Winter's Bone (1-19): An Introduction to the Characters

At the start of Daniel Woodrell's novel, Winter's Bone, he introduces the main character, Ree Dolly, and begins to describe her lifestyle. Because she has two parents who are incapable of taking care of her and her brothers, Ree is left to take care of the house. She splits the wood, takes care of her sick siblings, cooks, cleans, and more. While Woodrell depicts Ree as an independent and mature being, he also divulges that she lacks much happiness or peace. From the start, Woodrell suggests that Ree's home is very dismal and depressing. The "cold front steps" and frigid climate suggest that Ree is uncomfortable in her environment which therefore makes her restless. In addition, it is Ree's home atmosphere that shapes Woodrell's development of each character. Woodrell writes, "The house was...chill in the shadows," and thus he suggests that by being in "the shadows," Ree and her family are stuck in the past; however, the chillness of the past indicates that their lives are negatively "frozen" and they struggle to rise to a better position. This halt in the past is further seen through Ree's mom. Woodrell proposes that she is ill and is losing her memory. Woodrell proclaims that she was "lost to the present," and he suggests that at one point she had a sense of direction and purpose. At the same time, Ree's dad, Jessup, is described as a "broken-faced" man, which further encourages the Dolly's struggle to move from the past. By being "broken," Jessup does not have the strength to help his family rise above their present problems. Thus, it is up to Ree to help her family, however, because of her parents, Ree also struggles to progress into the future.

Quotes Throughout the Novel

Chapter 1: "Now, women forget all those things they don't want to remember, and remember everything they don't want to forget. The dream is the truth. Then they act and do things accordingly" (1)

"Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board. For some they come in with the tide. For others they sail forever on the horizon, never out of sight..." (1)

"An envious heart makes a treacherous ear" (5)

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" (8)

"But before Ah seen de picture Ah thought Ah wuz just like de rest" (9)

"The rose of the world was breathing out smell" (10)

"She had glossy leaves and bursting buds and she wanted to struggle with life but it seemed to elude her" (11)

"She searched as much of the world as she could...Looking, waiting, breathing short with impatience. Waiting for the world to be made" (11).

"De nigger woman is de mule uh de world so fur as Ah can see" (14)

"us colored folks is branches without roots...But nothin' can't stop you from wishin" (16)

Chapter 3: "There is a basin in the mind 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 guld of formless feeling untouched by thought" (24).

"She knew that God tore down the old world every evening and built a new one by sun-up" (25).

"Janie's first dream was dead, so she became a woman" (25).

Chapter 4: "A pretty doll-baby lak you is made to sit on de front porch and rock and fan yo'self" (29).

"He spoke for change and chance" (29).

"A bee for her bloom" (32).

Chapter 5: "Us colored folks is too envious of one 'noter. Dat's how come us don't git no further than us do" (39).

"And furthermo' everything is got uh have uh center and uh heart tuh it" (40).

Chapter 6: "I god, Ah can't see what uh woman uh yo' stability would want tuh be treasurin' all dat gum-grease from folks dat don't even own de house dey sleep in" (54).

"She was a wind on the ocean" (70).

"She had an inside and an outside now and suddenly she knew how not to mix them" (72).

Chapter 7: "Plenty of life beneath the surface but it was kept beaten down by the wheels" (76).

"Janie had robbed him of his illusion of irresistible maleness that all men cherish" (79).

"But Ah ain't goin' outa here and Ah ain't gointuh hush" (86).

"All dis bowin' down, all dis disobedience under yo' voice-- dat ain't whut Ah rushed off down de road tuh find out..." (87).

"The young girl was gone, but a handsome woman had taken her place" (87).

Chapter 9: "She sent her face to Joe's funeral, and herself went rollicking with the springtime across the world" (88).

"It was important to all the world that she should find them and they find her" (89).

"She had found a jewel down inside herself and she had wanted to walk where people could see her and gleam it around" (90).

