Tea Cake: Really a Treat? or Kind of a Stale Asshole?
After Janie’s first two failed marriages, when Tea Cake comes along, he might seem like the perfect replacement: someone who lets her be who she is and allows her to have a lot more fun, but is he actually that much better? I think, despite the fact that he doesn’t push her to do things she doesn’t want to, treats her with much love, and shows her lots of new fun things, he’s still kind of an asshole. It’s important to not gloss over his flaws and paint him as a perfect rosy replacement for his unappealing predecessors. After the “mourning” of her previous husband Jody, she meets Tea Cake, and at first, he seems to be like a wonderful person. He doesn’t ask anything much of her and they have lots of fun experiences together that are new to Janie. They form a close connection and he shows her a very sincere love. However, in Jacksonville, an incident occurs where Tea Cake’s true colors really start to show through. Soon after the couple got married, Janie wakes