Additionally, although Janie ends up wealthy after Jodys death, Tea Cake insists that if he had nothing, Janie would have nothing in order to assert his control (Martin).

Because of her grandmothers old-fashioned views and her husbands sexist ideals, Janie struggles to embrace herself and settles for others expectations, which are constructed by past social status.

Although African Americans during the time period were free, the principles of slavery still affected community and individual identities.

Therefore, in the movie, many of the other characters stick to tradition, and many of the towns are underdeveloped.

Ironically, Janies partners, Logan Killicks, Jody Starks, and Tea Cake, are confident; they are portrayed as self-starters who build up not only themselves, but their communities as well.

Unlike the people around them, they know exactly what role they play and who they are.

Until she learns to accept herself, the strong and independent men contrast moldable Janie.

Although the film takes place in the past, remnants of slavery still affect how the public views black communities and identities, similarly to modern-day society.

Thus, through themes of love and acceptance, the 21st-century rendition of Their Eyes Were Watching God connects the antebellum past to the present-dayeven after slavery has been abolished.

Thus, there were Jim Crow Laws in place that segregated African Americans from white Americans, affecting where their communities grew.

For example, in the movie, Eatonville, an all-black community, was extremely underdeveloped compared to the prosperous plantations and cities that white Americans lived in.

He notes that even though it has been a year since its founding, Eatonville is unable to grow significantly.

As he tries to pick the town up off its feet, the townspeople laugh at the thought of a white proprietor giving them money to build a town.

In the movie, it seems miraculous to the community that Jody can even ensure funding.

Similarly, today, African Americans are left out of new suburban communities (Gross).

Redlining from the early 1900s furthered segregation by preventing insurance in and near African American neighborhoods.

Because most families gain wealth from equity in homes, African Americans that were prevented from buying homes gained none of the equity appreciation that whites gained (Gross).

Furthermore, because African Americans were viewed as second-class citizens, many people found themselves with little options but to do manual labor.

For example, Tea Cake and Janie flee to Orlando and then to the Everglades, where they plant and harvest beans.

With lack of a developed community with opportunities, many African Americans stuck with what they knew.

Therefore, laws that stemmed from slavery affected black communities through the time period of the movie to the modern day.

Her husbands have control, and marriage is based on the amount of wealth that men have.

For example, Nanny forces Janie to marry Logan Killicks, who could care less about love, because he has 60 acres of land and wealth.

Their Eyes Were Watching God Pdf