Their Eyes Were Watching God By Zora Neale Hurston: Character Analysis

In Zora Neale Hurston’s “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” Janie Crawford’s self-discovery and self-accomplishments make her a role model to Pheoby and especially to the reader. Throughout her journey towards her goals, her “horizons,” Janie lacks guidance through a role model and finds herself struggling through difficult situations. Despite the lack of guidance in her life, she works against the forces that oppose her and overcomes her struggles to reach a point of accomplishment and self-satisfaction. Through her experiences told in her narrative, Janie represents a truly inspirational role model for not only Pheoby, but for the readers of the novel.

Throughout the book, Janie does not have the privilege of looking up to someone as an example

to use for direction as she faces her struggles. It can be argued that Nanny serves as Janie’s role model, but her monetary ideas and goals she plans for Janie are not what Janie envisions for her own future. As a result of growing up a slave restricted of her freedom, Nanny sees women as the “mules of the world.” (14). She wishes “protection” (15) for Janie through marriage because of her belief that black women cannot grow and flourish in society to achieve their goals. This idea of protection from a man depicts what Nanny believes to be the best for Janie, but Janie sees herself as something more. Janie believes that she can fulfill her own envisioned dreams by marrying a man she truly loves and forgetting the importance Nanny focuses on wealth. At one point, Janie states that "she hated her grandmother” because she took the “biggest thing God ever made, the horizon." (89). Nanny lacks the guidance that Janie needs and instead, she strips her of hope for a better and satisfying future. For this reason, Janie does not have a role model to look up to. She sees her position in society and feels the need to overcome her struggles, even without the necessary guidance of a role model.
Despite the lack of a role model, Janie’s experiences and her struggles make her an inspirational example to Pheoby and particularly to the reader.

The struggles that Janie is challenged with, such as her marriages with Logan and Joe, hold her back from reaching closer to her “horizon”, but she finds ways to escape the entrapment of these men. By discovering her voice and recognizing her power, Janie is able to free herself of her struggles. She tells dying Joe that “you gointuh listen tuh me one time befo’ you die” (87). At this point, she begins to fully develop her voice, acknowledge her power, and demand respect and uses this self-discoverment to her benefit. Throughout her journey, Janie’s ultimate goal is to find true love. On the way to her “horizon,” she must face the forces against her. These forces are men like Logan and Joe as well as society’s expectations for a black woman like her. The fact that Janie is able to overcome her challenges against men as wells as reject the societal expectations for her. By the end of the novel, Janie is “satisfied” with herself and has “been tuh de horizon and back” (191). She learns that true love is “lak de sea” (191) and that it is an intangible concept that is different for everyone. She also learns the power of her voice, but also when to use it. She learns that “talkin’” is just as important as “listenin’.” (192). By surviving through her journey and overcoming her struggles against society’s vision for her

future and the greater forces against her, Janie teaches Pheoby and the reader her most meaningful lessons. Phoeby speaks for reader when she says to Janie that “Ah done growed ten feet higher from jus’ listenin’ tuh you.” (192). Janie’s self-revelations, self-discovery, and self-satisfaction make her an inspiration for the reader in that she shows that one’s “horizon” can be reached, even with an immense amount of struggles and forces against one.