Their Eyes Were Watching God Feminist Analysis

Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God helps us envision the struggles and battles of oppression of an African American woman, named Janie, during the turn of the century. As Janie strives for happiness and love we are provided with multiple examples abuse, disrespect and tyranny on behave of her own individuality, goals and dreams. Not only do we see that Janie was extremely disrespected but also misconceived on their roles in the social ladder in a severe patriarchal society.
Janie’s upbringing is seen to be what causes distraught and unhappiness with her future relationships. The one person who is responsible for this is Nanny, Janie’s grandmother. From a young age Nanny instills the mindset that Janie’s only way to survive

in such a cruel world, is to have a man by her side to protect her, provide for her and ultimately control her life. Janie isn’t allowed to have her own dreams or chase things she believes in because that isn’t how a lady is to act in this world. The only vision Nanny wants Janie to go after is the one where a woman needs a man money, security and protection, and then she will find happiness. Janie is a strong opinionated woman, however she’s also and African American women and so the odds are heavily stacked on her to fail. Nanny notices this and wants the best for her “De nigger woman is de mule uh de world so fur as Ah can see. Ah been prayin' fah it tuh be different wid you. Lawd, Lawd, Lawd!” From this point in the novel we see that Nanny has just compared her granddaughter to a mule, hence that women in those times were seen as nothing greater than a piece of meat that works while the men receive all the praise and glory. Nanny eventually arranges a marriage for Janie and Logan, who is wealthy and can support Janie, who is 3 times younger than Logan.
Logan Killicks was the man Nanny felt safer with to protect Janie even though Janie dislikes him ever so much.

Logan views his wife the same as Nanny; every woman is to cook, clean and support their husbands whenever needed. There is a social standard for women to just be maids or housewives and it is ridiculous for them to aspire to be anything greater than that. Logan wants to further oppress his wife by turning her into a slave. He wants her to do all the things in the house and also help plow the field “Ah aims tuh run two plows, and dis man Ah'm talkin"bout is got uh mule all gentled up so even uh woman kin handle 'im." Logan doesn’t see a woman he’s married to he just see another worker to help with his daily chores and since she is a women there is no way she could ever handle a sturdy brute mule, hence that it is shown that she a gentle and delicate mule that only a women could use. Since divorce was not an option for women back in those it was either stay and possibly be killed by Logan or get up enough courage to run off and that’s where Mr. Joe comes into

play.
Joe is the second person in Janie’s life to provide a false vision of hope, happiness and freedom from her oppression.

In the story, Joe states “A pretty doll-baby lak you is made to sit on de front porch and rock and fan yo'self and eat p'taters dat other folks plant just special for you." From the beginning of their relationship Joe notices that Janies beauty is the biggest source of power. Joe denies her any chance of individuality by making her cover her hair or a chance to socialize; he keeps her locked up either in the house or the store with busy work where she is only as useful as an animal. Another example where we see Joe oppress Janie’s voice is at the town meeting where people want Janie to speak but Joe quickly puts a end to it by that it illustrates that women didn’t have a voice during those times. Women were to be seen not heard for they were seen as uneducated and to talk amongst men was ludacris. Janie begins to take a stand for herself against Joe’s constant control on her life, we see that she is gaining power and control of her own life even so its only for a short period of time. She is becoming her own women with her own ideas and unique personality. Even then, on his death bed Joe blames Janie for his soon to come death. Janie, of course, mourns but is liberated and freed from the shackles that Joe has placed on her for so many

years.
We see that Janie is starting to gain her own voice as she stands up against Joe but as that is happening something new intrigues her. Tea Cake comes along and helps Janie grow by letting her interact and develop in the world like any man would; for example he allows Janie to play checkers allowing her to be an actual human being. Janie already had the money, the store and a house to live in after Joe’s death so the only thing that mattered to her now is love, which Tea Cake gives her, but now has control of. In chapter seventeen, Joe beats Janie to show that he is still in control; which from a feministic stand point shows that women cannot fight back or defend themselves, the men will always have a sense of power over them no matter what.
In conclusion Janie has evolved as woman in many ways providing a sense of entitlement and unification among other women of her time. Eventfully, Janie made it her purpose to outgrow the social norm of a patriarchal society, fulfilling her dreams that were once hindered by oppression. Hurston did not want to just unify women but she wanted to break the racial boundary as well making the women whole to stand up against the patriarchal society that in control throughout America.