Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God

1382 Words3 Pages

text grows evident in its role as an element thematically—aligning with the journey Janie undergoes to establish self-determination and a unique identity as a woman of color. The intensely metaphoric language Hurston employs in her initiation and closure of the novel are interpreted to signify the universal human tendency of relying on imagination to “enliven and elaborate” on life developments (Crabtree, 1985, p. 59). With abstract concepts such as death, existence, and loss, the author confronts these components of the unknown by having characters either identify or construct a driving force to make it more logical, which suggests a potential connection between how the title Their Eyes Were Watching God indicates that the characters use God …show more content…

59). Therefore, the impact of folklore as a medium for human beings to understand themselves and their surroundings influences how Hurston depicts Janie’s process of realization as conveyed through the extended metaphor of the horizon, concluded with the aforementioned highly-impactful last words of the text. It is, however, not possible to sufficiently encapsulate the complex overarching role of the horizon in the novel without a consideration of the specific plot Hurston presents to demonstrate this increasing sense of consciousness Janie attains within all the pages between the first and …show more content…

The narration effectively summarizes Logan’s influence on Janie concisely, explaining, “She knew now that marriage did not make love. Janie’s first dream was dead, so she became a woman,” (Hurston, 2006, p. 25). The importance of her relationship with Logan was to help Janie define what love is not, which she realizes through Logan’s disrespect of her and purchase of a mule for her to tend the land alongside. Consequently, Janie’s discontent in this first relationship drives her to decision to leave Logan for Jody, accelerating the plot and bringing forth new revelations. The text reflects this initiating transition towards her self-realization: “What was she losing so much time for? A feeling of sudden newness and change came over her…The morning road air was like a new dress,” (Hurston, 2006, p. 32). Hurston’s presentation of a simile comparing Janie’s shifting environment to a new article of clothing signifies a step towards the next aspect of the character’s journey, expressed primarily through her second

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