Layla Edwards January 20, 2023
Clamencia Paul
Stabihanka Dessources
English II Honors
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Hook- Blu Context/Background: Gre Thesis: Dar
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The novel “Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston, highlights women who quest for better love lives but face difficult struggles before gaining them. In the novel “Their Eyes Were Watching God” which took place in Eatonville, Florida Janie
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As Janie transitions into womanhood, she gains independence from abusive relationships, and she realizes being loved the proper way is everything. Symbolic representations are used throughout the novel to convey these messages. Two of the symbols that were brought up a lot in the book are the horizon and the gloaming pear tree. The horizon symbolizes Janie's struggle to find herself. The pear tree represents Janie's youth and desire for love in Hurston's novel. Readers are introduced to the pear tree at the beginning of the novel: "Oh to be a pear tree- any tree in bloom! With kissing bees singing of the beginning of the world! She was sixteen. She had glossy leaves and bursting buds and she wanted to struggle with life but it seemed to elude her” (Hurston, 1937, 43). Janie's view of herself is reflected in this quote. It symbolizes how Janie believes the pear tree represents her. The memories etched in her mind are rooted in the ground, and her visions are rooted in the branches of the pear tree. As the pear tree sprouts, so do her dreams. Also, the pear tree gave her a sense of life and it gave her a view of harmony. Janie experiences some struggles in her maturity process as does the pear tree while going through the process of blooming. The novel revolves around Janie's realizations, maturation, and standing up for herself. Seeing that a future with Joe cannot be based on her youth, Janie realizes …show more content…
This allows the reader to gain a deeper understanding of the characters through these comparisons. Throughout the novel, Janie’s horizon and hope is to find committed love, and she believes that it is with a wealthy, older man named Logan. The reader can infer that throughout most of the novel, Janie struggles with finding true love, being in several relationships that resulted in her being hurt in the end. During a conversation about why it is important for Janie to marry a wealthy man, Nanny says to Janie, “You know, honey, us colored folks is branches without roots and that makes things come round in queer ways.” (Hurston, 1937, pg. 40). Nanny emphasizes that during slavery, black families could never form roots, which is why she should marry Logan. A short time before, Nanny continued to persuade Janie into marrying Logan Killings, saying, “De n***** woman is de mule uh de world so fur as Ah can see.” (Hurston, 1937, pg. 40). In her description towards black people, Nanny illustrates the harsh reality of black women post slavery in this quote. Which shows how societal norms force this notion that black women must do what others tell them to do, regarding relationships especially. In the novel, this is revealed by the comparisons Nanny made towards black women and the animal, which became one of the novel's key characteristics. The author
Their Eyes Were Watching God was a novel written by Zora Neale Hurston, American author, filmmaker, and anthropologist, who writes about a character named Janie, a dynamic character throughout the novel. Janie would change both her values and personality to match people that would be around her the most, in which case would be the men of her life. Janie meets three bachelors named Tea Cake, Logan Killicks, and Joe starks. Each of these characters brought new and different approaches to life. Tea Cake.
A pear tree blossom in the spring” (106) Janie saw Tea Cake and she automatically thought that he could be the one she falls in love with. This metaphor shows that love can make you think crazy things. Hurston also
For the first ‘bare’ part of her life, Janie is a mule not to a man but to her own grandmother. In her youth, Janie yearns for relationships and objects that to her symbolize freedom. She is drawn to a blossoming pear tree because of how its “barren brown stems [turn] to glistening leaf-buds; from the leaf-buds from snowy virginity” (10), Here, Janie is awed by something changed from ‘barren’ to beautiful as she struggles with the suppression of her grandmother, who goes on to bash Janie for kissing a boy through a gatepost. It is clear Janie associates the pear tree with freedom, as she was avoiding her chores to sit under it. Thus, the beauty she finds in the turn from stem to blossom is directly correlated with the joy she finds in the escape from her grandmother and discovery of freedom.
After being with Tea Cake for a little while, Janie begins to feel strong feelings towards him which she describes as if “he could be a bee to a blossom–a pear tree blossom in the spring” (Hurston 106). Hurston utilizes the words “pear tree blossom in the spring” to portray how Janie felt towards Tea Cake. Janie felt like Tea Cake was like spring, and pear trees, which is how she wanted to feel when being around someone that she loved. Janie creates an image for herself which she looks back on every time she meets someone, because if she does not feel this way about someone she believes that he is not the right person. Through the use of these metaphors we are able to understand how Janie really did want to find someone who would be the perfect match for
Nirvan Pandya Mr. Farnsworth English 11 Honors February 9th, 2023 The Progression and Fight for Feminism in Their Eyes Were Watching God In American literature, works of the 20th century are likely to be based on the progression of rights and freedom for minorities. Their Eyes Were Watching God, written by Zora Neale Hurston, is a feminist novel analyzed by many critics, depicting the development of the protagonist, Janie May Crawford. Janie is a biracial woman who spent most of her life subdued by towering masculinity up until her third marriage.
