Historical Context
The time that this story takes place just
follows the Civil War and continues into the late 1800s. “But it was a long
time after dat befo’ de Big Surrender at Richmond…So den we knowed we was free”
(Hurston 19). There were still hard feelings on all sides. While some had given
up resentment, the idea that race and color of skin made a person different had
not left. For a short period after the war the Republicans had managed to move
forward with radical reconstruction. Many freed slaves were elected to southern
legislatures ("History"). In Florida land was allotted to African
Americans who wanted it. Joe and Janie took advantage of this in the story when
they moved there and created a town. Eventually, though, Black Codes and Jim
Crow were instigated throughout the south which we begin to see the effects of
toward the end of the book when Tea Cake is burying bodies after the hurricane
and must put the white people in coffins and throw the black people into the
holes, “don’t dump no white folks in de hole jus’ so” (171). Any mixture of
whites and blacks was forbidden.
It was mentioned earlier that there were African
American elected to office in the post civil war era. When the republicans came
to power radical reconstruction was instigated which lead to around 250 men
being elected, "more than 100 of whom had been born into slavery"
("History"). Even with this being true, Black Codes and Jim Crow laws
were put into place by prejudice southerners and allowed by President Johnson
after the civil war ("History"). The end of the story is about Janie's trial.
She goes away free even though she killed her husband. The reasoning for this
was stated by some white men nearby, "...long as she don't shoot no white
man she kin kill jus' as many niggers as she please." (Hurston 189).
Throughout the last half of Hurston's book music was mentioned a lot. Tea Cake always had a guitar and there was music and dancing behind their house in the 'Glades. "He walked on in with a guitar and a grin" (Hurston 120). Music in the US was formed by the Africans and jazz was created in the late 1800s ("World Book").
Bibliography
. "African American Leaders During Reconstruction." History. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Dec 2013.
. "Heart and Soul: A Celebration of African American Music." World book . N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Dec 2013. <Heart and Soul: A Celebration of African American Music>.
Throughout the last half of Hurston's book music was mentioned a lot. Tea Cake always had a guitar and there was music and dancing behind their house in the 'Glades. "He walked on in with a guitar and a grin" (Hurston 120). Music in the US was formed by the Africans and jazz was created in the late 1800s ("World Book").
Bibliography
. "African American Leaders During Reconstruction." History. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Dec 2013.
. "Heart and Soul: A Celebration of African American Music." World book . N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Dec 2013. <Heart and Soul: A Celebration of African American Music>.