Journal Entry #2

"..."Well, Ah see Mouth-Almighty is still sittin' in de same place. And Ah reckon they got me up in they mouth now."
"Yes indeed. You know if you pass some people and don't speak tuh suit 'em dey got tuh go way back in yo' life and see whut you ever done. They know mo' 'bout yuh than you do yo' self. An envious heart makes a treacherous ear. They done 'heard' 'bout you just what they hope done happened."
"If God don't think no mo' 'bout 'em then Ah do, they's a lost ball in de high grass
"Ah hears what they say 'cause they just will collect round mah proch 'cause it's on de big road. Mah husband git so sick of 'em sometime he makes 'em all git for home"
"Sam is right too. They just wearin' out yo' sittin' chairs."
"Yeah, Sam say most of 'em goes to church so they'll be sure to rise in Judgement. Dat's de day dat every secret is s'posed to be made known. They wants to be there to hear it all."..." (excerpt Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston pgs 5-6)

• The talkers who are in power when God is not watching are talking about Janie. They are referenced as "Mouth-Almighty". These women judge everyone based on all the information they can obtain.
• Hurston characterized these talkers  as people who are jealous and envious and in consequence have treacherous ears. They believe in every thing they hope happened to a person.
• Hurston describes them as "a lost ball in de high grass" by a metaphor. This particular metaphor portrays these women are so caught up in their own beliefs they are lost in what is real and what is not. In the first passage Hurston said women forgot what they wanted to forget and didn't forget what they wanted to remember this relates back to this metaphor because it tells how the women of this time are portrayed by the author.
• These talkers go to places (i.e. Pheoby's porch and church) to find out all they can about others so they can judge them.
• At the church they go so they are seen in Gods better eyes and so they can hear everyones secrets because no one is supposed to keep their secrets from God.
• If one does not speak to these people then they are  judged because they did not stop to talk to them. In consequence the talkers create a background for these people don't stop.
• These women have an internal conflict in themselves because they have to know everything that goes on.
• Big road is repeated in this passage.
• Judgment in this passage is a symbol of God.
• Knowledge is powerful is one of the themes in this passage
• One will do anything for knowledge.
•  The sitters are going to church and wearing out Pheoby's sitting chairs for this knowledge.