...The title of Zora Neale Hurston’s book, Their Eyes Were Watching God, can come off as confusing to some readers, or it may trigger a certain thought process on trying to figure out what the title means. The title, Their Eyes Were Watching God, was only mention verbatim once throughout the entire novel. The title derives from a quote in the novel, “They seems to be staring at the dark, but their eyes were watching God” (Hurston 187). The title, as well as the quote holds a significant meaning to the entire book. One thing to take from the title, is that even though the book is mainly about Janie, is does not say “her” but it says “their” eyes making it known that we as humans (all humans) are susceptible to God and His will. The title symbolizes the fact that we do not have absolute control over our lives and that we look to God for direction and answers. It is easy for us to forget how similar we all are in our vulnerability until we face a situation that is out of our control. Janie’s eyes were watching God because she knows that their lives are in His hands. Only He knows...
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...Comparison of Gender Roles Gender roles have always been a part of the daily life throughout the 1900’s, however up until recently this has changed. Women have always wanted to have their own opinion, views and the ability to think and act for themselves. In many of the stories read in class, we see how both men and women have gender roles, and how some want them changed. On the other hand, if they even do. In many stories we have seen the characters struggle with societies views, Janie wants to work and be able to think for herself in Their Eyes Were Watching God. In Trifles, we see that women are considered unimportant, or that they only worry about the little things that seem unimportant, as said by the men in the play. Elisa in The Chrysanthemums also faces gender discrimination, which she wishes to overcome. In the last play we read, A Doll’s House, Nora is subject to gender discrimination as well much along the same terms as the previous stories read. In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie just wants to be treated the same as everyone else, meaning the male population. Joe treats her as a lesser person throughout the novel, however she feels she should be able to make her own decisions an example is when she tried to leave Joe, however his remarks were, “ where will you go, who will take you in being married and all leaving your husband.” This is Joe and the male society putting Janie down so she feels powerless, this caused her to stay with Joe and not leave, in addition...
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...Outline Thesis statement: In addition to the frequent references to nature, certain animals have symbolic weight in Their Eyes Were Watching God. The animal with the greatest symbolic charge in this novel is the mule. Mentioned frequently throughout “Their Eyes Were Watching God”, the mule obviously represents the carrier of heavy loads and burdens, but it can also, and does, represent stubborn resistance. The mule serves to illustrate the strained relationship between Janie and Joe Starks. The figure of the mule can also refer not only to Janie herself but to any black woman struggling for independence. Janie identifies with the mule, which remains stubbornly independent despite its masters efforts to beat it down. Ironically, while Jody's position in the city gives him the power to free the mule, his pride and ambition cause him to virtually enslave his wife. He can free Janie only by his death. The mule is also a symbol of the control that men have over things. Watson’s mule was worked hard and was not fed properly so he didn’t look healthy. Women are associated with this mule because the men in Eatonville made them work hard and they were not treated fairly (49). Some of the women in the town worked just as hard as the men and they were not allowed to enjoy a lot of the things men got to. The men liked to relax on the porch and play checkers. None of the women got to participate in these activities. This segregation was unfair to the women of Eatonville. Janie...
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...Saldivar 4/10/15 TEWWG Literary Analysis In “The Three Waves of Feminism” by Martha Rampton, she describes the second wave of feminism as the wave of obtaining equal rights for both genders. Rampton refers to the protest of the Miss America pageant in 1968 and 1969 where the women “crowned a sheep as Miss America and threw ‘oppressive’ feminine artifacts such as bras, girdles, high-heels, makeup and false eyelashes into the trashcan” (Rampton). Janie demonstrates a similar type of protest in the story after Jody dies. Then Janie gets remarried to Tea Cake and develops herself more as a feminist through the performance of task that were considered to be masculine. Janie goes in to visit her husband on his death bed. She talks and tells him how he oppressed her and wasn’t “de Jody ah run off down de road wid”. Once Jody finally does die in front of her, Janie “tore off the kerchief from her head and let down her plentiful hair” (Hurston 87). Janie is showing her protest of the oppressive clothing pieces that Jody had her wear by taking them off and letting her true self be shown and it represents the principles of the second wave of feminism. By not wearing the “appropriate” attire for a woman, Janie is showing how she is doing everything for herself and not to please men and fulfill their gender stereotypes. When Jody dies, Janie is single and rich so many men in the town try to come and marry her. She feels that she can live without a husband. But then Tea Cake comes and she...
