thought on sound and sight. Then there is a depth of thought untouched by words, and deeper still a gulf of formless feelings untouched by thought.” Pg. 24

10. “So Janie waited a bloom in time, and a green time and an orange time.” Pg. 25

My Name- Ashley Nicole

My father picked out the name Ashley towards the end of my mother’s pregnancy, because they thought I was going to be a boy. Throughout my mother’s pregnancy she was convinced that she was having a boy because of the signs she was having. Neither of my parents wanted to know my gender, but the doctor accidentally told my mother I was a girl while taking my heartbeat. They did not have any girl names picked out until the last few weeks of my mother’s pregnancy. On the way to the hospital my mom asked my dad what he thought about Nicole. She chose the name Nicole from a television show she liked. I have a few nicknames, such as Nikki and Ash. My grandmother sometimes mixes up my names with my cousins, sister, mother, and aunts, so I have learned to answer to Gina, Louise, Angie, Toni, Megan, Amber, and Giuliana, as well as Ashley. Ashley means “from the ash tree” and Nicole means “victory.” Ashley is number twenty on a scale of popularity from one to twenty-five. In 1995 the name Ashley held the number one spot. My middle name, Nicole, held the eighteenth spot in 1995 and did not make the list for 2009. Since my parents thought I was going to be a boy, they had names picked out. My father wanted Austin, while my mother wanted Jeremy. I like my name, even though it was very popular at the time of my birth. My friends and family also like my name and think Ashley and Nicole go together well. My aunt's friend named her daughter after me because she thought Ashley and Nicole went together well and liked it too.