Their Eyes Were Watching God Tree Analysis

In Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston, the tree symbolises Janie’s ideal future and how she pictures her future relationships with Logan Killlicks, Jody Starks, and Tea Cake. First, Janie realizes Logan Killicks is not her ideal pear tree. In addition, Janie also realizes the same about Jody starks. Lastly, Janie finally found her pear tree but is it too late. Opponents would argue the symbolism would be Janie’s hair because her hair represents independence, but once she got to the town Jody always demanded her to put her hair up. That takes away her independence and therefore shows which relationship is the healthiest. However, they are wrong because the hair is supposed affect each relationship and show which relationship is healthiest;
Janie’s concept of marriage is unique in her own, sixteen year old, eyes. “Janie saw her life like a great tree in leaf with the suffered, things enjoyed, things done and undone. Dawn and doom was in the branches.” (pg. 8) Janie saw her marriages like bees who visit the beautiful blossoms of the pear tree, her life was formed around this tree because of the experiences she had underneath it. She experienced love and life that she wants to replicate. Janie also knows that her life and loved ones would bring her joy and suffering and not everything would be what she hoped for. Joe Starks to Janie was the opposite of her pear tree---he was the suffering. Just like Logan, Jody did not give Janie her ideal pear tree image. “Janie pulled back a long time because he did not represent sun-up and pollen and blooming trees, but he spoke for far horizon.” (pg. 29) Hurston uses the word “sun-up” to symbolize hope and “pollen and blooming trees” to symbolize sex and new life, but Jody did not give her these things he only gave her fortune. Janie's relationship to Jody was also very poor because there was a lack of communication between the two and too much