Their Eyes Were Watching God Theme Analysis

Theme development in Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Marriage

“She saw a dust-bearing bee sink into the sanctum of a bloom ...So this was a marriage! (Hurston 11)"

At this point in the story, Janie’s ideas of marriage are still pure and innocent. She sees marriage as a union between two creatures without ulterior motive

“Did marriage end the cosmic loneliness of the unmated? Did marriage compel love like the sun the day? (Hurston 21)”

Confronted with the inevitability of an arranged marriage, Janie starts questioning her ideas of marriage and love. Janie knew that she would soon marry Logan Killicks and also knew that she did not love him.

“She knew now that marriage did not make love (Hurston 25).”

Janie is quickly disenchanted with marriage. Once seeing it as a pure and loving union, Janie now sees being married does not guarantee happiness or love. Killicks

“‘Tain’t dat Ah worries over Joe’s death, Pheoby. Ah jus’ loves dis freedom (Hurston 93).”

The fact that Janie says that she is just happy to be free from Joe after his death tells a lot about their marriage. Joe had seen their marriage as a reason for him to control her.

“De man’s wife died and he got uh lovely place tuh take her [Janie] to-already furnished. Better’n her house Joe left her (Hurston 111).”
For the people of Eatonville and others of the time, marriage is used as a tool to gain something. Janie was left with a house from her old marriage. The society believes that her next reasonable step is to find a new marriage from which she can benefit.
“No need for Janie to wait any longer. Wear the new blue dress because he meant to marry her right from the train
(Hurston 116).”

“‘Yo’ husband musta had plenty money when y’all got married...Tuh git hold of uh woman lak you (Hurston 140).”

Roles of Women
“‘Janie, youse uh ‘oman, now,’ ...The vision of Logan Killicks was desecrating the pear tree (Hurston 12-14).”

Janie’s grandmother sees her kissing a boy when Janie is sixteen.

Upon seeing this, she decides that Janie is a woman. This newfound womanhood entails that Janie is now old enough to be married. Janie’s grandmother informs her that she has already chosen a man for Janie to marry. A century ago, the idea of an arranged marriage was far less appalling than it is in modern day America; however, Janie still expresses her distaste for her new fiance. Despite this, Janie accepts that it is her role as a woman to be married. Her grandmother’s opinion was a popular one. According to the society of the time, a woman would only have what her husband had, so it was important to marry when you were still young and marry someone who could provide for you. Janie accepts this as her role as a woman and marries Killicks soon

after.
“Janie loved the conversation and sometimes she thought up good stories on the mule, but Joe had forbidden her to indulge (Hurston 53).”
In Joe’s perspective, the type of woman he wants Janie to be has a very specific role. Janie is supposed to stay quiet and separate herself from the townspeople. She is supposed to keep her hair covered as to not attract attention from the townsmen. Her role as his wife is to be there for him and only him.
“Somebody got to think for women and chillun and chickens and cows. I god, they sho don’t think none theirselves (Hurston 71).”
Joe believes that Janie should be completely dependent on him. He believes that it is her role as a woman and as his wife. Joe even goes as far as to compare women to animals, expressing that neither could think for themselves and neither should try. This is a way of him again saying that a woman should be dependent and let a man control their life for them.
“Jody classed me off. Ah didn’t… Ah always did want tuh git round uh whole heap, but Jody wouldn’t ‘low me tuh
(Hurston 112).”
Joe keeps Janie separate to keep her to himself. He keeps her away from the townspeople and puts her on a pedestal. This puts her in a situation where she is completely dependent on him for companionship. Janie leads a very private life when she is married to Joe because of this possessive behavior. Even though Pheoby claims to be Janie’s best friend, she still hears about what is happening in Janie’s life through the town gossip. This relates back to what Joe thinks the role of a woman is.
“Wish yuh could see me rollin’. But dis time it’s gointuh be nothin’ but tough men’s talkin’ all kinds uh talk so it ain’t no place for you tuh be (Hurston 125).”
The type of relationship between Janie has with Tea Cake is very different from the one she had with Joe. Tea Cake is happy to have Janie around. He doesn’t want her left out. Despite this, Tea Cake still doesn’t want Janie to go to the gambling match and be around all the other men. This is because, though she is a robust woman in his eyes, she is still a woman, and it isn’t the role of a woman to be involved in such a rugged activity.
“Tea Cake was a good boy...He worked like a dog for her and nearly killed himself saving her in the storm, then soon as he got a little fever from the water, she had took it up with another man...Hanging was too good (Hurston 186).”
The accusations that the men use to describe Janie are all stereotypes of how unruly women act. They claim that Janie is slothful, when in reality, she would often work alongside Tea Cake. They say that Janie leaves a sick Tea Cake despite her role as his wife is to nurture and take care of him, However, Janie actually stays with Tea Cake despite the fact Tea Cake has a serious illness that makes him dangerous to the people around him, especially Janie. They accuse her of cheating on her sick husband, which is a vile offense when it is the role of a woman to be faithful to and to care for her husband.
“‘uh white man and uh [black] woman is de freest thing on earth.’ Dey do as dey please (Hurston 189).”
The men then claim that a black woman gets unfair treatment that makes them...