Hair.
The mention and attention to hair runs throughout this novel. What's up with that?
Discuss the function of hair in the novel...The function
of hair in our culture today. The biases and cultural norms
that are identified with the physiological phenomena of
those strands atop your head.
Share your story of hair.
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ReplyDeletei agree
DeleteI had long hair in the beginning of sophomore year. It was a bad idea. I noticed last week that a cycle is being completed. Me and two other unnamed guys went to elementary school together and look similar. One had long hair at that age. I was the second. The third is completing the cycle. I just found that amusing.
ReplyDeleteIn the novel the hair symbolizes Janie's personal growth. One time I got a buzz cut during middle school. When I got to school everyone looked at me weird. Therefore, I think hair is the first thing people look at so they judge you on that first.
ReplyDeleteIn the novel, hair is one of the main features for her image. Whether it is hidden, shown, or tied in a braid, it represents a characteristic of her. Hair is a way for most of us to express ourselves, so it transforms along with Janie's developments.
ReplyDeletepd. 2
DeleteAmera Mohamed 5: In the novel Janie changed the way we normally view hair (as just basic strands) to a symbol of her strength. Having her hair down made her feel powerful, she would strut around knowing that people were weak when it came to the beauty of her hair. All of her admirerors were either envious of the man with her or jeaous that they weren't her. When her second husband made her put her hair up to make her uglier she became more submissive. She did not understand her own strength anymore until he died and she was able to live again. The function of hair today is similar to that. As a girl with natural hair I know it takes courage to be able to show hair that is described as ugly or unprofessional or something that nobody wants. Wearing kinky hair is now an act of defiance of social norms and societies white beauty standards.For me it is a symbol of strength and self love since now I am confident and proud of my hair because of how powerful it made me feel.
ReplyDeleteHair is used as a great symbol for freedom and self empowerment in this book. Jaine was told by her husband Joe that she needed to cover her beautiful hair; therefore confining her natural beauty from the world. This is a sign of unhealthy control in a relationship and major jealousy from Joe's side. In todays society, I feel that womens natural bueaty (especially in the black community) is more embraced than it used to be. Nowadays people don't praise perm products anymore, and black women specifically can feel happy with their natural corse hair. When I was in elementary school, if you didn't have straight hair you weren't "it". Thankfully my mother loved me enought to never damage my hair with perms and flat iorns. At a young age I learned how important it was to love who I was and show it off without worrying what people think. Sadly, I still see the "good hair" sterotype embraced by the black community and in the workplace. It's important to wear out your natrual hair, even if it makes people uncomfortable. Everyone's different, so why not embrace it?
ReplyDeletePd. 5
Ishia Sillah
ReplyDeleteIn the Novel hair used as symbolism for freedom. I noticed there was a weird connection that all of the people (Janie's grandmother and Jody) would always tell her to keep her hair covered or tied back and these were the same people that ried to control her. They'd expected nothing but submissive behavior from Janie and they'd always tried to keep her sheltered from the rest of the world. So at Jody's funeral when he'd passed she'd finally taken off her scarves and let down her hair. When the author wrote that line she wrote it in a sense of freedom because Janie was always finally free from both of those two people's oppression to be free.
I love my hair. I only ever hated it because of society's standard of what beautiful hair was. You know long straight hair but as time continued, I began to love my hair because it was different. I don't want to look like anyone else's beauty but my own. My beautiful 4C hair that defy's the laws of gravity.
Ella Gatlin 5
ReplyDeleteIn the novel, Janie's hair is a symbol for her freedom vs "imprisonment" in her marriages. The most obvious example of this is after Jody dies and Janie burns all her head rags. By getting rid of the rags Jody made her wear, Janie declares her independence and free will.
