Helene Cixous also characterizes women as caregivers in The Laugh of the Medusa. As mother-figures, females are constantly sacrificing themselves for the good of those around them, especially men. Were Watching God in which Janie s maternal giving instinct shines through. As the townspeople torture and mock Matt Bonner s mule, Janie is torn by her desire to render compassion upon the mistreated, abused animal. A little war of defense for helpless things was going on inside her.
People ought to have respect for helpless things.
She wanted to fight about it. Throughout the novel, Janie also acts as caregiver to the men in her life. When Jody is on his deathbed, Janie does all she can to take care of him, even though their relationship has deteriorated. During the hurricane in the Everglades, Janie is not the stereotypically passive, weak wife the reader expects Tea Cake to bravely rescue from the rising waters. Instead, Janie is her husband s equal partner in their struggle for survival.