Symbol
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Meaning and Interpretation
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Evolution and Recurrence
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Rating*
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Rationale
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The Mule
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The town pet becomes a representation of Joe Starks when it dies. The way in which the animal dies signifies the manner in which Joe dies later in the story. It is even noted that the way the mule dies is strange (59). This struggle the mule experiences is the same stubborn fight Joe confronts during his death. The mule’s defiance and unwillingness depicts Joe’s attitude toward death later in the story.
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The mule’s body dies but its character lives its final moments in Joe at the point of his death. The symbol recurs because it also foreshadows Joe’s death. It would not be a symbol if it did not represent Joe’s subsequent death thus, its recurrence is essential if it is to be defined as a symbol.
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3
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Effectiveness: The symbol achieves effectiveness since it illustrates Joe’s death. The mule’s attitude is parallel to that of Joe in a similar predicament (death) which indicates that it is meant to symbolize Joe and his passing away.
Creativity: The symbol accomplishes creativity because Hurston replaces Joe with an animal to personify his character and situation. Hurston cleverly chose this animal to show that Joe is as ‘stubborn as a mule’.
Significance: The mule is not significant until Joe’s death. Since the symbol dually foreshadows his death, its meaning is not revealed until the event being represented actually occurs. Though its significance is not initially available, it nonetheless accomplishes symbolic importance as it predicts and describes Joe and his death.
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Mrs. Bogle
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This woman is the opposite of Annie Tyler. Mrs. Tyler represents Janie’s fears whereas Mrs. Bogle is a model of Janie’s aspirations and desires. Mrs. Bogle is the epitome of Janie’s values (freedom, independence and desirability). Janie suppresses the concept of Annie Tyler (abandonment, neglect and brokenness) and embraces the concept of Mrs. Bogle.
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Mrs. Bogle only appears once in the novel but the symbol of Mrs. Bogle recurs in Janie after Joe dies. One of Mrs. Bogle’s traits—desirability— occurs in Janie when “men made passes” (Hurston 147) at her. This happens in the town soon after Joe dies and again in the Everglades. During both of these periods, Janie assumes the identity of Mrs. Bogle, the identity by which she has been inspired and motivated.
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2
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Effectiveness: This symbol potently represents Janie’s values since 1) Mrs. Bogle is everything Janie wants to become and 2) Janie later fulfills the role of Mrs. Bogle herself. These two events confirm that Mrs. Bogle sufficiently meets the definition of a symbol.
Creativity: Since Hurston uses another human to describe a human, this symbol is not as noteworthy as some of her other symbols. There is no doubt that Mrs. Bogle is a role model to Janie but exhibiting Janie’s values in another woman is not as innovative as other metaphors.
Significance: Mrs. Bogle plays an influential role as she inspires Janie therefore she is a significant character and symbol. Her purpose is to be a living version of Janie’s innermost desires. The employment of such a role helps explain Janie’s self which is an important aspect to know and understand.
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Annie Tyler
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Mrs. Tyler is more than a person: she represents Janie’s fear. When Janie develops a relationship with Tea Cake, she fears he will abandon or take advantage of her. Mrs. Tyler is the human manifestation of this fear. She embodies the things that Janie never wants to happen as a result of a bad marriage.
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The character Annie Tyler does not occur later in the novel but Janie’s fear stays with her. Though the physical person dies, Mrs. Tyler’s story still troubles Janie’s unconscious mind. Janie’s fear surfaces when Tea Cake is not home for several hours and Janie’s money is missing. She remembers Mrs. Tyler’s experiences and fears the same will happen to her (118).
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2
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Effectiveness: Annie Tyler portrays Janie’s fear in a tangible way allowing one to grasp the reality of Janie’s situation. Mrs. Tyler is the essence of Janie’s worst fear. No other object could more accurately and effectively represent Janie’s apprehension.
Creativity: Using another person to describe Janie’s feelings is not one of Hurston’s more interesting uses of symbolism. Using an inanimate object would have been more unique and original.
Significance: Annie Tyler is a meaningful symbol in that she is the character in which Hurston outsources Janie’s fear.
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The Dog
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The rabid dog represents and even foreshadows Tea Cake’s death much like the mule symbolized Joe Starks. The physical dog was the host for the ‘animal’ that would later possess Tea Cake. It represents madness, darkness and death. The same entity that took over the dog’s mind becomes the “fiend in him [that] must kill” (184).
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The actual mad dog, though killed by Tea Cake, is referenced again when Tea Cake is ill. Janie repeatedly mentions the ‘thing’ inside Tea Cake. Janie notices Tea Cake’s behavior; “This strange thing in Tea Cake’s body” (182) is the same illness that consumed the mad dog and urged it to kill. The same “pure hate” (167) in the dog’s eyes is later found in Tea Cake’s eyes.
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3
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Effectiveness: The mad dog expresses and reveals the impending death of Tea Cake. It represents the manner in which he behaves and dies, therefore it is an effective symbol.
Creativity: Using the mad dog to symbolize Tea Cake’s death is unique. Hurston chose an appropriate object (the dog) to represent a vicious entity. She transforms a common animal into a wild being that robs Tea Cake of his sanity and Janie of her security. This adds dynamic and interest to the story and its purpose.
Significance: The mad dog’s significance is proven in its influence on the plot and characters. At first, the mad dog is merely an animal but its disease later afflicts the characters physically and emotionally and changes the plot of the story.
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The Everglades
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The Everglades is a physical place that represents a deeper, spiritual place in which Janie finds the freedom she has been seeking. It facilitates and represents her becoming and her transcendence as a woman. This sprawling, adventurous and lively environment is Janie’s personal Mecca. Unlike her time spent in Joe’s house, living in the Everglades has allowed Janie to become the woman she has wanted to be.
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Janie’s time in the Everglades is relatively brief but throughout that time, the meaning of the place does not evolve into something different. This is intentional. The Everglades represent the final stage of Janie’s fulfillment and becoming so it is necessary that its meaning remain consistent and established. It is this constant nature that allows Janie to mold herself into the culture of the Everglades which reciprocally shapes her as a person.
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3
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Effectiveness:
The Everglades serve as an effective symbol since it is more than a mere physical location. This place stands for many of the ideals in which Janie strongly believes and values.
Creativity: Since the Everglades is a location and a nonliving object lacking in any literal human qualities, it must have taken more ingenuity to create and communicate the concept that would represent Janie’s becoming— a human, spiritual phase— therefore, it is considerably one of the more creative symbols in the novel.
Significance: This symbol is arguably significant since it represents a transformation of Janie’s character which impacts her, the other characters and the plot. Its meaning is deep and insightful and its effect and purpose are greatly influential.
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*Rating: 1- Poor, 2- Adequate, 3- Excellent
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