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Beyond Salem
A Woman Freed of the Mule’s Load:
Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God
by Karen Lewis
"So de white man throw down de load and tell de nigger man tuh pick it up.
He pick it up because he have to, but he don't tote it. He hand it to his
womenfolks. De nigger woman is de mule uh de world so fur as Ah can see. Ah
been prayin’ fuh it tuh be defferent wid you. Lawd, Lawd, Lawd!"
With these mournful words from her grandmother, a former slave, young
Janie's womanhood begins. She realizes that the world does not adore her,
the way her grandmother does, nor will it nurture and care for her. She is, as
a black woman, destined to be the mule of the world.
Janie tells us that she was six years old before she realized she was black;
she is even older when she realizes the additional handicap of being a
woman. Her sheltered childhood has not prepared her for the men who seek
either to control her or to idolize her. She expects to take her place beside
her mate, to enjoy the same pleasures he does, to participate in his life. Her
dream is a woman's dream, nearly impossible to reach at that time.
In an attempt to secure Janie's future, her grandmother marries her to Logan
Killicks, a black man with a sixty-acre farm. But Janie, young and romantic,
doesn't like the older man's plodding, retiring nature or his threats to make
her work the farm if she doesn't become more affectionate toward him. She
runs away with the dandy Joe Starks, a man with vision and ambition,
because he is exciting and promises to make her somebody special. He
becomes mayor of the all-black town where they settle, and she becomes his
wife: forced by her husband to live above the other townspeople yet always
beneath him in private, Janie is still ur\happy. Her early visions of passion,
love and equality remain unfulfilled. It is not until Joe dies, leaving her a
substantial inheritance, that Janie is free to decide her own destiny: she
elopes with a penniless, delightful younger man called Tea Cake, who,
unlike her first two husbands, treats Janie with affection and dignity; he
makes her his equaL
Janie's search for equality is one with which most women can sympathize,
and her awareness of this desire emphasizes the intelligence and
deliberation with which she leads her life. Janie recognizes her right to be
happy and is willing to strike out, to be different, to take a chance to find it.
TTie most unusual element of this novel is the attention which Zora Neale
Hurston has paid to dialect. Her accurate portrayal of the vernacular of her
people has won this book critical acclaim. It is almost a novel best read
aloud; the reader begins, after a few chapters, to hear the lilting, joyous
tones of the Southern Black dialect of that era and to truly appreciate Ms.
Hurston's skill.
Their Eyes Were Watching God was originally published in 1937 and is
available through the University of Illinois Press, among others. Other
books by the author include Dust Tracks on a Road: An Autobiography and
Moses: Man of the Mountains.
'sfD
Driving Miss Daisy
by Julie Meyer and Heather Lewisohn
The mesmerizing performances of Jessica
Tandy and Morgan Freeman make Driving
Miss Daisy a film you will not want to
miss. The movie follows the developing
relationship between Miss Daisy and her
chauffeur, Hoke. Miss Daisy and Hoke's
relationship brings about both laughter
and tears as the characters overcome
strong wills and the turbulent events in
Atlanta during the 1960's.
Driving Miss Daisy is an extremely
enjoyable and thought provoking film
which will arouse a variety of emotions.
Dining at "The Garden"
by Sally Pierce
In the mood for a change of pace, atmosphere and
cuisine? Grab a couple of our Salem sisters and cruise over
to Spring Garden.
Originally named First Bar and Grill due to its location
on the comer of First Street and Hawthorne Road, Spring
Garden Bar and Grill is a great place to get together with
a few friends for some fun'and a hot and juicy
Drive-In-Burger with nacho chips, and a giant drink of
your choice, or my favorite Spring Garden’s Chicken Grill
with Buffalo Chips.
If you are a salad lover, you are in luck. Try Spring
Garden's very own Spring Garden Salad with the house
dressing which is a creamy vinaigrette. This crisp salad
of lettuce, raw vegetables, meats and cheeses of your
choice is served in its own flaky shell with a side order of
nacho com chips.
Should you happen to be a happy hour bar hopper and
you are of the golden age of "21," you should absolutely
hop by "The Garden" for imported or domestic beer and
mixed drink specials. Happy hour at Spring Garden also
features free North Carolina peanuts, nachos and salsa,
and twenty-five cents hot chicken wings that will make
your tongue flap your brains out!
Spring Garden's decor, dark and cozy atmosphere, and
high bar stools provide a perfect escape to a great bar and
grill. Try Spring Garden off First and Hawthorne, you
just might like it.
Billy Joel Proves
He's Still On Top
by Karen Lewis
Billy Joel proved to a cheering
crowd in Charlotte that, come rain,
fire, or Pressure, he's still the Piano
Man fans have admired for years.
Joel performed for e
near-capacity crowd at the new
Charlotte Coliseum on a rainy
Friday night, March 2. Energetic
and enthusiastic, his show proved
that there's still room at the top
for good old-fashioned talent. Joel
is a powerful performer, combining
just enough showmanship and
colored lights with pure jazz, rock,
and a voice that is much more
resonant than recorded
performances reveal. Band
members provided more than
adequate support for Joel's piano
antics; in fact, his spirited back-up
singer, in near-blinding yellow
pants, almost stole the show as she
played saxophone and danced
feverishly up and down the
over-sized stage.
Beginning with the title track
from his latest album. Storm Front,
Joel moved through the best of the
old and the most promising of the
new: slower, more reflective songs
such as "Leningrad," "Good Night,
Saigon," and "Downeaster Alexa”
shared the stage with such
rollicking hits as "Scenes from an
Italian Restaurant," "Pressure,"
and "Big Shot." The most powerful
moments of the two-and-a-half
hour show were his performances oi
"We Didn’t Start the Fire," his hil
look at controversial issues of the
twentieth century, and, later,
"Piano Man,"his finale - which
moved the crowd to sing the chorus
solo.
Joel began the show by
complimenting North Carolina or
its "new venue," expressing his
past dissatisfaction with the old
coliseum. His sound system made
the most of the larger arena; more
Importantly, he made sure thai
everyone who bought a ticket got.to
see, not just hear, him:
swing-around keyboards at each
back comer of the stage allowed
him to play close-up to the fans in
seats which normally provide only
a view of the dmmmer's back. His
attention to detail and his concern
for every member of the audience
testifies to his commitment to the
music-making, as opposed to the
money-making, business.
Billy Joel has entered a new
phase in his career with the more
politically-oriented Storm Front,
but still holds tme to the values
which made him a star: quality
music and pure soul.