Hair has played an interesting role in my own life. Up until about the 7th grade, my hair was extremely thin and would not grow past just below my ears. I always hated it. I wanted to have long, thick hair like other girls in my class. I wanted to be able to braid it and have the braid swing down to my hips. I remember sitting in the bathtub when I was little and leaning my head back so I could feel my hair touch the middle of my back, pretending it was longer than it was. Now my hair is so thick and grows so fast it is difficult to take care of. Be careful what you wish for, I suppose!
In the book, Janie goes through a change in hair styles. Each style represented her personality and feelings at that moment. The way Janie expressed herself was through her style.
ReplyDeleteIn fact nowadays we do that too. Sometimes when people breakup with each other, they want to make big changes in their life to symbolize "moving on and forgetting about the past." Both guys and girls usually do that by changing her hair style. Girls either cut or dye their hair, and guys change their hair styles. But not everyone does this, I personally have not cut my hair short since 4th grade. I have maintained my hair long since then. And there is a reason for that, when I was younger my mom would cut my hair the way she wanted and whenever she wanted. It wasn't until I was in fourth grade that I stood up to her and told her to not cut my hair anymore and to let it grow. Since then I only trim my hair but I have not cut my hair short, I guess because I don't want to feel or look like I did when I was younger.
In the novel, hair is used as a symbol of freedom and self empowerment. When Joe died there was a part in the novel when Janie burned her head rags and that was representative of freedom. Because Joe made her wear those head rags to repress her beauty. After she burned it she walked around with her hair out looking like bad bitch.
ReplyDeleteHair plays a role in the novel. This is as even though Janie is African American, she has long and straight hair. This allows her to be seen as more beautiful, especially compared to other African American women, and brings her closer to the beauty of a White American woman. This is because of the setting and time period the novel takes place in, which is one of racism where White appearance is much more preferred. This ideal has still lasted in today's age, especially with hair. Still today, shorter, nappy hair is looked down upon, which is hair that is more common for African Americans, and hair that is longer, and more straight or curly is looked at as ideal which is the hair more common to White Americans. This causes people's ideal form of beauty to be hindered as this belief is put into people's minds by society. I don't have much of a hair story. I used to always have my hair cut low, but now it's grown to be longer. Societal norms are that males will have short and low hair, especially African American males. So, because of my hair length now, I am looked down upon in a sense, or even become labeled just because of it.
ReplyDeleteHair plays a role in the novel. This is as even though Janie is African American, she has long and straight hair. This allows her to be seen as more beautiful, especially compared to other African American women, and brings her closer to the beauty of a White American woman. This is because of the setting and time period the novel takes place in, which is one of racism where White appearance is much more preferred. This ideal has still lasted in today's age, especially with hair. Still today, shorter, nappy hair is looked down upon, which is hair that is more common for African Americans, and hair that is longer, and more straight or curly is looked at as ideal which is the hair more common to White Americans. This causes people's ideal form of beauty to be hindered as this belief is put into people's minds by society. I don't have much of a hair story. I used to always have my hair cut low, but now it's grown to be longer. Societal norms are that males will have short and low hair, especially African American males. So, because of my hair length now, I am looked down upon in a sense, or even become labeled just because of it.
ReplyDeleteAlex Dessin Pd.2
In Their Eyes Were Watching God, hair represents independence and freedom. Janie's hair also helps represent her identity. Her hair is long and straight which reflects her Caucasian side and attracts men. Each of her lovers interacted with her hair and at the end when she is now fully independent,she had her hair braided down her back, functioning as a phallic symbol.
ReplyDeleteIn our society, hair can represent femininity and it is seen as weird if one doesn't have hair. Hairstyles can really change a someone's appearance and can be used to express identity.
My hair is black, straight, long, and thick. There are times when I hate how black my hair is and I wish I could have different color hair. There are times when I hate how straight my hair is and I wish it could be wavy or curly instead. There are times when I really want to cut my hair but I know I'll regret it like I do every time. But the other times I do appreciate the strands on my head. My hair is part of how I appear and am judged by others but also keeps me comfortable.
