Journal #7

How does Mrs. Turner's relationship with her husband affect her character? Discuss their roles in marriage, and compare them to other couples in the chapters.


Mrs. Turner is unique to the African-American community, in that she strives to be something that she can never be: white. Part of the reason why she is so dominant in her marriage may be due to the fact that she wants so badly to be something that's impossible for her to be. Unlike most marriages in this setting, Mrs. Turner is the dominent spouse in her marriage, where she does all the work while he sits around doing nothing. Mrs. Turner also has the courage to stand up to her husband and even physically slap him. "Mrs. Turner hit him the best she could with her hurt hand and then spoke her mind for half an hour." (Hurston 152). Whereas Janie cried silently when Tea Cake hit her, Mrs. Turner was able to fight back with her husband, similar to Sop-de-Bottom's wife, who often fought back just as hard when he hit her. The marriage between the Turners can be compared to the marriage between Janie and Logan, with opposite gender roles, where Mrs. Turner is the one yelling at her husband about not doing anything, just like Logan had yelled at Janie. This sense of dominance gives Mrs. Turner a better control of her life, a life she wished was different.