Their Eyes Were Watching God Sexism Essay

Negative Influences of Sexism in Communities of Color Community in both Hurston and Roy’s novel play a vital role in not only shaping the way the reader views the characters, but also allows insight into the mindset of the people surrounding the main characters in the novel. By examining the roles that race, class, and more specifically sexism play in these communities, the authors are allowing the reader to reflect on the communities present in their own lives and therefore interpret the novel on a deeper level. With this in mind, Roy and Hurston are both shedding light on the negative communities present in The God of Small Things and Their Eyes Were Watching God, as well as the terrible influences that sexism in these communities have

Women in the community of Eatonville are brought up that the only way they can gain power is by marrying successfull men. This idea was bestowed on Janie from a very young age from Nanny, who was willing to neglect Janie’s needs for her selfish desire of seeing Janie married off. When Janie comes to see Nanny about her concerns regarding her lack of love for Logan Killicks, instead of comforting Janie or seeing her need to “want him” Nanny says, “Heah you got uh prop tuh lean on all yo’ bawn days, and big protection, and everybody got tuh tip dey hat tuh you and call you Mis’ Killicks, and you come worryin’ me ‘bout love”(Hurston 23). Forcing Janie into a loveless marriage with a man old enough to be her grandfather is Nanny’s way of securing Janie financially and socially because Nanny knows what it’s like to be a single mother in a community where illegitimate marriages and children out of wedlock are not the ideal, and with this mentality she works twice as hard towards the goal of making sure Janie is never looked down upon in the eyes of their