Janie's Fault

I agree with your assessment of their marriage Taryn. Theirs certainly wasn't the love story I expected when I read about Tea Cake first walking into Janie's store. But, I'm not sure Hurston wanted to portray their relationship as perfect. In fact, I would argue that, despite the obvious tendency for the reader to side with Janie because she is the protagonist, Hurston lays as much blame on her leading lady as she does on the men in her life.

Janie's conception of marriage was built on a feeling, one some might call romantic, that she experienced after observing nature. Her construction of a good marriage was not based on a logical or reasonable reaction to another successful relationship she saw around her; it was constructed on the cornerstone of an irrational expectation based on butterflies (or bees) in her tummy. Maybe the reason many critics tend to read Janie's relationship with Tea Cake as they do is exactly what you said: they are deluded by the feelings Janie felt for Tea Cake. Despite how healthy we perceive their relationship to be, the fact remains that Janie absolutely loved Tea Cake. Most people interpret that feeling of Janie's as the only evidence necessary to prove the equality of their relationship. I think, as you pointed out, that Hurston expects us not to fall into that trap. Janie may have found happiness in some way, but it may not have been true happiness. Instead, Janie may have only found the feeling she equated with love and happiness with Tea Cake, but I think Hurston leaves it up to the reader to determine for themselves whether or not they think it truly was love. I'm not so convinced.