Post World War One, many countries experienced a time of peace as well as an increase in political movements, creating the perfect environment to foster radical social change. Perhaps the country to have the most radical social change was the United States, with its many cultural and political movements. Perhaps one of the most recognizable movements to occur was feminism, which was reignited by the nineteenth amendment. Many women became active in politics and the arts, as shown in Zora Neale Hurston’s novel Their Eyes Were Watching God. Heralded as one of the greatest products to come out of the Harlem Renaissance, the novel is a conglomeration of various themes written in Hurston’s emotional turmoil. When dissecting the rhetoric of the novel, …show more content…
Throughout the novel, the theme of individuality is ever present as a direct byproduct of the mental state in which Zora Neale Hurston wrote it. Before the novel was even a thought, Hurston was studying at Columbia University. While she was attending university, Hurston found a man with whom she “‘did not just fall in love. [She] made a parachute jump’” (Ramsey page 37). Despite starting so perfect, it became apparent that the relationship could not weather the test of time. She escaped her relational woes by joining a research fellowship destined for the Caribbean. In the Caribbean she would come to write Their Eyes Were Watching God in a rapid seven weeks with little time to polish the work. It is apparent that the events of Their Eyes Were Watching God were heavily inspired by the recent events of Hurston’s life. Many parallels can be drawn between her own relationship and Janie’s relationship with Jody Starks. After Jody died, Janie was able to reflect and “[find] a jewel down inside herself” (Hurston page 90) before embarking on an exodus to the muck with Tea
Even though when Zora Neale Hurston wrote the inspiring novel in 1937 right at the end of the modernism era, Hurston was influence by the philosophy from the modernism movement. During this time, which took place between 1880-1860 people, determined things by using their feeling over reason and nature over civilization? “That brought her wide awake. She bolted upright and peered out of the window and saw Johnny Taylor lacerating her Janie with a Kiss. “Janie!” the old woman’s voice was so…in command and reproof…that Janie half...
What is one’s idea of the perfect marriage? In Zora Neal Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie has a total of three marriages and her best marriage was to Tea Cake. Janie’s worst and longest marriage was to Joe Starks where she lost her dream and was never happy. The key to a strong marriage is equality between each other because in Janie’s marriage to Joe she was not treated equally, lost apart of herself and was emotionally abused, but her and Tea Cake's marriage was based on equality and she was able to fully be herself.
..., she found her identity. It did not come easy for Janie. It took her years to find out who she really was.
Zora Hurston’s novel “Their Eyes Were Watching God” depicts the journey of a young woman named Janie Crawford’s journey to finding real love. Her life begins with a romantic and ideal view on love. After Janie’s grandmother, Nanny, soon grows fearful of Janie’s newfound sexuality and quickly marries Janie off to Logan Killicks, an older land owner with his own farm. Janie quickly grows tired of Logan and how he works her like a slave instead of treating her as a wife and runs away with Joe Starks. Joe is older than Janie but younger than Logan and sweet talks Janie into marring him and soon Joe becomes the mayor of an all African American town called Eatonville. Soon Joe begins to force Janie to hide not only her
Their Eyes Were Watching God is written by Zora Neale Hurston in the year of 1937. In the novel, the main character is Janie Crawford. Janie has been treated differently by others during her life because of how she was raised and the choices she has made throughout her life. The community is quick to judge her actions and listen to any gossip about Janie in the town. Janie is known to be “classed off” from other members in her community in various ways. “Classed off” means to be separate or isolated from other people.
In, Their Eyes Were Watching God, the author takes you on the journey of a woman, Janie, and her search for love, independence, and the pursuit of happiness. This pursuit seems to constantly be disregarded, yet Janie continues to hold on to the potential of grasping all that she desires. In, Their Eyes Were Watching God, the author, Zora Hurston illustrates the ambiguity of Janie’s voice; the submissiveness of her silence and the independence she reclaims when regaining her voice. The reclaiming of Janie's independence, in the novel, correlates with the development and maturation Janie undergoes during her self discovery.
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.
“There are years that ask questions and years that answer.” From the moment one is born, one begins to form their identity through moments and experiences that occur throughout the years. In Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, Janie’s identity of independence arises through her past marriages through the words and actions of her husbands.
When thinking about the novels that are read in high school, To Kill A Mockingbird and The Great Gatsby come to mind for most people. The novel Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston usually is not thought of. Throughout the years, critics believed Hurston’s novel to be just fiction and that it pose no meaning. In spite of the novel not having much politics, it does contain many social issues from the past that are still somewhat relevant today. Above all, Their Eyes Were Watching God deals with the way people are unequally treated in society based on their gender, race, or anything that makes them diverse from others. It is probable that Hurston brings up the controversial issues of her time era in the hope to cause a transformation in the world.
“Death is the greatest gift you never want to receive. It is the great equalizer of mankind. For death knows no name, no race, no social class or status. It is the only way man to enjoy a meaningful existence. For if there were no death, there would be no meaning” by Dan McDaniel. In the book Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, Death is consistent throughout the book. Death is found throughout the book as an equalizer, it shows that despite people's thoughts that they are better than one another, or that they will not die until they believe that they are ready, however, that is wrong. Death, in this book, does not discriminate, does not wait, and does not care about human-made hierarchies.
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.
“Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board.” (pg.1, par.1) and so begins the powerful story of Janie Crawford, along with the author’s menagerie of different styles and tones. These tones and styles set the stage for Zora Neale Hurston’s major themes, all of which were strongly introduced and defended throughout the novel. Hurston’s themes vary from sexism, to dialogue, and to religion; which during her time were extremely prudent issues to the U.S. and even a few other countries. However, her approach to these issues, though strong, is quite different from that of similar novelists of the time period. Her unusual way of portraying issues throughout this book gives her writing a sense of mysterious intellect; so much so one won’t fully understand it until they have finished the entire novel.
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston was written in 1937 during a time when both African Americans and women were underappreciated in the United States. Both being victims of unequal treatment by the supreme white men of the time, these two groups suffered when trying to advance through society and life in general. They struggled daily to find adequate and equal-paying jobs, have the same ownership rights as white men, and have an equal opportunity to voice their opinion in the government, especially through voting, along with other things. The common restrictions put on these minorities were highlighted in Hurston’s novel through the symbolism of Janie’s weakness as a female, teenager, and a dreamer.
Zora Neale Hurston, through her novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, was trying to teach her readers that in every relationship there is a dominant person, and a submissive one. Whether the relationship is romantic, or with a friend or acquaintance, there is always a person who is more dominant, and feels more powerful. Power in a relationship is distinguished often between genders, race, and popularity or likeability of people. In these relationships, there is an unbalanced distribution of power because for a long time men were believed to be superior to women, some races are considered inferior to others, and people who are more attractive and well liked will often have the adoration, attention, and support of peers, which provides them with more power in society.
The use of profanity, sexual content, and aspects of rebellion and immorality in the novel, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger has caused it to be challenged and banned in several school boards such as California, Wyoming, and North Dakota; however, the novel should not be banned due to it allowing the author to express himself and to be an excellent reference point for the younger generation in the trials of life ahead. Banned books are books that have been voted on or decided by the people of a community or organization to restrict access to, either based on age or the decided terms. A challenged book or the act of challenging a book is requesting a vote or rule to prohibit books. Pieces of literature can be challenged or banned for many reasons, but most occur due to the use of profanity, sexual content, and immorality. One