Character/Author Worldview & Christian Worldview
A "Day in the Life" Scenario: Interviewing Janie Crawford:
I had the opportunity to interview any character from a book and I chose to interview Janie Crawford. When I saw her for the first time, I was amazed by her looks. She was very beautiful and had long flowing hair and her skin was very pale. She was wearing overalls as if to dress the way she wanted and not the way others wanted her to. This manner in which she dressed and moved my first thoughts were that she didn’t care about what others thought, that she wanted to be her own person.
“Hello, my name is Alicia.” I extended my hand as I gladly greeted her.
“Janie Woods!” She said as she eagerly took my hand.
“So tell me a bit about yourself.” I said as we sat down. Janie took as deep breath and looked at her surroundings before she started to speak.
“Well ah wuz born in West Florida. Nanny, mah grandma, married me to Logan Killicks. Ah nevuh loved him. Ah waited fuh love tuh come but it never did. So when ah met Jody Starks, ah left wid him cause he treated me different den Logan. Ah loved Jody an ah respected him, but afta a while, he started tuh treat me different. Ah didn’t have uh say in much, an he wuz always pickin’ on me. Ah tried tuh speak up when de men was talkin’ bout where deh woman’s place is, but ah just got hushed by Jody. Ah stayed wid Jody and nevuh left, but befo’ he died, ah went to him an’ ah told him how ah felt. As ah stood dere lookin’ at him, he died. It was den that ah let mah hair down an’ was mah ownself. Ah started to feel freedoms ah didn’t know ah had. Befo’ ah always did what others wanted me an’ ah nevuh spoke out ‘gainst anyone. Ah learned if ah did speak out, it didn’t get meh not where anyhow so I figured it was just best not tuh say nothin’. One day, while ah wuz workin in de shop, a young man came in an ah called him Tea Cake. Tea Cake was special. He brought the youth outa me and ah b’lieve dat was de first time ah truly fell in love. Ah left with him an’ we got married. He took real good care’a me an protected me from a mean ol’ dog afta a hurricane.” Janie had tears swell in her eyes. She observed the room again and fondled her hands. Looking to the floor she continued, “Dat dog bit mah Tea Cake b’fore he killed it. Tea Cake got real sick so I got the docta an he told me Tea Cake was gonna die. Ah couldn’t even sleep wid him cause he was dangerous. A day later while Tea Cake wasn’t in his room, Ah found a gun under his pillow. Ah rotated it cause I was scared he’d try sumthin’ an’ this way if he did, ah’d have time to react. Well lata, while ah was in de other room, he started yellin’ at me and accusin’ me of bein wid Mrs. Turner’s brother! He pulled up the hand gun an’ shot at me. Ah got mah gun and pointed it at him hopin it’d scar him. But it didn’t. Ah ended up shootin’ him. Afta that people started talkin bout me again, but ah didn’t care cause ah knew de truth and God knew de truth. So if people wanted tuh talk, ah let em talk. After Tea Cake died, ah left an came back tuh Eatonville. When ah did that, people was talkin’ again, but like ah said, ah didn’t care.”
Listening to Janie talk about her life and everything that happened made me think of mine. It reminded me about my family splitting up and the bad things that had happened to me as someone passive that never spoke out. It seemed to me that people never had anything nice to say, all of their words were words of criticism. People seemed to know what was best for me, even if they didn’t know me at all. For a while, I had tried to fight it and be myself, but when I did, someone would say or do something to quiet me. Eventually I just go to the point where I stopped caring what people said. I started to find out who I was and what I stood for.
“So what are your plans now? You pretty much seemed to have done it all.” I said trying to lighten the mood.
“Well ah just plan on livin my life de way ah want tuh. Ah don’t know where ah will go or what will happen. Life is never predictable, jus’ when ya think ya got it figured out, it up and changes on ya or throws sumthin’ unexpected at ya.”
“So what are your beliefs?” I asked curious because of how she talked about life.
“God has it all figured out. Ah don’t gotta worry cause He will take care of me. He fills this emptiness ah was feelin’ earlier in mah life. When ah became mah own person, ah felt de harmony like in nature. Everything jus’ flows an’ is peaceful. Ah was finally at peace even tho dere was a lot dat coulda got to me.” After she had said that, I could see her just relax and all of the tensions from her previous story were released.
“We’re a lot alike you know.” I said with a smile. “Our personal experiences have led us to have similar beliefs. My life was pretty rough too, but God brought me peace and I trust him and know that whatever happens, He is there and will take care of me. I know all that matters is my relationship with Him and everything will work out just fine.”
After Janie had left, I had a lot of time to reflect on things. I found it amazing that two people from two completely different times could be so much alike. In her time she had less rights, men could legally beat her, but in my time, I have many more rights and a man would get into a lot of trouble for beating me. Our struggles are different, but they result in similar lessons. It would be hard for her to get used to my time because of the fact that I have more rights and people simply act so much differently. It would be the same if I were to be in her time. I don’t know if I could handle being suppressed. Regardless of the times though, there is one thing they both have in common, nature. Janie seemed to really like being in nature and it seemed to have been where she did her deep thinking. I am exactly like that as well so I think if we were to ever hang out, we’d be outside because that is one way in which we can both relate to and something we can both enjoy. It is the place in which God dwells and because of this, I am thankful it doesn’t change.
This was written by: Alicia Albers
