What Does The Mule Signify In Their Eyes Were Watching God?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Who is your favorite character in Their Eyes Were Watching God? The abused yellow mule symbolizes

mistreatment and suppression that Janie and women like her face

. The mule is constantly mocked and seen as a lowly creature.

What does a mule symbolize?

The symbol

of sustaining life

becomes embodied by this mule. Janie’s new found assertiveness over her life, taking charge of her own survival. The new role of the mule, as the object of sustaining life, matches Janie’s new found individuality.

What is the significance of the mule in Their Eyes Were Watching God?

The mule story

serves to illustrate the strained relationship between Janie and Joe Starks

. More than that, however, the figure of the mule can refer not only to Janie herself but to any black woman struggling for independence.

What is the significance of Joe buying the mule?

Finally, Joe buys the mule from Bonner

because he wants the suffering animal to spend the rest of his life in comfort

. His humane act inspires Janie to praise him, “Freein’ dat mule makes uh mighty big man outa you.

Who is the mule in Their Eyes Were Watching God?


Matt Bonner’s

Mule

At the store, the townspeople while away the hours telling stories and teasing each other. One of their favorite targets is Matt Bonner, owner of a malnourished mule.

What does a white mule symbolize?

“White mule” symbolizes

her innocence and purity

. “Taming a sea-horse” is a symbol of Duke taming his wife.

What is the irony in Their Eyes Were Watching God?

In the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston uses irony

to illustrate that women are much more probable to reach their dreams in love than men

. Hurston begins her novel by using the metaphor of ships for love: “Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board. For some they come with the tide.

Do Mules have a gender?


Mules can be either male or female

, but, because of the odd number of chromosomes, they can’t reproduce. However, a male mule should be gelded in order to make him a safe and sociable animal.

What does a donkey Symbolise?

In contrast to Grecian works, donkeys were portrayed in Biblical works as symbols of

service, suffering, peace and humility

. They are also associated with the theme of wisdom in the Old Testament story of Balaam’s ass, and are seen in a positive light through the story of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey.

What does the mule symbolize in Chapter 6?

The mule serves to symbolize

Janie and her struggle with Joe

. Just as the mule has been starved from food, Janie has been denied love and affection from Joe. Joe demands Janie’s complete compliance and he continues to dominate her.

Why did Janie hate her grandmother?

In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie hates her grandmother

for raising her to value things over people

. The old woman was obsessed with instilling into her granddaughter the importance of material wealth and high social status.

What happened to Joe and Janie’s relationship?

What happened to Joe and Janie’s relationship during the seventh year of their marriage?

Janie learned to keep her thoughts to herself instead of fighting Joe’s criticism

. Janie told the men they would be surprised if they ever found out they didn’t know half as much about women as they thought.

What did Joe do to Janie?

About seven years into their marriage, Joe

hits Janie for not preparing his dinner properly

. After that, Janie falls out of love. She realizes she is saving herself up for some other man. While Joe is growing old, he insults Janie to deflect people from noticing his age, but Janie won’t take it.

What did Janie’s hair symbolize?

Janie’s hair is a symbol of

her power and unconventional identity

; it represents her strength and individuality in three ways. First, it represents her independence and defiance of petty community standards. … Third, her hair, because of its straightness, functions as a symbol of whiteness; Mrs.

What made Janie a woman?

However, Janie yearns for

a marriage filled with unconditional love

. … She now understands that “marriage did not make love.” At this point, Janie’s dream of love and happiness dies, causing her to leave the naïve young girl that she was when she married Logan and to become a woman.

Are there mules in the Bible?

Origins: The mule is mentioned in

mankind’s earliest

records. Consider this passage from the Bible: “And Absolom met the servants of David. … “Solomon rode on a mule (1Ki 1:38) because his father David told Zadok, Nathan, and Benaiah to “cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule” (v 33).

Diane Mitchell
Author
Diane Mitchell
Diane Mitchell is an animal lover and trainer with over 15 years of experience working with a variety of animals, including dogs, cats, birds, and horses. She has worked with leading animal welfare organizations. Diane is passionate about promoting responsible pet ownership and educating pet owners on the best practices for training and caring for their furry friends.