Janie's hair in the novel, seems to represent her freedom as she must tie up her hair when Jody was alive, but burned her headrags when he died. My experience with hair is the experience of a white female with straight hair, so there hasn't been any prejudices against me for it. However, many people say that because my hair isn't long, I look like a mom. It is a little bit frusterating that just because I do not look like other white girls with straight hair. It's interesting to see that as girls get older, their hair gets shorter. It is also frusterating to have someone tell me that I shouldn't cut my hair because it is my "crown" or being they "like it long." Unfortunetly for them, my hair is my own and my crown is my brain, not hair.
ReplyDeleteThe hair in the novel represents Janie’s freedom and self-confidence. For most of her life, whether it was Jodie or her grandmother, she was forced to do a lot of things she didn't want to do; one of those being her hair to be kept hidden. When Jodie kept her hair under a head-rag, her freedom and independence were covered up just as her hair was. Her hair was one of the things that gave her confidence and a sense of strength. She was aware of the beauty her hair carried so when it was hidden that self-confidence was hidden with it. In the novel, her hair under that head-rag was equivalent to having someone’s hand handcuffed. When Jodie died, she burned all the head-rags to signify the release of her freedom, her confidence, and her independence⎯it marked the end of Jodie’s oppression of her happiness and individuality. Her hair was a motif that represents how much power and control she has throughout the novel. Hair now seemingly represents your style. Everyone has different ways they like to feel in their own skin, and I feel like a hairstyle tells you a lot about a person; it shows you how the person likes their face to be framed and what they feel confident with. Some people feel the greatest with short hair, some people feel the greatest with long hair. With me, my family has always pressured me to keep my hair long and over the years, I’ve accepted it. I’ve accept it so much that my hair is kind of like a safety blanket. It’s the thing I’ve gotten the most compliments on, it’s something I can use to hide parts of my body I don’t feel comfortable showing, and I just feel like I wouldn’t be as pretty without it. Without these long strands of hair, I feel like it would be harder for people to find something to compliment me on. I guess I’ve grown to be very attached to it⎯just thinking of cutting it gives me scares me.
ReplyDeleteChristine Gomes
Period 2
PERIOD 5*** I HAVE NO IDEA WHY I WROTE PERIOD 2 MY BAD HAHAHA
DeleteI think har is a fascinating entity of the human body cause it does more than just being on our head. We can dye it, style it, cut it, outgrow it and so much more. The way we wear our hair, I think, says a lot about our personalities and who we are. That opportunity of self expression was robbed from Janie by a community of people that held women to these unfair standards and tried to restrict her. In general I do believe that the hair refereces had symbolism but I also think it serves a literal purpose of being able to express who you are. I said to a classmate that Janie lettng her hair down evoked the same feeling of magic within me that I felt when Elsa let her hair down during "let it go" It's an ode to the liberation and freedom one feels to be able to finally be who they choose to be. Not what they're expected to be.
ReplyDeleteI find it fascinating how humans give so much thought, care and meaning to a pile of dead skin. As with most everything else, hair in its natural state has no signifigance or symbolism (beyond temperature regulation) that humans have not given to it over the years. As such, I find it intriguing that we can draw so many conclusions from it today. It's cleanliness informs us of hygiene, its length can alter one's perspective on maturity, openness, friendliness, etc, and there are prevalent stereotypes based on colour. One has to wonder how human biases and stereotypes would alter if we removed all significance from something as small as hair and/or what would replace its significance in initial perception, if anything at that.
ReplyDeleteMy hair has always been in a constant state of fluctuation my entire life. I've always had this idea for how I want it to look and how it makes me look that I've never fully "achieved", I guess. In hindsight, it feels a little silly I've put so much thought and effort into a literal dead part of myself, but for some reason I still chase that "ideal" head of hair.
Janie’s hair in the novel was used as a symbol of freedom for her and I feel connected to that part mostly. For me growing up my hair has always been a problem, I hated my hair for a long time and always permed it or put it up so no one really saw it. But my freshman year I decided to cut most of it off and go natural to start a new me. This was like a fresh start for me and I felt way more confident and comfortable in my hair and myself.
