1. Name: _________
Open Mind Activity
(Over)
Spiritual
enlightenment &
sense ofidentity
Secure sense of
independence &
Love
Defiant, Strong and proud,
silenceas strength, romantic
and beautiful,determined, and
self-expressing
Mixed-Race origins,
Raised by
grandmother,
Married off at 16
years,and brought
up in gender-
stereotyped
period.
Wavy
marriage
s
Divorce
2. In the spacebelow, writea fully-developed paragraph explainingeach
symbol on your Open Mind diagram. Whydid you choose those
symbols? How do they support your interpretationofyour chosen
character?
Each symbol used in the open mind diagram represents a different aspect of the
character and the protagonist Janie Mae Crawford. The Oval-shaped symbols represent
the goals, dreams, and aspirations the character possesses. This symbol's choice is to act
as insights of the characters' future, depicting the attributes that bring purpose to the
character. Through these goals, dreams, and aspirations, the protagonist's path is
shaped to achieve a long-search for identity and independence. The rounded rectangle
entails the protagonist's characters and interests and which are evident throughout the
novel. These traits and interests make the character express her inner self, searching for
independence, identity, and love. However, she is still attached to the history and
personal background, which is represented with the left arrow callout symbol. Being a
beautiful black-American lady and raised by her grandmother, she has minimal freedom
in deciding for herself whatever she wishes to achieve. These attributes shape her
interaction in later life. The U-turn arrow symbol represents the relationships and
outcomes of the character. Janie has wavy relationship paths, which are seen by the
various husband she is married to in search of fulfillment. She suffers divorce from the
first two while being left windowed after Tea Cake's death. The choice of the symbol is
due to the constantly changing relationship life, from better toworse.
How the Character Relates To Love and IndependenceTheme
Janie, the protagonist ofthe novel, triesto achieveoptimum independence
and love. The happeningsof Janiehappensin a manner that depictsthe
characterinthe search for perfect-union-of-harmony kind of love, the firsts experience
between a bee and peer in the early life of the character. Janie being married at 16 does not
suppress her need to gain independence, which she asserts is the beginning of understanding
oneself. Married to an older, wealthy farmer who treats her as one of the properties he owns
further propels the character to search for fulfillment. As opposed to her grandmother's wish of
marrying because of wealth and status, Janie thinks differently as the search for love and
independence guides her to divorcing Logan after he threatens to kill her. She has then married
Joe Starks, who promises love and romance but later treats her as his property and wanting her to
behave like the mayor's wife. Such attributes anger her inwards, although unable to argue with
Starks. The show of independence portrays when she confronts Starks for his treatment towards
her. In search of independence and love, she falls for a younger man who treats her with equal
respect. In this respect, Janie sells off Starks property, leaving her worthy living to start farming
with Tea Cake. The journey to independence is finally achieved with Tea Cake and her returning
to Eatonville despite the knowledge of facing criticism and rebuke. However, Janie feels
3. contented with life now that she was able to achieve independence and experience a romantic
and beautiful love-life with Tea Cake.
