Zora Neale Hurston: A Reflection and Departure from the Harlem Renaissance Zora Neale Hurston stands as a towering figure in American literature. Her work, particularly the iconic novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, reflects the artistic and cultural movement known as the Harlem Renaissance. Yet Hurston's voice also carves a distinct path, offering a special and different perspective on the Black experience that both complements and challenges the prevailing themes of the era. This essay will explore how Hurston's writing embodies the core principles of the Harlem Renaissance while at the same time departing from its conventions, ultimately leaving a lasting mark on American literature. The Harlem Renaissance celebrated African-American identity …show more content…
This pivotal moment highlights her desire for a love that transcends societal expectations and drives her desire for autonomy. Janie's struggle resonates deeply with the Harlem Renaissance's commitment to authentic self-expression and liberation from racial prejudice. While echoing Harlem Renaissance ideals, Hurston's writing still steers away from the movement's emphasis on remaking established, predominantly white, literary traditions. Hurston, instead, champions the rich tapestry of African-American dialect and folklore, amplifying the voices of her characters with authenticity. Unlike some contemporaries who aimed to elevate Black literature by adhering to standard English, Hurston saw beauty and power in vernacular speech. This is evident in the wisdom imparted by Janie's grandmother, Nanny, who speaks in a rich Southern dialect, stating, "Put me down easy, Janie, Ah'm a cracked plate" (Hurston, 21). This stylistic choice not only reflects the everyday language of Black communities but also challenges the era's tendency towards literary formality, establishing Hurston's distinct narrative …show more content…
Janie's idyllic childhood in Eatonville, a Negro village that made her heart glad. It was so lax, so easy with itself" (Hurston, 18), stands in stark contrast to the harsh realities of urban life often depicted by Harlem Renaissance writers like Richard Wright. This Southern setting allows Hurston to delve deeper into themes specific to the Black experience in the South, such as the legacy of slavery and the close-knit nature of rural Black communities. The theme of resilience, for instance, is powerfully conveyed through Janie's friend Pheoby. Despite facing domestic abuse, Pheoby declares, "I'll take a beating ‘fore I give up my meat" (Hurston, 82). This unwavering spirit reflects the strength and perseverance of Black women in the face of adversity, a theme resonating with the Harlem Renaissance's focus on overcoming oppression. Hurston's work did not receive unanimous praise from her contemporaries within the Harlem Renaissance. Alain Locke, a prominent figure in the movement, criticized her portrayal of Black life for being too focused on dialect and lacking social
Crabtree, Claire. "The Confluence of Folklore, Feminism and Black Self-Determination in Zora Neale Hurston's 'Their Eyes Were Watching God'." The Southern Literary Journal 17.2 (Spring 1985): 54-66. Rpt. in Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Roger Matuz and Cathy Falk. Vol. 61. Detroit: Gale Research, 1990. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 14 Jan. 2014.
This excerpt from Zora Neale Hurston’s book, Their Eyes Were watching God, is an example of her amazing writing. She makes us feel as if we are actually in her book, through her use of the Southern Black vernacular and admirable description. Her characters are realistic and she places special, well thought out sentences to keep us interested. Zora Neale Hurston’s art enables her to write this engaging story about a Southern black woman’s life.
Hurston did not design her novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God with the intent of creating a protagonist figure in Tea Cake Woods. Hurston’s characters just naturally fit into the roles and personalities that African American women have been socialized to expect and accept from black men. The good over the bad; turn the other cheek; don't let it get you down. Forever taught that the road ain't gonna be easy and that a ain't-half-bad man is better than no man, African American women have been instilled with the belief that abuse, bitterness, and sadness can be ignored if there is something else to focus that energy on. In Janie's case, we are moved to accept Tea Cake, who is at times abusive, because of the way he makes Janie feel - young and happy.
Hurston, however, does not present the reader with the nihilistic hopelessness of Fitzgerald or Hemingway, but rather offers an understanding of the basic human aspect that causes us to fear emptiness. Janie, the main character in the novel, understands this emptiness and is dissatisfied with it. In an attempt to solve the problem, Janie sets out on a quest to make sense of her inner void. Although she is beset on all sides by tragedy, Janie does not become discouraged - quite the opposite actually. She uses her tragedy as emotional fuel to keep her moving toward her destiny.
