The Mule Scene
I was initially confused at the significance of the simple mule scene in chapter 6 of Their Eyes Were Watching God. The chapter seems to serve as a representation of Jody as a good person who loves Janie, but doesn’t know how to express it correctly. As we often see him as more of a villain in the later chapters, this chapter is important in establishing that Janie and Jody definitely loved each other at one point, even if they didn’t interact completely well.
When seeing the Mule on the porch being annoyed, Janie says, “They ought to be shamed uh themselves! Teasin’ dat poor brute beast lak they is! Done been worked tuh death…” out loud (53). At this moment, it seems like Janie almost feels sympathy for the mule, and the mule is an analogy for Janie, as she often feels overworked and taken for granted while working at the store. This analogy is also supported by Nanny, who says that ‘black women are the mules of the world’ at the beginning of the novel. As a result, Jody starts to perceive Janie as someone who needs to be saved.
Later in the chapter, Jody buys the mule to save it from torment, which seems like an altruistic action. Jody seems to struggle to verbally show his love to Janie, and his actions through wealth and power are his way of showing his gratitude for her. However, these subtle actions actually end up hurting their relationship.
I believe Jody has always had a need for control in his relationship with Janie, and purchasing the mule is a way for him to assert his dominance. Jody is also smart, and can sense that Janie is starting to resent him for always pushing her away from her ambitions and restricting her to the store. So, it's entirely possible that Jody purchasing the mule is a way to win back Janie through monetary gifts without putting any real emotional effort in. This tactic would be manipulative and would serve as a way to make Janie feel like she can never complain since Jody is always performing grand gestures for her. Jody simply cannot express his positive feelings toward Janie in a way that she can reciprocate, furthering the imbalance in their relationship. Overall, Janie and Jody’s relationship is complex, but the imbalance proves to be their downfall.
I think looking at the mule as a representation of Janie is really interesting, and I somehow managed to completely miss this connection reading it before, so I'm really glad you pointed it out! I wonder if we can think of the mule as what Jody would have done with Janie had she not decided to stand up for herself against Janie. Jody uses the mule to gain clout around town, to have everyone think of him as a kind man who cares about the wellbeing of animals, and in the mule's death, he uses its funeral to make a big show for the town, continuing to improve his own reputation. Everything about his interactions with the mule are for his own benefit, and I think he would have used Janie as a trophy to her death the same way.
ReplyDeleteI really like how you pointed out this scene, as I previously had not realized its significance. I agree with the ulterior motives that you highlighted, and I think they are important to note. At first, this does seem like an altruistic action like you mentioned, but after unpacking his reasonings it becomes a disappointing abuse of power and attempt at manipulation. Especially, using a living animal as a tool is cruel, and shows the true colors of Jody's character.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a great analysis of the mule and its symbolism! I was also pretty confused about the significance of these scenes in Their Eyes Were Watching God. This blog post really helped me understand it more clearly-- thank you!
ReplyDeleteI found it fascinating how you discuss that the power imbalances and the lack of communication this seems to lead to is, in the end, the downfall of Joe and Janie’s relationship. (I also find the idea of a mule being represented as Janie and how it comes back later in the novel to be compelling). Their relationship is complex but this imbalance is an excellent way to frame it in the most basic form. Jody trying to “buy '' Janie's loyalty, such as through the mule like you analyze, seems like it would be a very Jody thing to do. When Janie meets him, she is so focused on running away and seeing his big plans, and Jody seems very comfortable with discussing anything that has to do with him being in power or having wealth and using it to his advantage. I completely agree that this leaves Janie in a position where she feels that she cannot complain to Jody or act in any other way, being "in his debt" in a way, particularly because the town expects her to act in this very particular manner. I think that being in this unbalanced relationship, as symbolized by Janie as “a mule” (only metaphorically) in addition to the pressure from the town and being in a position of power where people watch you, made Janie feel constricted and trapped in this relationship, causing her even more unhappiness, pain, and suffering. Luckily, she is able to escape it with Tea Cake!
Great blog post again!
Definitely. I think Jody is intentional with the mule, using it as a way to assert his dominance over Janie. I like that you also brought Tea Cake into this, because at the beginning of their relationship, he doesn't seem to show any signs of this kind of material dominance. Yet, we see him physically abuse Janie later to show his dominance, which reminds us that Janie cannot seem to get away from this kind of violence and dominance.
DeleteGreat post! I like your analysis of this scene, and it's one that stood out to me too. Personally, I definitely see Jody buying the mule as a kind of manipulative, control-seeking action. But I think he does genuinely want to keep Janie happy, if only because that upholds the picture-perfect image of a married couple that Jody is trying to put forth. It's a basic mismatch between Janie and Jody's perceptions of people and their wants - Jody doesn't seem to get that Janie might want something different than being this wife on a pedestal, and thinks she should be happy with that position in life. Therefore, surface-level actions like buying a mule because Janie doesn't like how it's being treated should be enough to keep his wife happy, and no deeper emotional connection with him and other people needs to be made for them to be a happy couple. Of course, this isn't how people, and specifically Janie, work, so the action just serves as a temporary bandaid over a slowly festering wound.
ReplyDeleteI really like this post, and I'm glad you talked about the mule because I don't remember getting to discuss it in class at all. Something that's interesting to me that is related to the mule is when the town holds a funeral for the mule. Janie wants to go, but is stopped by Jodie. When reading the scene of Tea Cake's party, I was reminded of the mule's funeral. The two men stop Janie for the same reason, they think the events would be too low-class for her, even when she protests. However, Janie is able to make Tea Cake change the way he treats her, and she can't do that with Jodie.
ReplyDeleteJody almost seems to treat Janie like his property and "use" her (as you would with a mule). Once they move to Eatonville, he overworks and oppresses her and their relationship becomes very imbalanced. Jody buying the mule was definitely a manipulative act that set up a shaky relationship for them and in a way, showed his lack of emotional commitment to the relationship.
ReplyDeleteI like how you analyzed this scene. I think it's small but very indicative of their dynamic. However, in my opinion, Joe buying the mule for Janie is a genuine expression, or at least an attempt, at affection. I'm in no way defending Joe, in fact, buying things for people is a textbook quality that abusers have as they start to feel guilt for their actions. I think this was a half-hearted attempt to apologize, and later on he completely gives up the facade of trying to make her feel better with gifts.
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