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...of the world’s most prized artists; Claude Monet and Edgar Degas. Though they were both men of the same race and products of similar backgrounds, Monet and Degas developed contrasting artistic styles. While it is unlikely that they ever publicly reviewed each other’s work, the prospect of Edgar Degas, a devout realist, commenting on Claude Monet’s works of impressionism likely evokes phrases such as ‘stylistic misunderstanding’ and ‘representational disdain.’ Both Claude Monet and Edgar Degas actively sought to achieve some level of worldly representation through their works. They achieved this representation through vastly different methods and fundamentally different brushstrokes. As brushstrokes are to the canvas of the painter, diction is to the pages of an author’s work. The stark and frequently unadulterated realism that Richard Wright, one of the major novelists to emerge from the Harlem Renaissance, is known for, is often contrasted to his contemporary and rival, Zora Neale Hurston’s, more socially appealing racial and human sensuality. Much like Monet and Degas, who aimed to achieve some level of inspiration through their art, Hurston and Wright both actively sought to expand the minds of their audience through socially provoking writing. While no record of contemporary criticism is in existence between Monet and Degas, the same cannot be said for Hurston and Wright. Both authors were passionate about their own methods and styles and rarely shied away from an opportunity...
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...In a statement made by Richard Wright he states that the novel Their Eyes were Watching God doesn’t carry a theme, message, or thought, but through this novel there are several themes carried throughout such as gender roles, love, and independence. The gender roles represented in the novel are stereotypical in a way by the man being held and seen higher than the woman in the relationship. Through her marriages to Logan Killicks and Jody Starks, Janie is to be remain obedient and quiet, which represents the idea of the stereotypical gender roles in a relationship. Janies’s Nanny also expresses the stereotypical gender role by caring more about marital status than whether or not Janie is happy with the relationship. As the novel continues Janie...
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...The Power and Meaning of “Girl Watching" The concept of “Girl Watching” caught my eye right away. Most men do this even though they might not admit it. It has become a part of our culture that is easy to subject ourselves to and act upon without thinking. Most women would call this sexual harassment, but there are some women who think it’s just the way guys are. Technically they are right. Guys are this way, but they don’t have to be. We are all sinners, so we won’t always do the right thing. The problem is that too many people either accept “girl watching” or believe that it is something that is going to always happen and will never change. This mindset is developed through gender role socialization. Our culture has made “girl watching” a hobby that “manly” men do. If a guy decides to go against that cultural norm and resist the urge to ogle at a girl, they will be seen as less of a man. I see this every day. When a beautiful girl walks by it is almost unheard of to ignore her presence. Guys will make their inappropriate comments either out loud or quietly to the group and if I were to ignore the comments or tell them to behave, they would begin making fun of me. Why is this so acceptable? As Christians we should hold ourselves to a higher standard and try to protect and respect our sisters in Christ. Just like many other aspects of Christianity, doing the right thing will always be more difficult and require more work, but that shouldn’t stop us. ...
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...catching along a handful of fodder to put on the pile” (Pg 58) Fodder-food, dried hay or feed, for cattle or other livestock “The vision of Logan Killicks was desecrating the pear tree, but Janie didn’t know how to tell Nanny that” Desecrating- violate the sacred character of a place or language “Most of dese zigaboos is so het up over yo’ business till they liable to hurry theyself to Judgement to find out about you” (Hurston 6) Zigaboos- offensive ethnic slur “Time makes everything old so the kissing young darkness became a monstropolous old thing while Janie talked” Monstropolous- a growing forgetfulness that grows in proportion and size. “a heaping plate of mulatto rice” Mulatto-rice with a touch of tarbrush Diction: In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston uses colorful diction to reflect characterization, tone and theme. In chapter 7, Hurston’s word choice when Janie is describing the way Joe looks is important to note for several reasons, “his prosperous- looking belly that used to thrust out so pugnaciously and intimidated folks, sagged like a load suspended from his lions” ( Hurston 77). First, this characterizes the personality of Joe, it shows how Joe would push anyone out of his way to get what he wanted, power and respect. Secondly, it reflects the deterioration of masculine power and how Janie is rising up to be the powerful sex, since Joe is aging and deteriorating. Hurston’s tone is very mocking in this scene, almost of as if she is laughing at how the big and mighty...
