Journal #2: Chapter 2 Analysis

     "It was a spring afternoon in West Florida. Janie had spent most of the day under a blossoming pear tree in the back-yard. She had been spending every minute that she could steal from her chores under that tree for the last three days. That was to say, ever since the first tiny bloom had opened. It had called her to come and gaze on a mystery. From barren brown stems to glistening leaf-buds to snowy virginity of bloom. It stirred her tremendously. How? Why?  It was like a flute song forgotten in another existence and remembered again. What? How? Why? This singing she heard that had nothing to do with her ears. The rose of the world was breathing out smell. It followed her through all her waking moments and caressed her in her sleep. It connected itself with other vaguely felt matters that had struck her outside observation and buried themselves in her flesh. Now they emerged and quested about her consciousness." (Hurston, pg 10)

1. Motif of the number three; Hurston talks about the "last three days," mentions three developmental steps of the blossoms on the tree, asks three questions, and Janie has three husbands throughout the novel.
2. The "singing" Janie heard "that had nothing to do with her ears" might be a moment of self-realization. She is beginning to understand the purpose of life and gain some insight into a deeper meaning regarding her purpose.
3. At the beginning of chapter two Hurston compares Janie's life to a tree, saying that life is "like a great tree in leaf with the things suffered, things enjoyed, things done and undone. Dawn and doom was in the branches." This tree metaphor is referenced again in the excerpt on page 10, and maybe goes into more detail as to how Janie's life resembles a tree. Hurston says, "From barren brown stems to glistening leaf-buds to snowy virginity of bloom.", perhaps referencing Janie's development during the story. With her first husband, Janie was young and naïve, and had barely gained any experiences of her own. When she eloped with Jodie, she has matured both emotionally and physically. The last stage, when Teacake is introduced, Janie has finally transformed into a full grown woman.
4. A simile is used to compare this blossoming of the tree- or the blossoming of Janie- to a "flute song" that has been long-forgotten. Perhaps this is suggesting the fact that Janie had been so absorbed in her sheltered childhood that she had forgotten that one day it would be necessary to grow up.
5. The portion of this passage discussing the "rose of the world" is quite interesting. The phrasing of that sentence is awkward and strange, and it took me a while to understand why Hurston wrote it that way. To me, this "rose" is Janie, and the "breathing out smell" is describing how as she grows she is giving off a perfume; this perfume may symbolise the effect that an individual (in this case Janie) has on the world, or those surrounding her. Just a thought.
6. There are quite a few words referencing growth; bloom, blossoming, bud...
7. There is some uncertainty as to what Hurston is actually getting at in the last few sentences here. It seems that she was being distant on purpose.
8. There is a copious use of figurative language and imagery (love).
9. There is alliteration- "barren brown stems"
10. The phrase, "it connected itself" immediately got me thinking of the discussion we had in class today about the circular pattern that Hurston seems to be following.