ReplyDeleteJasmine Dauphine pd.5
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ReplyDeleteThroughout the novel, Janie's hair is mentioned to show her empowerment and freedom as a woman. For example, when Janie's hair was long and braided, the hair is shown as her "masculinity." Today, people have short hair, long hair, braided hair, or even no hair. But their hair can show how confident they are or maybe they can feel insecure around people. Personally, most of my life I had short hair and I absolutely hated it. But around going into middle school, I grew my hair out because I wanted change in the way people saw me as I was growing up.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the novel hair serves to represent Janie's manifestation of her inner strength and womanhood. She had always wanted to be strong and be her true self, but when her hair changed, that is when her actions changed too. One of the key examples was when she releases her hair from the scarf following Jodie's death. She was then free to be herself, not confined by a man's control. Her hair is also what sets her on a pedestal. Not only was she a woman, but she was a woman with beautiful hair. The men in the shop especially took note of this and treated her differently because of it.
ReplyDeleteIt's so interesting how hair is so significant in our society today. There is the cultural norm of boys having short hair and girls having long hair. In recent years though, there has been many women who completely shave their hair off to empower themselves and show that you can be beautiful without hair. Your outward appearance, and hair especially, does not define your worth.
Carissa Cordero
P.5
Janie's hair is a symbol of her growing and empowering herself throughout her story. My hair story is that I've been growing out my hair since middle school and I've honestly been oblivious to the "stigma" that long African American hair gets. My mom was worried about how it would be in society and stuff with my hair but she let me do what I want. In all honesty the only reason I let my hair grow out is so I didn't have to go get a hair cut.
ReplyDeleteChristian Harris P2
In the novel Janies hair makes her stand out from everyone else because it is long and straight. And this is not seen as normal because of her background. Because African American hair is typically short and kinky. Her hair is symbolic about her growth throughout her marriages and learning to be her true self. One key example is her husband Jodie who would forced her to keep her hair wrapped when she was in public. Which in the novel this can be express as him taking away her independence for simple decisions making. And when he died she burned all the scarfs and put her natural hair into a long braided pony tail as a symbol of regaining back her freedom and independence. And I can relate to that because in today’s society wearing your natural African curls or simple braid styles are seen as unprofessional and not appropriate in the work/school environment. Which can be annoying and upsetting but me wearing my hair however I want to whether I want to have my hair in braids or wear my natural curls is a way of me expressing myself and taking back my independence from society.
ReplyDeleteDestiny Byndloss-Wong Pd.2
-Dorian Toussaint
ReplyDeleteMy experience with hair is rather simple.I value my hair immensely. My hair is like a crown to me, and it's one of the few aspects of mine that that really stick out to people (because my hair literally sticks out. Haha, funny joke).
My hair is also a sign of my maturity and growth over the years (guess you could say I've grown a lot, considering my hair is 4 inches tall), which is also why I hate cutting my hair. Not only is it oddly demoralizing, it's a giant pain once the leftover scraps of cut hair fall into your scalp and make your entire head itch.
It also represents an odd sense of freedom. I don't want to look remotely like my bald headed dad, who constantly tells me to cut my hair. It gets really aggravating hearing him constantly talk about how much he wants to cut my hair, so I keep it like this not out of spite, but out of confidence in myself and how I want to live my life; even if it's something as ultimately pointless as how i choose to wear what's on my head.
Although putting on hats and actual crowns with my hair sucks, I like MY crown, and wouldn't trade it for anything.
