Consider the important scene of young Janie underneath the pear tree. Why do you think Janie is so fascinated by the action between the bee and the blossom? What components of this scene (plants, animals, sexual union, love) recur in the novel and where do they repeat? What do you think these things come to symbolize?

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Social Studies

Bernard

9 May, 17:12

Consider the important scene of young Janie underneath the pear tree. Why do you think Janie is so fascinated by the action between the bee and the blossom? What components of this scene (plants, animals, sexual union, love) recur in the novel and where do they repeat? What do you think these things come to symbolize?

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Mariana Singleton · Answer 1

The pear tree symbolizes how Janie is changing and how her sexuality is rapidly developing.

At the earliest chapters of the book Jane is excited and captured by how beautiful these pear trees are growing and blooming and they become her favourite place.

She is fascinated by the changes that the pear tree go through which represent her own internal transformation.

She is attending to these trees most of her time since her first time when she saw them bloom, this fascination keeps bringing her back to the pear trees (chapter 2)

Her nanny is aware of these transformations in Jane and she even tells her to be cautious about how she thinks about love after she has seen her with Johnny kissing under these trees.

Her nanny knows she is still to young and can be easily carried away by a moment and can easily be manipulated.

The ideas that Jane has about romance and love are portrayed by how she views these pear trees she believes love should blossom like them.

Later on she realises that the ideas she possesses about love and romance may not be realistic after most of her earlier relationships have failed, then she welcomes an idea of a mature relationship with Tea Cake and she learns the true meaning of love.

At first she doesn't really welcome Tea Cake because these ideas of perfect love relations that she had whilst observing the pear tree are still hauting her but still she is fascinated by him

She sees him like a new bee to a blossoming pear tree in the spring season.

She gives particular description to him "a crushing scent" "a glance from God " she has becoming aware of how she feels at this stage even though she may be infatuated.

She learns to appreciate both love and loss but still she is grateful for those times she had with Tea Cake which represents the ideas she had when she was spending her time under those pear trees.