Nature In Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God

Throughout Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, nature is used to tell and help visualize Janie’s story. Each of the objects symbolizes certain aspects of Janie’s life and connects to her experiences. These ideas are portrayed through nature: the pear tree, the bee and flower, and the sun and horizon are all examples in the story. While all of these show the beauty in nature, the destruction it can cause is shown through the hurricane. Nature is shown as both a beautiful and destructive force to convey the connection it has with life. The pear tree is quite a significant object throughout the novel; it is what causes the spark that creates the ideas of love and marriage within Janie. It not only symbolizes her love and hardships

The horizon is related to the theme of wishes and dreams and is used often with the pear tree, as they both symbolize Janie’s dreams of love and life. The horizon is used as an example of far off dreams just out of reach for Janie, but, “others they sail forever on the horizon, never out of sight, never landing…mocked to death by time” (pg. 1). The idea of the horizon or light at the end of the tunnel is used not only in Janie’s story but in everyday life. While the horizon is used frequently as a symbol, it is unique for Janie as it represents a better life. For most of Janie’s life, her dreams remain sailing on the horizon, out of reach, but even though they are out of reach, she continues to

Using nature like the pear tree and the horizon, compared with the destructive forces of naure as well, a sense of life, love, dreams, and death can be created out of words. Janie is able to achieve her dreams of finding love and keeping it even after Tea Cake is dead. She is able, “[pull] in her horizon like a great fish-net,” and to, “call in her soul to come and see” (pg. 193). Janie is able to reach her horizon and find herself and grow into a beautiful yet powerful woman, much like nature she is beautifully