Also, PD2 I completely forgot we had to write down the period number oops
Delete-still Dorian Toussaint
Janie's hair represents her identity and individuality that she develops throughout the novel. Her hair and the various ways she wears it are often noted throughout the novel as different from the other characters and unique to her. One particular event in the book that portrays this idea is when Jody dies. During her relationship with Jody, she wears it up, mostly due to him forcing her to. This is because it can represent both a side of masculinity, in which threatens him and his male dominance, and also a feminine beauty, in which may attract other men and cause her to leave him. However, when he dies, she burns the head-rags she was forced to wear and leaves her hair down, representing freedom from his dominance and oppression over her and a newfound independence from her marriage. This event marks the start of her living in confidence and freedom from being in an oppressive relationship and also from societal standards of being a married woman.
ReplyDeleteJoyce Koo Pd. 2
In the novel Jaine's hair represents her freedom and independence. It is very interesting how much ones hair can say about them. The many different ways Jaine wears her hair represents the many different stages of her life from being tie up to her wearing her hair down and being free. In my case I have had pretty much had every hair style possible. Mainly because I like to try new things, whether thats growing my hair out or when I was a little kid walking around like MJ with a bald head. But it is also important to note some peoples parents force their kids to have a certain hairstyle because of their culture.But most of the time I prefer not to cut my hair.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the novel, hair is used as a powerful device for Janie’s empowerment and independence. When Jody died, her hair symbolized her newfound freedom. Nowadays, hair is a extremely powerful way for people to perceive you. Depending on the style, length, and color, hair is used to judge a person. In a lot of media and culture today, many people are starting to advocate for the expression of different hair types. Having long, thick, straight hair was always considered the “ideal” hair type but now people are standing up for all hair types. Curly, wavy, no hair, doesn’t matter. All hair is considered beautiful and no one should change their hair for anyone. My hair for 15 years was long, coarse, and straight. But when I started to going to high school, I started cutting it shorter, dyeing it, and doing more different things with it. Changing my hair was almost like a symbol of me growing up.
ReplyDeleteVickie Tu
Period 2
Hair is a multifaceted thing-it can frame your face, show how you're feeling through the way it's styled or dyed (or not styled), and make you feel either empowered and confident or whatever way. The significance of hair and the versatility it offers, is shown throughout the novel, pertaining to Jaine. She's a woman of mixed-race with more caucasian textured hair, whose treated better than her (full) African-American counterparts because of it. Even though she's praised and coveted by men for her beauty, her hair in the confines of her relationships with jody and her grandmother was put up and never down. This symbolized the suppression of Janie's free spirit and longing for emancipation. After jodie finally died, she took and burned the rags that covered/kind of bound (figuratively/literally) her freedom of expression and self-love. For me and my hair journey, I never was self-conscious or put too much 'superficial' value on my curly hair as a child. As I entered high school, though I started to feel self-conscious about the fact that my hair, in it's curly form wasn't super loose, a lighter color, or just anything but what it is, like the mixed-race girls or non-curly headed girls. But with my mom being so gracious and loving, as well as the movement of black females wearing their natural hair out and loving it, I've come to appreciate the confidence I get from styling my natural hair into pretty braids or just leaving it out. I have more to say about this, but I'm going to leave it at this.
ReplyDeleteIt makes me really sad to think back to when I felt like I was much prettier with flat-ironed hair, because that 'obsession' almost, damaged my hair and took some time to get over.
DeleteIn the novel, hair is described as a powerful representation of Janie, and how she's recognized by people. In today's culture, many people have this image of perfect hair being straight hair with no kinks or coils in them. My hair has always been a big part of my life, and I feel it represents me as a whole. Janie's hair changed throughout her stages of life. She went from having her hair straight down to being made to cover it, and to having it in a long braid down her back. Growing up, my mom braided my hair until well into middle school, and this caused my hair to be very long. Once I got to middle school, I really wanted to take control of my hair and didn't want my mom braiding it anymore. I clearly wasn't aware of how difficult it was to manage my hair and over the years my hair became damaged because of heat, and overuse of products I didn't need, and lack of hair nutrition. To this day I regret assuming I knew what I was doing with my hair, and I feel like my hair journey resembles Janie's in that my hair has changed throughout my stages in life. I felt insecure when my mom would braid my hair because I thought it made me seem like a little kid, and everyone I saw seemed like they straightened their hair all the time and they all looked mature to me. I regret ever thinking that a specific hair type is better than another because your hair is your identity, and no identity is greater or worse than another.
