He gave his powerless laugh again and Tea Cake and the boy joined in with him. Then Tea Cake walked on off and went home to Janie. “Her husband can’t do nothin’ wid dat butt-headed woman. All you can do is treat her cold whenever she come round here.” Janie tried that, but short of telling Mrs. Turner bluntly, there was nothing she could do to discourage her completely. She felt honored by Janie’s acquaintance and she quickly forgave and forgot snubs in order to keep it. –Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston What does Tea Cake’s dialect, or use of nonstandard English, reveal about him? It gives an impression of Tea Cake’s mental health. It shows that Tea Cake has a quick temper when speaking. It establishes that Tea Cake lives in the South and may lack formal education. It clarifies Tea Cake’s opinion of Mrs. Turner, who uses standard English.
