Their Eyes Were Watching God Theme Analysis

Theme development in Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Marriage
“She saw a dust-bearing bee sink into the sanctum of a bloom ...So this was a marriage! (Hurston 11)"
At this point in the story, Janie’s ideas of marriage are still pure and innocent. She sees marriage as a union between two creatures without ulterior motive
“Did marriage end the cosmic loneliness of the unmated? Did marriage compel love like the sun the day? (Hurston 21)”
Confronted with the inevitability of an arranged marriage, Janie starts questioning her ideas of marriage and love. Janie knew that she would soon marry Logan Killicks and also knew that she did not love him.
“She knew now that marriage did not make love (Hurston 25).”
Janie is quickly disenchanted with marriage. Once seeing it as a pure and loving union, Janie now sees being married does not guarantee happiness or love. Killicks
“‘Tain’t dat Ah worries over Joe’s death, Pheoby. Ah jus’ loves dis freedom (Hurston 93).”
The fact that Janie says that she is just happy to be free from Joe after his death tells a lot about their marriage. Joe had seen their marriage as a reason for him to control her.

Upon seeing this, she decides that Janie is a woman. This newfound womanhood entails that Janie is now old enough to be married. Janie’s grandmother informs her that she has already chosen a man for Janie to marry. A century ago, the idea of an arranged marriage was far less appalling than it is in modern day America; however, Janie still expresses her distaste for her new fiance. Despite this, Janie accepts that it is her role as a woman to be married. Her grandmother’s opinion was a popular one. According to the society of the time, a woman would only have what her husband had, so it was important to marry when you were still young and marry someone who could provide for you. Janie accepts this as her role as a woman and marries Killicks soon