Their Eyes Were Watching God Symbolism Essay

Symbols provide more meaning and deeper representation of an object, or even a character. Through the usage of symbols, readers can connect and understand a character and their thoughts and actions. Janie Crawford connects with nature on a personal level, which provides readers insight. Nature, a predominant symbol in Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, directly parallels Janie’s desires and her sense of identity. Nature based symbolism in Their Eyes has two central recurring symbols: a pear blossom tree and the horizon. These two symbols represent Janie’s hopes and desires. Consistently throughout the novel, Janie repeatedly connects back to and with the tree or horizon. A romantic, Janie flirts with these two idealistic

Janie reluctance to marry Logan Killicks is evident at the very beginning of the relationship when she pictures Logan destroying the blossoming tree. Logan does not love or care for Janie like she wants him to therefore the relationship fails to meet to Janie’s marriage ideals. With the demise of Janie and Joe’s relationship, Janie comes to the realization that their marriage is unhappy and that she won’t have the happiness and love she desires in a marriage. Janie in a combination of self-awareness and realization thinks “she had no more blossomy openings dusting pollen over her man, neither any glistening young fruit where the petals used to be.” (Hurston 72). The barren, fruitless tree Janie depicts symbolizes a loveless, hapless marriage. Once again, Janie alludes to the pear tree as she reflects on Tea Cake, saying that “[Tea Cake] could be a bee to a blossom—a pear tree blossom in the spring.” (Hurston 106). Once Janie finally meets Tea Cake, her quest for true, fulfilling love is met. All of Janie’s desires and wishes for a marriage come together in her marriage to Tea Cake (Stein). Ultimately, the pear tree symbolizes Janie’s need for