Rape In Janie Crawford's Their Eyes Were Watching God

Each year, over 300,000 women are raped in the United States. As a result, 1 in 5 women have the chance of being a rape victim. Violence against women goes in hand as well, as every 9 seconds, a woman is a victim of either violence or domestic abuse. These phenomenons need awareness brought to them so one day these cruel actions will be stopped for good. However, many classrooms do not teach this topic and choose to ignore it for the sake of their educational programs. The novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, for example, uses rape in the story to enhance the solemn background of the main character, Janie. Many schools have banned this book as it introduces this topic openly. Therefore, although the novel contains controversial topics such

as racism, rape, and domestic abuse, Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God should be used as a learning tool in high schools to better enhance the education of students and to teach them about the dangers reality possesses.
The novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, illustrates a society where women are tossed around and neglected.

Janie Crawford, the novel’s main character, is an African American woman who eventually married three times throughout her lifetime. Her mother was raped by her schoolteacher and eventually gave birth to Janie, leaving her behind for Janie’s grandmother to raise her. A research article focused on Their Eyes Were Watching God concluded that “The devastating impact of the white discourse on black people which has targeted their identity is an integral part of this paper” (J Nov. Appl Sci. 1). It is evident in the novel that Janie (along with several other African Americans) are mistreated because of their skin color. This novel was set in the early 1900s, when although slavery was abolished, African Americans were not treated equally; the whites still held an unwritten superiority towards them. Although an imbalance of equality between whites and blacks is present, this novel should not be banned from the classroom because it teaches the cruel but true history of our nation. Our country’s history cannot be ignored like this, because it is a part of a valuable piece of literature and it makes society appreciate our new customs of equality that currently

stand.
The concept of rape should be taught in novels like Their Eyes Were Watching God to highlight the significance of the dangers that reality contains. This topic is necessary for discussion in classrooms to make students aware of the real-world situations that many humans have to deal with and undergo. An article favoring that rape should be brought aware to in schools, states that the issue of rape “can only be solved by educating young people properly” (Bentham). Students need to be educated on this topic so that in the future they are aware of these types of crimes, so that in the years to come they will how to help those who are unaware of the dangers of the topic. If novels such as Their Eyes Were Watching God are banned from schools, then students will no longer be able to understand that such issues have been and are sadly still a part of today's culture in society. However, if novels like this are not banished from schools, then students can better understand the issue of rape, and have a better comprehension of this unpleasant cruelty that affects hundreds of thousands of Americans every year.
The concept of domestic abuse and violence should be taught in novels like Their Eyes Were Watching God to educate students on these types of situations rather than shielding it from the classroom. Although this topic may personally affect students and their families, it should not be ignored in novels that portray this bitter circumstance that occurs in reality. An article explaining why violence should be discussed in schools states that “Violence is not inevitable, but that it can be prevented (Merino). If schools banish this book from their curriculum, students will be incapable of learning the hardships many people endure throughout their lives, and they will not be properly educated from a literary standpoint. This results in violence continuing to occur in numerous homes all over the country. Violence will never decrease because there will be no students taking initiative to put an end to it, so it will continue to transpire.
In contrast, Their Eyes Were Watching God should be banned from schools because it presents offensive content that students may find degrading and repulsive.

It has already been banned from several schools across the country due to this controversial affair. In the novel, Janie claims that “Dat’s how come us don’t git o further than us do. Us talks about de white man keepin’ us down” (Hurston 72). Janie is explaining how the African Americans are being put down by the whites in an order to make a change, or to “git further” in life. Several individuals may find this topic a sensitive issue and prefer not to discuss these discrepancies in an educational environment amongst a blend of cultures. If the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God and similar titles to it are banished from the classroom setting, there would be less controversy amongst students who may find such content offensive. Therefore, these titles should be banned in order to avoid future disputes about delicate

subjects.
Although the novel contains controversial topics such as racism, rape, and domestic abuse, Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God should be used as a learning tool in high schools to better enhance the education of students and to teach them about the dangers reality possesses. This novel teaches students about the trials and tribulations many African Americans and women had to battle in the early twentieth century. If the education system banned Their Eyes Were Watching God and titles similar to it, there would be no basis to teach students this country's unjust but real history. In order for students to fully understand and relate to the sensitive topics such as these violent issues, such novels should not only be allowed in the classroom curriculum, but encouraged.