"She had an inside and an outside now and suddenly she knew how not to mix them" (Hurston 72).
Janie has become restless and unhappy in her second marriage. She recognizes a lack of depth in her relationship with Joe because she accepts his verbal abuse and rarely defends herself. Joe is very aggressive towards Janie, and this is evident because "he wanted her submission and he'd keep on fighting until he felt he had it" (71). Joe always wanted to have the upper-hand with Janie. If she tries to argue with him, he tears down everything she says. She takes it upon herself to overlook Joe's rude comments and constant corrections of her work because she no longer has the desire to fight with him. Arguing with Joe would not help Janie gain a more superior position in Joe's eyes. Janie is left feeling very unappreciated and conflicted with her internal and external emotions.
Katie-You start with a very evocative quotation from the novel here, and point out how it suggests the ways in which Janie becomes defended and passive in her relationship with Jody. She knows she can't argue with him, so she just gives up, in a way. That's pretty sad, isn't it?
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