Essay - Their Eyes Were Watching God - 1510 Words

Essay – Their Eyes Were Watching God Author Zora Neale Hurston weaves many powerful symbols into her acclaimed novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God. Hurston’s use of symbols enhances the reader’s understanding of the trials and tribulations along the road of self discovery for the story’s main character, Janie. Of the many symbols used throughout the novel, one in particular - Janie’s hair - is subtle yet striking as it gives us insight into Janie’s perceived social status, oppression, self identity, and her eventual independence through her self identity as a woman despite the social norms of the time period. From the very beginning of the book, Janie’s long, straight, flowing black hair causes a stir among the â€Å"porch talkers† of the†¦show more content†¦Janie) in a sexual manner. It also shows how jealous Joe was of Janie and her youthfulness, as Jody was 10 years her senior. The head rag â€Å"irked her endlessly† (55), however she submits to Jody’s control. With Joe Janie must hide her real self, being what her husband wishes her to be, presenting a faà §ade to the outside world of whom they think she should be, not who she really wants to be. Janie’s outward appearance and her inward thoughts contrast following Joe’s death. She finally frees herself from his control only after he dies as she, â€Å"†¦tore off the kerchief†¦and let down her plentiful hair† (87). In freeing her hair, Janie begins to free herself from others’ control and social norms. However, she chooses to keep it tied up until after Jody’s funeral in order to keep appearances that she is grieving his passing in front of the townspeople. However, on the inside, Janie doesn’t really feel any sorrow and â€Å"sent her face to Joe’s funeral, and herself went rollicking with the springtime across the world† (88). It is only after Joe’s elaborate funeral that Janie shows her first act of freedom by burning â€Å"every one of her head rags and went about the house next morning with her hair in one thick braid swinging well below her waist† (89). She chose to let her hair be free from his domination, thus freeing herself from him overall and allowing herself to move onto the next journey in her life. Janie’s eventual third husband, TeaShow MoreRelatedTheir Eyes Were Watching God Essay724 Words   |  3 PagesTHEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD ESSAY  ¬Ã‚ ¬ Janie Crawford is surrounded by outward influences that contradict her independence and personal development. These outward influences from society, her grandma, and even significant others contribute to her curiosity. Tension builds between outward conformity and inward questioning, allowing Zora Neal Hurston to illustrate the challenge of choice and accountability that Janie faces throughout the novel. Janie’s Grandma plays an important outward influenceRead More Eyes Were Watching God Essay711 Words   |  3 Pages Their Eyes Were Watching God provides an enlightening look at the journey of a quot;complete, complex, undiminished human beingquot;, Janie Crawford. Her story, based on self-exploration, self-empowerment, and self-liberation, details her loss and attainment of her innocence and freedom as she constantly learns and grows from her experiences with gender issues, racism, and life. The story centers around an important theme; that personal discoveries and life experiences help a person findRead More Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay1757 Words   |  8 Pages Their Eyes Were Watching God Book Report 1. Title: Their Eyes Were Watching God 2. Author/Date Written: Zora Neale Hurston/1937 3. Country of Author: 4. Characters Janie Mae Crawford- The book’s main character. She is a very strong willed, independent person. She is able to defy a low class, unhappy life because of these factors, even though the environment that she grew up and lived in was never on her side. Pheoby Watson – Janie’s best friend in Eatonville. Pheoby is the only towns person whoRead MoreEssay on Their Eyes Were Watching God921 Words   |  4 Pagesafter she starts a sentence with his new name, he cuts her off with Leave de sposin and everything else to me (50). Janie is satisfied to stop sposin for the time being. As she rides away with Joe Starks, she realizes that her old thoughts were going to come in handy now, but new words would have to be made and said to fit them (54). Because Janie associates marriage with her experience under the pear tree, she allows Nanny to arrange for her first legal name change to Mrs. Logan KillicksRead MoreEssay on Their Eyes Were Watching God921 Words   |  4 PagesTheir Eyes Were Watching God An Analysis So many people in modern society have lost their voices. Laryngitis is not the cause of this sad situation-- they silence themselves, and have been doing so for decades. For many, not having a voice is acceptable socially and internally, because it frees them from the responsibility of having to maintain opinions. For Janie Crawford, it was not: she finds her voice among those lost within the pages of Zora Neale Hurston’s famed novel, Their Eyes Were WatchingRead More Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay6216 Words   |  25 Pages Their Eyes Were Watching God Theme Many times the love that a person is looking for is the one that a person doesnt realize. Setting The author begins and ends the book on a porch where Janie is telling her story to her friend Pheobe Watson. The book begins in the morning on the porch and then ends at night, symbolic of beginning and end. In between these two times Janie is telling her story which travels through the state of Florida. Style In this book, Hurston writes in the dielectRead MoreEssay about The Growth of Janie in Their Eyes Were Watching God2970 Words   |  12 PagesTheir Eyes Were Watching God      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Human beings love inertia. It is human nature to fear the unknown and to desire stability in life. This need for stability leads to the concept of possessing things, because possession is a measurable and definite idea that all society has agreed upon. Of course, when people begin to rely on what they know to be true, they stop moving forward and simply stand still. Zora Neal Hurston addresses these general human problems in her novel Their Eyes Were WatchingRead More Voice and Language in Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay example2794 Words   |  12 PagesVoice and Language in Their Eyes Were Watching God      Ã‚   In one way or another, every person has felt repressed at some stage during their lives. Their Eyes Were Watching God is a story about one womans quest to free herself from repression and explore her own identity; this is the story of Janie Crawford and her journey for self-knowledge and fulfillment.   Janie transforms many times as she undergoes the process of self-discovery as she changes through her experiences with three completelyRead MoreEssay on Love in Zora Neale Hurstons Their Eyes Were Watching God869 Words   |  4 PagesLove in Zora Neale Hurstons Their Eyes Were Watching God The novel Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (1937) is a search for self-fulfillment and true love. On a porch in a small town called Eatonville a story is told about an attractive African American womens journey. Her name is Janie Crawford. Her struggle to find companionship and herself starts as a young girl who had lost both of her parents. She lives with her grandmother who is a nanny for a wealthy white family. JanieRead MoreTheir Eyes Were Watching God: Janies Quest for Love Essay example2590 Words   |  11 PagesIn Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, the main character, Janie Crawford, is on a quest to find true love. Like many people, she begins her journey not knowing what love is. Janie encounters many obstacles in her quest for love. Even when she finds love with Tea Cake, more obstacles challenge their relationship. de very prong all us †¦ gits hung on. Dis love! Dats just whuts got us uh pullin and uh haulin and sweatin and do in from cant see in de mornin till cant see at night