Throughout the novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, written by Zora Neale Hurston, Janie is an optimistic and strong-minded individual who fights to find herself throughout the turmoil she has been put through. All her life, she has been pushed around, told what to do and how she should live her life. As she searches to discover an object that makes her feel wanted and like a complete person, she turns to the meaning of real love as an answer.
Over the course of this novel, Janie becomes an optimistic person because she always looks for the best possible outcome.
At this point in Janie’s life she finally realizes that the only person in her life that she needs to please is herself. While coming to this conclusion, she discovers a special man, Tea Cake, who, in an improbable decision she decides to be with. He has nothing to offer her, but his love and is also younger than she is. Truthfully, this is exactly what Janie needs. Throughout all of her failed relationships she has been on a journey to find true love, and in Tea Cake she finds it. Tea Cake does not want to use her as a work horse as Logan did and he does not want to put her on display like a prize as Joe did. Tea simply wants to care for and to love her like every husband should do. I am not saying that that every relationship should be perfect because no relationship will be; everyone makes mistakes, but it is how one responds to the mistakes that are made. Janie and Tea’s relationship is not perfect by any means, because they have their fair share of scuffles and arguments, however the two of them are willing to apologize and sacrifice for each other. Tea Cake calls Janie “my wife and my woman” (119). Janie feels that when she is with Tea Cake, she can let loose and be herself, allowing her true personality to show.