Why does Janie kill Tea Cake?

Janie kills Tea Cake, her beloved husband, out of self-defense. In Zora Neale Hurston's novel "Their Eyes Were Watching God," Janie is forced to make a heartbreaking decision when Tea Cake, infected with rabies, becomes delirious and attacks her with a gun. Despite her deep love for him, Janie recognizes that her life is in immediate danger. In a desperate act to protect herself, she takes the ultimate step of shooting Tea Cake, tragically ending their passionate and tumultuous relationship. This act represents the painful complexities of love, sacrifice, and the stark reality of self-preservation in the face of imminent harm.

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