Emily Tulanowski

Mrs. Carroll
American Literature
2 April 2017
Value

A rule and lesson to live by that may be learned from Their Eyes Were Watching God is
to stay true to oneself and one's values, all while respecting the thoughts and opinions of others.
Janie, the main character of Their Eyes Were Watching God, should live by this rule. In A
Framework for Making Ethical Decisions from Brown University, in lines 30 through 32, the
Virtue Framework is described as: we try to identify the character traits (either positive or
negative) that motivate us in a given situation. We are concerned with what kind of person we
should be and what our actions indicate about our character. Throughout the novel, the reader
may call into question the type of character Janie would develop into as a result of her actions, as
Janie considers her own morals. Also referring to this rule, it is important to think about the
effects of your decisions on others (and your own morals/ personal beliefs/ values) and how they
would connect back to yourself as a person. Janie is a strong woman that learns a lot about
romantic and personal relationships through the way others have treated her. Janie has had three
husbands, all of whom have made a different impact on Janie.
Janies first marriage with Logan Killicks outlines Janie abiding by the Duty Framework
and refers to family obligation. In an excerpt of Justice: Whats the Right Thing to Do? It says,
It might be argued that the moral responsibility to take care of my mother derives from the fact
that she looked after when I was young. Because she had raised me and cared for me, I have an
obligation to repay the benefit (Sandel 225). This line may be compared to the situation of when
Nanny pursued Janie to marry Logan Killicks, where a form of taking care of Nanny may be
Janie repaying her with abiding by Nannys desires. Nanny believed that Janie will be happy and
prosperous because of the wealth and success possessed by Logan Killicks. However, Janie was
reluctant to marry the man. It says on page 14 of Their Eyes Were Watching God, The vision of
Logan Killicks was desecrating the pear tree, but Janie didn't know how to tell Nanny that.
Nevertheless, Janie believed that obeying the advice and request of Nanny was Janies obligation
and the ethical action to take because of the duty Janie owes to her lifelong caretaker. Ultimately,
this decision of wedding Logan made Janie unhappy. The value Janie has towards Nanny is
strong, but Janies own values should have came above this family obligation of Nannys. Janie
may have been wealthy as a result of marrying Logan, but this would mean nothing if Janie was
unhappy.
Janie moves on to John Starks, which treats Janie as an object. Janie believes this is a
correct decision at first, but quickly realizes she was wrong. This marriage ends when Janie
meets her true love, Tea Cake. Janie resides with Tea Cake, grows with him, and realizes that he
is her true love.
 Throughout the novel, Janie has learned to live by this rule. She begins by abiding to the
words of her husbands, but she was truly unhappy during these times. When Janie marries Tea
Cake and listens to her own internal voice, she becomes truly happy with the love of her life.