ReplyDeleteMarcos M pd.5
ReplyDeleteHair is a form of expression, it has ties to culture in which there are hundreds of hairstyles connected to one's heritage. It is one of things that someone first notices about a person and can tell a lot about their personality or background. Throughout the novel, Janie's hair represent her youth, beauty and her freedom. It is something that was deeply coveted by the men in her life and often the main describer of her character to those that didn't her. During her marriage with Jody, he made Janie tie her hair up and essentially hide it underneath rags; this is symbolic of a time in Janie's life when she was horribly depressed and was denied the right of self-expression. When Jody finally died, she took off her rags and burned them, she was finally free.
Personally, I've always had a difficult relationship with my hair. When I was younger and I thought hair was a thing you couldn't change and you were just stuck with what you had (yes, for a while I thought people had naturally dyed hair. I was around 7, mind you) I hated how my hair curled and waited for it to grow thinking that it would be less curly. When I had hair down to my neck, I heard comments behind my back saying I looked like a girl and gay and all those things. (which I was insecure about then) Then I shaved it close to my head to eliminate the curls and the comments, turns out I hated my head shape so that didn't work either. Now I'm finally in a spot where I'm okay with my hair and the off comment I get now and then doesn't affect me, there's even a complement every once in a blue moon so that's fun. I expect something crazy will happen to my hair in the future, like I dye it some really bad color or I shave myself bald. Maybe I'll start going gray soon.
I think hair in this novel represent Janie and how people see her. Many people in this generation have different hair styles and I think it represent them and is a big part of who they are and their life. Just like me, my hair is a big part of who I am and my life.
ReplyDeleteIn the novel, hair is used significantly as a symbol representing power and beauty. Janie's hair was a constant topic that was referred to, starting from when she was young and kept her hair out, to when Jody made her tie it up, to after his death when she began to let it hang as a long braid against her back.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I've also had a long journey with my hair. Growing up with kinky, coiled hair texture, I grew up uncomfortable with my hair as it fell against the conventional beauty standards of having straight, sleek hair. Over years, I managed a variety of hair styles from different styles of braids to blow drying and straightening my hair until it was somewhat deemed "acceptable". As I got to high school however, and began to dig into my own style, I started to appreciate the beauty of my hair for how it was, and styled my hair in the ways I pleased compared to society standards. I must say though, I personally had not had to "suffer" as much as some of close friends with similar cultural backgrounds as I'm muslim and for the most part cover my hair.
I think in this novel her hair is representing her freedom , beauty and ideas. Freedom because throughout the novel she is often repressed and told to hide/ put away her hair and just like she is of her ideas and opinions. As her beauty flows when she takes her hair out she is finally found with a new lifestyle closer and closer to freedom and is appreciative of the beauty her hair has. Just like Janie in the novel I believe my hair represents my beauty and who I am and my background connecting me to both my mom and dad.
ReplyDeleteHair has never really been that important to me in my life but to others it means everything. Hair can represent someone's mood or culture. That is the beauty about having hair and choosing whatever you want to do with it. Me personally my hair grows fast but it won't grow long. I've always wanted to have long hair but in the past I've just ended up having the early Justin Bieber cut...
ReplyDeleteNow I just cut my hair to a buzzcut cause I know it will grow fast but it won't grow long so there has been no point of me growing my hair. I'm currently content with my hair and have no plans of doing any extra to it.
As far as how it relates to the novel Janie's hair is a very important and Iconic feature of her. I feel like it was important to add that characteristic to the character to show that other women cannot be afraid of the hair and instead embrace it.
