Their Eyes Were Watching God (Ch 19+20): Duality

In the final chapters of Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston provides a thorough analyzation of Tea Cake's character. While she has subtly divulged Tea Cake's yearning to control Janie in chapter 13, she continues to expose his hunger for power through chapter 17. Throughout these chapters, one has questioned whether they view Tea Cake positively or negatively. Ultimately, Tea Cake appears to possess to separate identities which allows him to be both a good and bad husband simultaneously. At the end of chapter 18, one learns about Tea Cake saving Janie, and while doing so, he gets bitten by a stray dog who he finds to be "frightenin'" and full of "pure hate" (167). As Hurston illustrates Tea Cake becoming gradually sicker, he becomes steadily animalistic through Hurston's diction. However, when Janie identifies  a "changing look" on Tea Cake's face, one questions whether she was blinded by love before and now sees Tea Cake's true character. She previously shows that she is not bothered by Tea Cake's abuse and never loves him any less even when he behaves barbarically; yet, Janie no longer feels safe in Tea Cake's presence. The tone of Hurston's language has become more concerned and fearful as Janie notes that Tea Cake "could watch her every move" (182). Despite her concerns, Janie reassures herself that "Tea Cake wouldn't hurt her," however, she decides that "it did no harm to play safe" (182). Thus, Janie exposes that because she loves Tea Cake, she wishes to cloud her worries with doubt; at the same time, her subconscious urges her to "play safe." Hurston exposes that Janie sees her husband's dual-personality at last because she simultaneously trusts and distrusts Tea Cake. In the end, Hurston reveals that Janie overcomes her doubt and fully recognizes how dangerous Tea Cake is. One questions whether she is right to blame his animalism on his sickness, or whether his true character can no longer be hidden from her sight.