Mary Helen Washington's essay denies Hurston's effort to create a liberated female character in Their Eyes Were Watching God. Washington believes Janie is effectively excluded." by power, in particular by the power of the word." Janie plays the role of an object that men can look at and talk about. The consequence of this oppression is shown after Jody's death, instead of declaring her freedom, Janie appreciates her hair by looking in the mirror just like other men in the town. She is forbidden to take part in the speech on the veranda, so she hides her voice. Even when he speaks, his voice does not lead to power, action, nor contentment, but to division of self. Washington disagrees with Barbara Johnson's opinion that Janie's self-division leads to the discovery of her own voice. When it seems that Janie can finally speak her mind while living with Tea Cake, Tea Cake becomes the center of both her speech and her internal thoughts. Indeed. Her voice is still male dominated. Even more surprising, she hires Hezikiah to run the store with her because he “wa...