In this novel, I believe that Janie's hair represents who she is, specifically relating to her race and gender. Janie had long, straight hair, and tended to be more accepted by white women, rather than black women, in the novel because of the way that it looked. In her marriages, Janie would often have to tie it up or back, which took away some of the beauty and feminity of it. A specific part of the novel that stood out to me which included Janie’s hair, after the death of her husband Jodie. She had it tied up in a scarf and after his passing, she took it down and allowed it to be free.
ReplyDeleteI have personally always seen hair as a form of self-expression. However you chose to style your hair, for the most part, is up to you, which, conceptually, I enjoy very much. I’ve always wanted to do something extreme with my hair, but unfortunately, the only thing I found myself with enough courage to do is get bangs. One day though, when I’m not too worried about how much I’ll stand out, I’d like to dye it, an unnatural color, like pastel purple or dark blue.
Hair is a representation of beauty and independence. This is reflected in the book in places like Janie having to put her hair away at the same instances where her ideas are also dismissed. In the world we live in today, especially for females, hair is seen as a sign of freedom and perseverance when one can wear it defiantly however one pleases. I think hair tells us all a lot about people such as their heritage and where they came from as well as the extent to which they are confident in their self.
ReplyDeleteKat C. (5)
ReplyDeleteIn Hurstons' novel, Janie's hair poses as a symbol of freedom and independence. It allows her to let go of and escape the restrictions and power Jody(who forced her to have it hidden) had on her. After his passing, by letting her hair down and burning all the rags, Janie felt as if she had finally regained all that was taken away from her in this marriage.her freedom. Beauty. Independence. Self Expression.
In today's society, hair can be a very complex and even touchy subject for many. I think that ones relationship with their hair could define how they view themselves entirely. It's the norm and almost always has been to have long straight hair. Having hair like that is what would make you considered beautiful. Attractive to men. Boost your confidence. Your worth even.
Personally, As a black woman with coils and kinks, I've always had a love hate relationship with my hair. Still do. I started straightening it at a young age and always felt at my best when my hair was straight. I loved people telling me I had long her "for a black girl" and I hated having it out and showing it in it's natural state. I would then therefore always keep it in braids, buns, twists, etc. I would cry over m hair and feel embarrassed showing up to school with my real hair. What's crazy though is that i always regret straightening my hair after the fact because it ruins the natural patter God has given me. I say this as my hair is currently straight and most likely damaged again but I'm still learning to love and appreciate the not so perfect high maintenance frizzy and textured strands that grow out of my scalp.
Throughout the novel, Janie's hair is a major representation of her own independence and her outlook on life the situations that she's in. There was a time in my life where I would only have my hair blow-dried or straightened. I remember my relatives would always tell me to show off my natural curls but I had always felt that it was messy and unattractive. As I got into high school I started to come out of my little fake concept of reality and saw how natural hair was something that people found beautiful and worthy to be envious of. The transitions into different hair styles throughout life can really depend on where you are in life and how you are mentally since those factors can greatly impact how you view yourself. It's especially understandable why young black/African American girls like Janie would feel as though their natural hair is to be frowned upon. Our people have been forced to assimilate themselves to white cultural norms, to what was seen as proper and professional, whether it be conscious or unconscious for centuries and it still applies today. Whenever I ask my mom or another adult why they always want me to straighten my hair for special occasions such as weddings or graduations, they can never really give me a straight answer.I remember recently my mom said that it was because she wanted us to match each other for a wedding. I was thinking that it was a bs answer but it was all she could think of. Even though I knew that the real reason was that she thought it looked more proper, i couldn't confront her with it since its an embarrassing thing to admit to your child as a mother that she still has that clouded mentality. To immigrant parents that had to go through all this "natural hair is bad' stuff, they've had to live through it for most of their lives into adulthood until recently when society started to change their standards of beauty a bit. It's going to take some generations to weed out the negativity towards natural hair completely, but it's possible.