Chapter 10: "Yuh can't beat uh woman. Dey jes won't stand fuh it" (96).

Chapter 11: "She felt like a child breaking rules" (102).

"Ah betcha you don't never go tuh de lookin' glass and enjoy yo' eyes yo'self" (104).

"You'se got de world in uh jug and make out you don't know it" (104).

Chapter 12:  "Still and all, she's her own woman" (111).

"Ah done lived Grandma's way, now Ah means tuh live mine: (114).

Chapter 13: "She was broken and her pride was gone" (119).

Chapter 14: "Work all day for money, fight all night for love" (131).

"She could listen and laugh and even talk some herself if she wanted to" (134).

Chapter 15: "A little seed of fear was growing into a tree" (136).

"Janie never thought at all. She just acted on feelings" (137).

Chapter 16: "He kin take most any lil thing and make summertime out of it when times is dull" (141).

"Through indiscriminate suffering men know fear and fear is the most divine emotion" (145).

Chapter 17: "Being able to whip her reassured him in possession. No brutal beating at all" (147).

Chapter 18: "...their route was definite" (155).

"Night was striding across nothingness with the whole round world in his hands" (158).

"...the wind and water had given life to lots of things that folks think of as dead and given death to so much that been living things" (160).

Chapter 19: "Death had found them watching, trying to see beyond seeing" (170).

"She could either run or try to take it away before it was too late" (182).

"They were all against her, she could see" (186).

"It was not death she feared. It was misunderstanding" (189).

Chapter 20: "Love is lak de sea. It's uh movin' thing, but still and all, it takes it shape from de shore it meets, and it's different with every shore" (191).

"You got tuh go there tuh know there" (192).

"They got tuh go tuh God, and they got tuh find out about livin' fuh theyselves" (192).

"The place tasted fresh again...The wind through the open windows had broomed out all the fetid feeling of absence and nothingness" (192).

"She pulled in her horizon like a great fish-net" (193).

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.

Their Eyes Were Watching God (Ch16+17): Power

In chapter 17 of Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston further discusses the role men and women play in society. In chapter 16, she reveals that Tea Cake gains popularity and respect once the men in his community know that he beats Janie regularly. Thus, Hurston portrays the setting of the novel to take place during a strongly male-dominated society which has little to no respect for women. At the same time, Hurston gives insight to Mrs. Turner's character. Since Mrs. Turner was first introduced, Hurston has divulged that Tea Cake despises her and eventually abuses Janie as a result of his frustration with Mrs. Turner. Tea Cake claims, "Ah didn't whup Janie 'cause she done nothin'. Ah beat her tuh show dem Turners who is boss" (148). Tea Cake discloses that he feels threatened by the Turners, he must beat his wife to "show dem" that he is the boss. Although Hurston barely illustrates confrontations between the Turners and Janie and Tea Cake, Tea Cake is frightened by their presence. By beating Janie, perhaps Tea Cake hopes to communicate to the Turners that he is more aggressive and dangerous than they believe. Furthermore, Tea Cake explains that he is "mad at her for thinkin" (149). Tea Cake exhibits that he dislikes women challenging his authority. He beats Janie to ensure that he controls her, but at the same time he also hopes to stop Mrs. Turner from "thinkin'." One questions what Hurston is trying to illustrate about the men and women in society in her novel Their Eyes Were Watching God. Is she foreshadowing the eventual strength and equality women will gain?

