Janie saw her life like a great tree in leaf with the things suffered

188/260“Her husband can’t do nothin’ wid dat butt-headed woman. All youcan do is treat her cold whenever she come round here.”Janie tried that, but short of telling Mrs. Turner bluntly, there wasnothing she could do to discourage her completely. She felt honoredby Janie’s acquaintance and she quickly forgave and forgot snubs inorder to keep it. Anyone who looked more white folkish than herselfwas better than she was in her criteria, therefore it was right that theyshould be cruel to her at times, just as she was cruel to those morenegroid than herself in direct ratio to their negroness. Like thepecking-order in a chicken yard. Insensate cruelty to those you canwhip, and groveling submission to those you can’t. Once having set upher idols and built altars to them it was inevitable that she would worshipthere. It was inevitable that she should accept any inconsistencyand cruelty from her deity as all good worshippers do from theirs. Allgods who receive homage are cruel. All gods dispense sufferingwithout reason. Otherwise they would not be worshipped. Through indiscriminatesuffering men know fear and fear is the most divine emotion.It is the stones for altars and the beginning of wisdom. Half godsare worshipped in wine and flowers. Real gods require blood.Mrs. Turner, like all other believers had built an altar to the unattainable—Caucasiancharacteristics for all. Her god would smite her,would hurl her from pinnacles and lose her in deserts, but she wouldnot forsake his altars. Behind her crude words was a belief that somehowshe and others through worship could attain her paradise—aheaven of straighthaired, thin-lipped, high-nose boned white seraphs.The physical impossibilities in no way injured faith. That was the mysteryand mysteries are the chores of gods. Beyond her faith was a fanaticismto defend the altars of her god. It was distressing to emergefrom her inner temple and find these black desecrators howling withlaughter before the door. Oh, for an army, terrible with banners andswords!