ReplyDeleteHair is more than just some protein covering the top of your head. It's an identity, and represents a big part of who you are. Your confidence and the way you carry yourself can all be affected just based on how your hair looks. Personally, for years I had no idea that I even had curly hair to begin with. As a kid, I had always gotten the same haircuts that my parents would give me, and when I actually started to grow it out in middle school, all I did was comb or pick it out. I never knew what my hair texture was really like until I entered high school, and even then I didn't discover it until my sophomore/junior year. I've learned so much throughout the months, from how to take care of it, to products and all. It's given me a whole new set of confidence, and made me a little sad when I trimmed it ;( but soon I'll grow it back to how was before and it'll be even stronger than ever >:)
ReplyDeleteHair is used throughout the novel as a symbol for freedom, sexual freedom, and her place in life, if you will. When she was confined to a life with Joe, she wore her hair up in a bonnet, confined just like she was. When she was free of Joe (due to death), she wore it down and freely, just like she was. In the end she wore it in a long braid, which was intentionally described to look, um, "phallic", which emitted confident, sexual and personal freedom and contentedness. In society, hair is verymusch a symbol of confidence, beauty
ReplyDeleteok hi it's Caitlin, my computer was having issues, so I just published it and I'm gonna continue on. I meant to say "very much" previously lol. anyways, it's a symbol of beauty and culture. many hairstyles stem from cultural roots, and people considering copying those hairstyles either cool, or disrespectful. In other ways, it's for confidence and beauty. I personally use my hair this way as if my hair looks great and matches my outfit, I feel great.
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ReplyDeleteI believe that hair was a major symbol throughout the life of Janie. In the beginning, she had her hair tied up, to covered and now it's braided into a shaped "pinky". Hair is being manipulated since every man except Teacup forced her to change how she looked.
ReplyDeleteHair was used as symbolism of the control that people had on Janie's life. Before she was married, Janie let her hair be down and free, and it remained that way as she got married to her first husband. As Janie married Joe, he is very controlling of her and she is forced to tie up her hair in cloth. Her hair then comes down from its heavy control when Joe dies and Janie goes off with Tea Cake. Instead, her hair moves to stay tied in a carefree way since Tea Cake isn't necessarily trying to control Janie. Finally, as Janie is left alone and she realizes her freedom, she lets her hair down to be free as well.
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ReplyDeleteYulianna Portillo
ReplyDeleteJanie's hair is an outer representation of her inner emotions and individuality. Every time there is development in her character or a drastic changes in her surroundings her hair changes along with her thoughts. For me personally my hair is most of the time just there. I ignore it when it is in a bad mood, but on the special occasions when is cooperates it makes me feel beautiful. It is usually down in a tangled mess, but really I never thought to use it as a way to express myself because I always figured I could do that myself by talking.
Personally I feel like my hair is one of the first things people talk about with me. They talk about how long it is, how short it is, or how thick it is. It has become a part of who I am and a symbol of my femininity. (to me at least for other i can understand if that isn't the case.) However, in this book, Janie's hair has become a representation of her emotions that she hides away from her husbands and how she is as a person. She usually keeps it up and hid away from other people. As the book goes on, she starts to show it more because she is not only developing as a character, but finding her own voice. I can understand the "shame" she may feel when hiding it away because it's something that she should be proud of and embrace. My hair has become a way to express myself and as Janie's is finding herself, it's become a form of expression for her too.
ReplyDelete-Andrea Arbaiza (LATE)
When I moved to White Oak back in 2010, I lived in these apartments made up of wood and a playground that looks crusty, outdated and weak. But what caught my eye was the Lion’s Den in the back of the park. I called it the Lion’s Den because it was rumors that lions were in the area. Anytime, we went down there, we saw some many things there like thorny vines that were mighty green and long: the immense amount of dirt was mixed with waste and a cage like place was in the corner of the den. We always went there as kids but haven't lately because as I was changing, so was the den. Like age and growth comes the wisdom of leaving crazy habits in the past.
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