Chapter 6: Inequality in Relationships

Chapter 6 is alright, but I have a problem with how Jody treats Janie. He treats her like his property instead of like his wife. He makes all these rules for her and won't let her talk to the guys that gossip on the porch of the store-eventhough she loves hearing the stories they tell.

Janie and Jody's marriage can be compared to the slavery that they hate so much. He basically uses her as a slave in the store and by controlling every aspect of her life. He is pretty much being a slave master towards his wife-and honestly that's is disgusting and not how marriage should go. Marriage is about equality between both the wife and husband not the husband being in control of the wife. Albert Einstein once compared marriage to slavery. 

I find it extremely ironic that the townspeople compare Jody to Abraham Lincoln. As I mentioned above he treats his wife like a slave but he "freed" the mule from "slavery". He is pretty much hailed as a saint for freeing an animal that was going to die soon anyway but not judged for treating his wife like she is less than a person. As I read I couldn't believe Janie was putting up with his actions-then when I got to her little outburst I was proud of her. I was not surprised at Jody's reaction or rather his lack of one.