Her independence is unconventional, and Phoebe tells her so. Unmarried women do not have a place in a traditional southern society. Gender roles are strictly proscribed in Southern society. The way the community perceives Janie is a continual theme in Their Eyes Were Watching God. Social conventions restrict the role of women, preventing them from being self-sufficient and independent. Janie seems unable to find a man who treats her as her equal. Through Janie, Hurston suggests that gender roles are socialized. Janie longs to be free of restrictive gender norms. Janie eventually falls in love with Tea Cake, which raises issues related to gender and class. The townsfolk disapprove of Janie's relationship with Tea Cake because he is poor and has a low social status. Janie does not mind that Tea Cake is poor, which proves her desire to be in a relationship...

The couple takes off together and get married, starting a new life in the Everglades. However, Tea Cake steals from Janie and at some point begins to beat her. Her having to kill Tea Cake in self-defense is a symbolic move for Janie. She liberates herself and triumphs over the adversity that comes from unbridled sexism.
In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Huston shows that gender roles are strongly proscribed by society. Women are treated as inferior to men, as pieces of property and as animals. Women have low social status, and their status is directly connected to that of their husbands. In fact, the role of women in a traditional society is to serve men. Hurston also shows that gender roles and norms change, as Janie diverges from Nanny's teachings and Pheoby affirms her admiration and respect for her friend.