Nanny's Life Concerns

     In this paragraph, the dominant tone in the beginning is mocking and in the end is very optimistic.  The tone changes to optimistic when Nanny said,"Ah been prayin' fuh it tuh be different wid you. Lawd, Lawd, Lawd(Hurston 14)!"  The significance of the tones in this paragraph and how it changes show that Nanny is trying to explain the difficulties of being a black woman in their day and age.  It changes the way it was and the only wants the best for her grandaughter.
     In this passage, Nanny is the speaker talking to Janie and telling her that blackn women have always been given the least respect and are treated like work mules, but she wants it to be different for Janie. Nanny is entirely reliable as the speaker because she's older and wiser and can recall her own experiences.
     The main idea is that it's hard to live as a black woman in that time period and that white men rule over all black people and treat them as mules. There is no question except as to why black women are treated so unfairly.


Gabe, Caitlyn, Lauren