Throughout Zora Neale Hurston's novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, she uses Janie's character development to emphasize the importance of developing one's voice. Due to being beaten down and disregarded, she finds it difficult to stand up for herself in her relationships. The detrimental effects of her relationships with Joe Starks, Nanny, and Logan Killicks prevent her from using her voice. Hurston emphasizes the importance of speaking up when Janie is forced to remain silent in her relationship with Joe.
Why is this important this ties down to what the theme’s develops and what she experiences through out her life. Her Interactions with the White men and Women were also different that can be shown at page 15 “So de white man throw down de load and tell de nigger man tuh pick it up. He pick it up because he has to, but he doesn't tote it. He handed it to his womenfolk.” This shows that no matter how it was gone, the past still remains and the black people have no choice just to obey and one nanny believes that a white master is dangerous and especially an attractive woman like this ties down to the ancestors and her daughters that experience hell in
In The Eyes are Watching God, the author Zora Neale Hurston expresses the struggles of women and black societies of the time period. When Hurston published the book, communities were segregated and black communities were full of stereotypes from the outside world. Janie, who represents the main protagonist and hero, explores these communities on her journey in the novel. Janie shows the ideals of feminism, love, and heroism in her rough life in The Eyes. Janie, as the hero of the novel, shows the heroic qualities of determination, empathy, and bravery.
Impacting the readers with the wisdom of her words, “Two things everybody’s got tuh do fuh themselves. They got tuh go tuh God, and they got tuh find out about livin’ fuh thyselves.” (Hurston pg 192) Janie has lived her life but most importantly she has lived it the way she wanted it for herself. The journey she has taken through all her marriages are moments that have taught both the character and audience the lessons of finding one's truest
This leads her and others in her life to be at odds. Furthermore, illustrating Jaine's idealism of love by seeing the world in such detail and viewing it differently than most people, especially when considering a pear tree coming into bloom, as Jaine sees it as "every blossom frothing with delight," (Page 11) which helps to paint a detailed picture of the
Throughout the book, we see Janie growing up and going through similar stages in her own life. In a way, the tree and Janie’s journey mirror each other in the way that they grow. Janie also is gaining a new perspective on life in this moment. This scene is a revelation for Janie, one where she’s waking up to the beauty of life and how she personally wants to live. Shortly after, she also says, “She was seeking confirmation of the voice and vision, and everywhere she found and acknowledged answers.
Husbands and wives always loved each other, and that was what marriage meant” (Hurston 21). As demonstrated in this citation, all Janie ever knew from her grandmother was that the world was all perfection and hope. Janie grew up with the idealistic mindset that everything works out, but that was very far from the case. Although at the time Janie was not optimistic about her marriage, she stuck to the idea that husbands and wives always loved each other and there was nothing else to it. She stuck to the idea that love would come when she married Logan.
Mara Rodgers Mrs. Cross American Lit and Comp 17th March 2023 The Human Experience In Zora Neale Hurston’s book, Their Eyes Were Watching God she uses human life/experience to demonstrate how human pursuits can't stop the forces of nature. Hurston uses Janie’s character to not only break societal norms but to support her message about the human experience through Janie’s complicated story.
Janie’s grandmother, Nanny, forces Janie to marry a man she is not in love with out of convenience. Nanny does not want Janie to suffer the necessities of life, but Janie cares little about materials and seeks love. Nanny’s ideology haunts Janie for much of her life, influencing decisions she takes later in marriage. Huston says, “The memory of Nanny was still powerful and strong,” which shows how Janie conforms to the ideology her grandmother instilled in her. And although Janie conforms, she continues to question inwardly about love.
One of the universal themes of literature is the idea that children suffer because of the mistakes of an earlier generation. The novel "Their Eyes Were Watching God" follows the story of Janie Mae Crawford through her childhood, her turbulent and passionate relationships, and her rejection of the status quo and through correlation of Nanny 's life and Janie 's problems, Hurston develops the theme of children 's tribulations stemming from the teachings and thoughts of an earlier generation. Nanny made a fatal mistake in forcibly pushing her own conclusions about life, based primarily on her own experiences, onto her granddaughter Janie and the cost of the mistake was negatively affecting her relationship with Janie. Nanny lived a hard life and she made a rough conclusion about how to survive in the world for her granddaughter, provoked by fear. " Ah can’t die easy thinkin’ maybe de menfolks white or black is makin’ a spit cup outa you: Have some sympathy fuh me.