Speech and Janie

 Throughout the novel, Hurston makes it clear that speech is a very integral part of the environment. Rumours get twisted, gossip is spread, and the dialect of the novel is very clearly articulated. Every line of dialogue is carefully crafted to be correct to the time period and accurate to the novel. While Hurston could have very easily just written the dialogue in an unaffected manner and allowed the reader to make their own connections, she instead chooses to put in the extra work to enhance the experience herself. 

 This is done not only to make a sort of time capsule out of the novel, but also to bring the concept of speech to the forefront of the novel, as a recurring theme throughout Their Eyes Were Watching God is the concept of words being stifled or brought to light. Every relationship Janie has in the book is based around this central theme of vocal expression.

Throughout the beginning of Janie's life, she is constantly being stifled by those around her: her grandmother puts her into a marriage without her being fully okay with it, Logan clearly has no interest in her outside of her domestic duties, and even the boy she first kisses, in a way, is a representation of her being silenced. The first life-altering example of this, however, is Joe Starks. Jody smothers her creative desires and fits her into a mannequin shell of the mayor's wife, filling her head with empty words and convincing her to move with him to a place she would never have any intention to go to otherwise. Afterwards, he makes her into the perfect silent FLOTUS (in a manner of speaking), even keeping her from making a speech when she never showed any signs of not wanting to. In fact, she thinks to herself that she might like to, but Jody has already made the decision for her.

Another thing that begins to happen as Jody's manhandling of Janie continues is that he starts making her wear her hair up. Janie's hair is another example of her expression, a thing she cannot change (for the most part) being covered up to fit a mold that she does not belong in. When Jody dies, not only does Janie begin once again to speak freely, but she also takes the time after his death to put down her hair and bask in the freedom of expression before telling the rest of the townspeople.

When Teacake comes along, his relationship with Janie is completely different. Teacake allows her to speak freely, making witty comments at his expense and joining in an activity that was previously forbidden to her. Tea Cake engages her speech, conversing with her and putting himself on equal terms with her; her love for him stems from his respect for her individuality. After Janie falls in love with Teacake, she discovers her ability to define herself by her speech interactions with others. At the same time, she learns that silence too can be a source of empowerment; having found her voice, she learns to control it, choosing not to speak her mind in places where she used to. This evolution does hit a rough patch during the treatment of Teacake's abuse towards Janie, where Janie, for some reason, does not seem to mind it like she minded the abuse she received from past lovers. Interestingly enough, the narrator, too, does not say anything about Janie's reasons; in a way, as Janie learns to properly hold herself to her own standards, the narrator does the same, being oddly silent in moments such as the topic of Janie being hit. These instances of the importance of silence versus verbal communication illustrates the point Hurston is trying to make: the control of language and information is the most powerful control there is.