Janie Returns Home

In the first chapter, the main character, Janie, is returning from a mysterious trip with a man named Tea Cake. The townspeople gather around, watching her walk back to her house. They sit on their porches and gossip when Janie returns back to town. They are envious of her looks and the fact that she traveled with a younger man for some time. Janie seems like she is not fazed by the other women’s comments when she is talking to her friend Pheoby. As we continue reading, we learn more about Janie’s past. As a child, Janie grew up with mostly white children. She never even knew that she was black until she saw a photograph of her standing with the other children. She had to ask someone where she was in the picture because the only person left was a small black child, and Janie knew that that could not be her. These two events are different in the fact that I think Janie has learned to live with being different. When she was a child, Janie was devastated to find out that she was black; yet, when she was older and being criticized by the townspeople, she really did not care what they thought. On the other hand, both of these events are similar because Janie is being critiqued in each one. At first, Janie gets criticized for being the only black child in the picture and not even knowing it. Then, she gets criticized for going on a mysterious trip with a man and for her beautiful looks.