Bees and the Blossoms

(Author's Note: If you don't want to take too much time to read this rambling, then go right ahead and skip on down to the 5th paragraph to read the primary topic at hand)

Drawing to a close to Hurston's novel Their Eyes Were Watching God and reviewing it one last time for the test helped to realize some of the most significant qualities of this wonderfully romantic novel in a way no one could have expected it to occur. All it comes back to is the pear tree that Janie stood at towards the beginning of her tale.

One is inclined to think, given a lot of romantic context between the bee and the blossoms, that what Janie had been searching for all along was love with another man. Time and time again she continually seeks out a certain fulfillment her heart had been craving, and time and time again she always thinks that her "ship over the horizon" lied within the presence of another man. Jody's ambitious personality persuaded her that she could have achieved ambitions of her own, but all she finds is pure suppression by his arrogant hands. However, it is by her voice and her strong will that she is able to topple the will of Jody and ultimately bring him to his undignified downfall. Therefore, Jody played an excellent role in the realization of her own desires and what she truly wanted for herself and the kind of "love" that she desired.

Afterwards, it is by Tea Cake's carefree, unconcerned, and accepting attitude toward Janie that further helps her to fully know the passions she had been seeking: independence from the social restraints that held her down. Playin' checkers, goin' nightly fishin', Tea Cake, in a similar manner to Jody, became of great significance to the enlightenment of her spirit, so much so that she could have never killed Tea Cake out of malice for him, but only of the will to defend herself and the newfound liberty her heart was gifted with.

Now, when the story draws to a close, it is certain that she ultimately found the harmonious connection she sought out in the same way a bee makes its way towards a tree blossom. It is easy to presume that it was a romantic connection she had ultimately desired and felt at peace when Janie feels as one with Tea Cake's spirit. However, there is hope within another perspective of such a solemn outcome.

Janie was never the blossom on the tree. She was the bee, given the liberty to fly at its own will, go where it will, and make of her own future as she will. Unconcerned for her own beauty and how other people saw her, she had no need for the vivid colors of a flower. It took a couple "blossoms" for her to pursue: one whose golden tints were valued as the sun, and another whose dark blue hues reflected its own ambitions and power; but, she ultimately found the one she could shower herself with a pleasant aroma whose colors were like those of the sunset where sky meets sea on the horizon, and waiting on it, her ship of the dreams that had been slowly drawn towards her mighty hands. And that dream: a free spirit that could feel independent and unbound wherever she may be. Whenever she was grasped tightly, all it took was the sting of her words filled with resolve to be set loose once more. Unlike all the others, who felt as flowers bound to the earth or to a tree rooted to the ground, she was born with wings to take flight and go where her heart called, prepared to face the world and its ordeals armed with only the strength of her soul.

It's not everyday where people get to realize the strength in their soul and words, and the worthlessness of what people consider to be the proper ideal for the world. Everybody is going to come to a point in their life where they need to make up their mind: to either remain where it stands, showing only its colors in the warmth of day and a barren stem during the harsh freeze of winter, or to become a bee, prepared to risk everything to keep on flying towards their destination.

The bottom line is: there's no need to worry about the opinions and ideals of others when you can remain yourself and keep on flying every inch closer to where you want to be. Make up your mind about where your greater importance lies: within other people's regards about the color of your petals that are soon to fade someday, or with where you want to be and how you choose to confront the world. You'd be surprised how much intimidation one can cause armed with just a mere stinger.