Their Eyes Were Watching God Analysis

2.1 Janie’s Request for her Individuality Hurston breaks the masculine social boundaries by depicting Janie as a strong black woman. This later is neither a tragic heroine nor a weak victim. As quoted in the Arts Journal, Andrea Rushing states: "… was not pathetic, wasn't a tragic mulatto,

Janie Mae Crawford serves as the protagonist of one of Zora Neale Hurston’s most notable works Their Eyes Were Watching God. From her grandmother Nanny to her last husband Tea Cake, Janie has always been a victim to those attempting to decide her fate for her. Her grandmother determining who she loves, Logan and Jody treating her as a possession and Tea Cake jealousy and stubbornness all lead to the climatic point in Janie’s life where she blossoms into the strong woman she is becomes in the end. It is by the end of the novel that Janie finally gets to decide how she chooses to live her life. Thus, Janie’s character development is a reflection of the various experiences and relationships that she has had throughout her life. From these

Their Eyes Were Watching God is a novel about an African American woman named Janie, and how her relationships with family and friends affect her life. Two of the most obvious themes throughout the story is Janie’s search for love, and through the process, her finding her independence as a woman.

Janie hurried out of the front gate and turned south. Even if Joe was not there waiting for her, the change was bound to do her good” (Hurston 32). Due to marrying out of her will, and often being treated very poorly by her husband, Janie made the significant decision to leave her prescribed marriage. Within the excerpt, the author utilizes the modernist elements of emphasizing the individuality of Janie and her struggles, but also her showing grace under the pressures of adversity.

In many novels, authors have implemented social constructs in order to shape the mood of the books. In Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, Hurston alludes to social class, especially race, subtly. Hurston’s background of anthropology and growing up as an African-American woman clearly plays a role in the social makeup of the novel. The main character of the novel, Janie, has various experiences in which readers can discover the social structures in her life. Through Janie’s story of self-discovery, Hurston reveals social constructs of the time, especially race and wealth, by including anecdotes, complex characters, and thought-provoking scenes that highlight controversial issues.

Throughout the book, Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston, there are a couple of motifs. A motif is a structure, contrast, or literary device that recurs to assist in the development of the text’s major themes. This essay will discuss three of the motifs mentioned in the novel. These motifs are, Community, Race and Racism, Folklore and Religion.

Susan B. Anthony once said there is not a women born who desires to eat the bread of dependence. In the novel Their eyes were watching god by Zora Neal Hurston, Janie Crawford depicts the life of a young African women who struggles with male dominance. As well for Mrs. Mallard in The story of an hour by Kate Chopin. Both of these women become independent, share experiences with male dominance and share an appealing perspective toward nature. They also have distinctive outcomes in their lives. Janie and Mrs. Mallard share similarities in their lives and distinctions as well.

Their Eyes Were Watching God is a novel written by Zora Neale Hurston in 1937 that tells the story of the life of a woman named Janie. When another man shows interest in Janie, her husband Tea Cake decides to beat her to scare him off. Although he believes his intent was pure he still finds himself justifying his actions to his co-workers the next day. In Othello, a play written in 1622 by William Shakespeare Roderigo is in love with Othello’s wife Desdemona and Iago has convinced Roderigo that Desdemona loves Cassio and that he should fight Cassio to win Desdemona. Although it seems as though these speeches are completely different as Tea Cake’s intent is pure, and Iago’s is malicious, both speeches support the conclusion that the way to a woman’s heart is by exerting physical dominance.

In Zora Neale Hurston’s famous novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston explores the life of a southern black woman, Janie Crawford, whose three marriages of domineering control of men make her acknowledge her independence and self-satisfaction as an African-American woman. Set in the early 1900s, Hurston reveals the dominant role of men in southern society and one woman’s journey toward finding herself and God.

Richard Wright and Alain Locke’s critique on Zora Neale Hurston’s novel Their Eyes Were Watching God reveal the common notion held by many of the time, and still today, that there is a right and wrong way for a black person to talk and to act. Wright’s point of view of clearly racially charged and coming from a place of ignorance and intolerance. While, Locke’s point is simply due to a lack of an ability to think out of the box and observe deeper meaning, perhaps due to internalized oppression and a fearful desire to talk and act just like a white man in order to be taken seriously. Wright’s argument that the novel has no central theme and is parallel to minstrel shows, and Locke’s belief that Hurston uses relatable language to avoid diving into mature writing, are inherently wrong and fueled by the very issues Hurston was trying to combat: racism and sexism.

Nature plays a tremendous role in the book Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. Throughout the book there are many references to nature and ideas that are influenced by nature and there is a constant presence of nature in the story. From the beginning to the end of the book nature is used as a symbol to describe and expand on other things happening in the book. Janie, the main character of the book, starts this theme of nature at the beginning with her scene at the pear tree. This scene opens up the idea of nature to the rest of the story. The hurricane scene towards the end of the book closes the book with the idea of nature, just as it was opened with nature. Ending the book with nature shows that it was an important aspect

. Alain Locke: Mr. Locke was an influential figure during the Harlem renaissance by promoting African American artists and writers, encouraging them to look to African for artistic inspiration. Most of Locke’s writing focused on the black identity. He is responsible for writing The New Negro. For Locke’s part in the Harlem Renaissance movement he was given the title of “Father of the Harlem Renaissance.”

I read Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, copyright in 1937 and has a total of 193 pages.

In the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston follows the story of a woman in a predominantly African-American society not long after the abolition of slavery. African Americans were liberated from their previous lives of slavery but left without an established social system. The different members of the community hold different ideas of what interpersonal interactions should look like. Hurston focuses on the effectiveness of each presented social outlook in terms of how it can provide a person with a fulfilling life. Many members of the community, especially Janie’s mother, seemed to accept a model that prioritizes social stability above all else. Another societal model was focused on a conquest of social status, which is illustrated through Janie’s relationship with Jody. Finally, a model that prioritizes personal freedom is taken up by Janie, and it is shown as the ideal model through which Janie can find personal fulfillment. Hurston illustrates the idea that to achieve happiness, personal fulfillment must be sought by pursuing equality and emotional satisfaction, despite the opposing views of others.

In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston uses imagery to show how going anywhere in life keeps being unobtainable to Janie due to her position as a black woman. “She had glossy leaves and bursting buds and she wanted to struggle with life but it seemed to elude her” (Hurston 11). This descriptive imagery helps one to picture how there is no opportunity for Janie to develop outside of this gorgeous backyard. She is stuck with her desires and has nowhere to accomplish them. “One of the pivotal moments in Janie’s life occurs when she views a pear tree as a teenager; this is one of several occasions where Hurston uses tree imagery to enrich the scene” (S. Jones 184). This marks a period of realization, as Janie recognizes her own desire for growth and how she wants to be her own person. However, she also knows that power and the ability to grow has been evading her and is impossible here under these circumstances.