The Mayor's Wife

Janie acknowledges the feelings of distance that she starts to acquire as more people recognize the power of her husband:

• "A feeling of coldness and fear took hold of her. She felt far away from things and lonely" (46)
• “Janie soon began to feel the impact of awe and envy against her sensibilities. The wife of the mayor was not just another woman as she had supposed. She slept with authority…” (46)

She has no sense of identity or independence, and there is an absence of love and passion in the marriage.