Their Eyes Were Watching God (Ch 14-16): Black Racism

In chapters 15 and 16, Hurston mentions once again the racism that exists in the novel. For chapters 6 and 7, I had blogged about the prevailing white envy that exists among the black community, and I was intrigued to make such a discovery when Hurston does not include a white character. In the next class after we read chapters 6 and 7, we discussed the prominent themes thus far in the novel, and we went into great detail about racism; however, we identified this racism prominently between blacks and not the traditional black-white racism. Through Mrs. Tyler's character, Hurston returns to the theme of racism within the black community. Mrs. Tyler believes herself to be superior to her black peers and also sees Janie to be part of the upper-class society. She tells Janie that they "oughta class off" because "de black ones is holdin' us back" (Hurston 141). Although she is considered to be black and not white, Mrs. Tyler completely separates herself and does not group herself in the "black ones;" rather, she and Janie are part of their own class. Mrs. Tyler reveals a strong hate towards her community and greatly aspires to be white. She claims that she has "white folks' features" but still she is "lumped in wid all de rest" (Hurston 142). One questions whether the racism that exists in Hurston's novel is largely developed by white people, or whether black-black racism helps to enhance racist thoughts. In the end, Mrs. Tyler cannot belong to either community because she refuses to associate herself with blacks, however, she cannot be considered a white person.

Their Eyes Were Watching God (Ch 11-13): Joe or Tea Cake?

Throughout chapters 11 to 13, Hurston begins to give insight into Tea Cake's character. When Hurston first introduces Tea Cake in chapter 10, Janie remaks that although "she didn't know his name...he looked familiar" (Hurston 94). Throughout chapter 10, one supposes that Janie is so easily attracted and comfortable with Tea Cake because she considers Tea Cake to be "familiar." However, Hurston never communicates why Janie regards Tea Cake to be more of a friend than a stranger. By chapter 13, Hurston reveals a more intimate analyzation of Tea Cake once he must confess how and why he took Janie's two hundred dollars. He remarks that his first desire was to let "folks know who he was," and so he paid for a free supper for all (Hurston 123). Hurston divulges that Tea Cake's aspiration to become well known and respected is a result of the envy of whites that exists subtly throughout the novel but is never directly stated. Interestingly enough, Tea Cake's "generosity" becomes very similar to Joe's actions when he first arrives in Eastonville. Joe had informed Janie that "it had always been his wish and desire to be a big voice" (Hurston 29). In addition to their desire to become more distinguished, Tea Cake also begins to dictate Janie like Joe. When he proclaims that he was going to get Janie to come to the feast he was throwing, he is doubtful that she would have come and that she was too "skeered" (Hurston 124). Although it appears that Tea Cake is making excuses, Hurston begins to reveal that he thinks he can predict Janie's thoughts and desires and thus denies Janie her own voice. Thus, one can't help but question whether Janie feels Tea Cake is so familiar because she unconsciously recognizes similarities between him and Joe.

Their Eyes Were Watching God (Ch 8-10): A Man's Power

In chapter 8, Hurston reveals that as a result of Joe's illness, Janie gains authority and more of a voice than ever before. After disallowing Janie from visiting him, Janie finally insists on talking to Joe and enters his room although she has not been invited. The conversation between Janie and Joe exemplifies the theme of male dominance that Hurston has discussed throughout the novel so far. Although Janie is now given the opportunity to speak over Joe, she uses the opportunity to make Joe know that after twenty years he "dont half know [her] at all." Janie declares that she "ain't goin' outa here" and she "ain't gointuh hush" (Hurston 87). Sadly, after many years in marriage, Janie finally tells Joe that she disagrees with the way he has treated her; however, in the midst of her confession, Joe dies and Janie is never granted the ability to completely confess. One questions whether Hurston has Joe's death occur at this moment to disallow Janie from ever feeling that she has overcome Joe's control. If this were the case, Hurston would be further enforcing the male-dominant society that she has been depicting throughout the novel so far. After Joe passes away, Hurston remarks, "Janie knew the futile fight was not with her" (Hurston 87). Hurston describes the fight as "futile" because even if Janie disproved of all of Joe's controlling actions, their marriage was basically over already. One questions how this scene foreshadows later events in the book. Will women ever gain a more dominant position in Hurston's novel? Or will there be numerous incidents where women almost gain power but are prevented?