Through her use of southern black language Zora Neale Hurston illustrates how to live and learn from life’s experiences. Janie, the main character in Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, is a woman who defies what people expect of her and lives her life searching to become a better person. Not easily satisfied with material gain, Janie quickly jumps into a search to find true happiness and love in life. She finally achieves what she has searched for with her third marriage.
In Zora Neale Hurston’s powerful feminist novel, “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” she tells the story of Janie Stark and her journey into becoming a powerful black woman during the time when those words were not spoken together. Hurston uses Janie as an archetype for what we should all aspire to be, because in Hurston’s eyes, and the eyes of many others, Janie is the only character in the novel that gets it right. The thing about Janie that set her apart from everyone else, the reason that she got it right, was not because she was just born that way, but it was because she used all of the trials and hardships in her life to her advantage. She never crumbled or quit, but she continued to move on and use her life experiences to help mold to her
Janie is first isolated from her peers as a child. She lives behind the Washburn's, a white family and this causes her to not, “know Ah wuzn't white till Ah was round six years old” (Hurston 8). This isolation made it hard to incorporate into a segregated school. She thought she was just another white child but she was deadly mistaken, “de chillun at school got to teasin' me 'bout livin' in de white folks' back-yard” (Hurston 9). Janie's location of living “classed off” how th...
Hurston uses the power of language and different narrative techniques to show Janie's transition throughout the novel. It is important to notice that in Janie's journey from object to subject, the narration of the novel shifts from third person to a mixture of first and third person; thus, the shift shows the awareness of self within Janie. Language becomes an instrument of injury and salvation and of selfhood and empowerment. The use of powerful language is exemplified well in the text when Janie is asked to say a few words as the new Mrs. Mayor. Joe, her second husband, quickly cuts in and says, "Thank yuh fuh yo' compliments, but mah wife don't know nothin' 'bout no speech-makin'. Ah never married her for not...
Zora Neale Hurston an early twentieth century Afro-American feminist author, was raised in a predominately black community which gave her an unique perspective on race relations, evident in her novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God. Hurston drew on her on experiences as a feminist Afro-American female to create a story about the magical transformation of Janie, from a young unconfident girl to a thriving woman. Janie experiences many things that make her a compelling character who takes readers along as her companion, on her voyage to discover the mysteries and rewards life has to offer.
Bloom Harold. Modern Critical Views: Zora Neale Hurston. by Harold Bloom; Modern Critical Interpretations: Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes were Watching God. Black American Literature Forum, Vol. 23, No. 4 (winter, 1989), pp. 799-807 St. Louis: St. Louis University, 1989. Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2904103
In this book, Hurston writes in the dielect of the black community of the time. Many of the words are slang. Hurston begins the story with Janie telling it, but then it becomes a third person narrative throughout most of the story.
The Harlem Renaissance was all about freedom of expression and the search for one's identity. Zora Neale Hurston’s, Their Eyes Were Watching God, shows these goals through the main character Janie and her neighbors. Janie freely expressed what she wanted and searched for her identity with her different husbands. Even though Janie was criticized by everyone except her friends, she continued to pursue. She lost everything, but ultimately found her identity. Hurston's writing is both a reflection and a departure from the idea of the Harlem Renaissance.
Racine, Maria J. "African American Review." Voice and Interiority in Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God 28.2 (1994): 283-92. Jstor. Black's Women Culture Issue, Summer 1994. Web. Dec. 2013.
Hurston’s Nanny has seen a lot of trouble in her life. Once a slave, Nanny tells of being raped by her master, an act from which Janie’s mother was brought into the world. With a crushing sense of personal sacrifice, Nanny tells sixteen-year-old Janie of hiding the light skinned baby from an angry, betrayed slave master’s wife. Young Janie listens to Nanny’s troubles thoughtfully, but Hurston subtly lets the reader know that Nanny’s stern, embittered world view does not have much to do with Ja...
... Janie is free-spirited and unconcerned about what others think of her. When she returns to Eatonville after Tea Cake’s death, she shows no shame for what she has done or where she has been, because she is finally able to live the life she always wanted to lead. Hurston’s own struggles in life for individuality and an outlet for her suppressed spirit clearly contribute to the development of Janie’s character. Just as Hurston struggled for recognition, equality, and purpose in the literary world during the Harlem Renaissance, Janie’s struggle for the recognition, equality, and purpose in her relationships.