Their Eyes Were Watching God. (Treatment of Women)

In the novel Their eyes were watching god, women were treated much different then what they are today. Women were considered a property of men. They could control what they do, wear, talk to and hit them.

"What she doin coming back here in dem overhalls? Can't she find no dress to put on?-Where's dat blue satin dress she left here in?- Where all dat money her husband took and died and left her?-What dat ole forty year ole 'omen doin' wid her hair swingin' down her back lak some young gal?- Where she left dat young lad of a boy she went off here wid?-Thought she was going to marry?-Where he left her?-What he done wid all her money?-Betcha he off wid some gal so young she ain't even got no hairs-why she don't stay in her class?" (Page 2)

This paragraph basically sums up what the people of the town expected from women. They addressed first of her clothing. Women were to be seen in dresses, nothing other then dresses. Being in a certain class is where you are supposed to stay. When she ran off with Tea Cake, everyone talked a big game when he was the one she truly loved. Money also had a lot to do with her class. They expected Janie to mourn the rest of her life from her dead husband, and appreciate what her husband left her. Her hair was long and beautiful but the town still talked because you have to be "young" in order to let your hair how you want it to be.

"why dont you go on and see whu Mrs. Bogle want? Whut you waitin' on?"... "Naw it ain't neither. You ain't put it where Ah told yuh tuh. If you'd git yo' mind out de streets and keep it on yo' business maybe you could git somethin' straight sometimes." (Page 70)

This dialect of Joe talking to Janie is an example of how the men looked down upon the women. He talked to her with no respect, and basically told her that she wasn't good enough at what she does. This was at the time when everyone was watching the boys play chess and she was very interested and Joe demanded her to not watch. He could have said to take care of the customer so she can come out and continue watching. Men were allowed to be rude and disrespectful to women and they all took it, and the town thought of it as the right way.