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...drawn to the poems and essays by Sister Juana Inés de la Cruz, especially Poem 2 (Matthews, DeWitt Platt, 2014). The hypocrisy of what the anticpated gender roles for women of the time period are what initially drew me towards this work and it also prompted me to think about how much or how little expected roles for women today in certain cultures. The poem also mirrors the historical information in the main text for the class by indicating that while women may have been influential and held positions of power or esteem that for the majority of women the sentiments echoed in Poem 2 by were the how women were viewed in society by men of the time period. The contradictions about how women are perceived in Poem 2 seem so blatant and candid considering the time during which the work was created, especially the final stanza in which Sister Juana Inés de la Cruz compares the contradictions of the expected roles of women that were held by some men of the age to the ultimate evil, the devil. I am surprised that this work survived considering Sister Juana Inés de la Cruz’s strong connections to the Church and my perception of the Church and their willingness to censor and ban works that didn’t not agree with or questioned the validity of their structure. Even though during this age the Church did have women as part of its structure, women were to remain silent in their worship....
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...Zora Neale Hurston’s novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, is heavily embellished with themes and motifs that contribute to it being an eccentric piece of work. The novel prompts insightful questions over whether or not love and independence can coincide and brings up themes of sexuality and power. One thought provoking aspect of Hurston’s writing is her frequent application of nature to the novel’s symbols and motifs. A great deal of the symbolism in the book is portrayed through nature; such as, the pear tree, the hurricane, and the horizon, which are all aspects of nature that Hurston utilizes. Along with nature, Hurston uses physical attributes as well. The roles of the pear tree and Janie’s hair aid Hurston in creating the significant themes...
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...The 1930’s was focused mainly on the civil rights movement, but very few people paid much attention to black women and the many forms of discrimination they faced on a daily basis. Since the beginning of time social justice issues of gender and identity have been prominent when referring to black women, and thought these problems have been greatly diminished, they still persist today all throughout society. Society without a doubt greatly influences the way gender roles are constructed and that’s where we get most of the opinions and values we live by on a day to day basis. The author wrote this book not to make a mockery of black people and their social issues, but to show societies massive effect on gender roles. In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Hurston shows that in order for women to become empowered in a male dominated world they need to start by first...
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...Jun Xu Christopher Bishop Lit Trans 275 25 April, 2012 Image of Jewish Women’s Identity in 19th Century Denmark Imagine, how bad can a person’s life be? How about being in the lower class in society, struggling mentally, and being tortured by one’s own identity both sexually and racially? In Hans Christian Andersen’s tale, “The Servant,” the protagonist, named Sara, lives exactly such an unpleasant life. In this paper, Jewish identity, the role of women in 19th century Christian Denmark, and how these two identities intersect will be analyzed. In this tale, Andersen uses the dichotomy of “Deity and Death” to portrait the life of the unique character with both Jewish identity and female identity in 19th Century Denmark. In “The Servant,” Sara’s Jewish identity makes her unable to “formally” accept or be assimilated into Christianity, though she is pro-Christian in her heart. “I can no longer be a silent spectator of the gleaming eyes of the child, and of her deep and earnest longing for the words of the Gospel,’ said the teacher.” (Andersen 488) Sara is forbidden to become a Christian because of her parents’ intervention, especially her mother’s will. Why Sara’s family leaves Sara such a heavy burden? How does Jewish culture relate to Jewish beliefs? What is the idea Andersen trying to express behind? The religious belief among the Jews is so unique that they define how their religion is long time ago. Judaism is the religion, philosophy...
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...Doris Lessing, we meet a young man, an individual from a group of schoolgirls, and most importantly, a man about the age of 60. The narrator, whose name and gender is not given, also plays a part in the story. The old man is described as well presented, and knows a lot about paintings, or at least George Stubbs’ chestnut horse. The narrator certainly has respect for the old man, and implies that if he spoke louder when telling about the painting, people would mistake him for an official guide. “How much I would have liked to know as much as he did, and to share his passion for Stubbs and the horse”. This shows that the old man is truly sharing his passion with his young acquaintance, who unfortunately does not want to sit through it. The narrator also has an important role. It is because of him/her we get to hear the old man’s story about his childhood love. However, it is not before he deems the narrator worth it, that he shares his story. “Now he looked properly at me, took me in, decided I was worthy to continue.” This shows that the old man finds the narrator more mature and interesting than the young man. One of the biggest themes is the different stages in life. When the old man was in love with a 16-year-old girl, just like the one who sleeps near him in the story, he was only 12, and it meant that they were in completely different stages of their lives. The age gap was too big, just like it is in the story, now that the man is 60 years old. The young man is also...
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...The novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neal Hurston, is about a woman named Janie telling the story of her life to her friend, Pheoby. Janie, at sixteen, was on a quest for her ideal love and identity in Florida. Zora Neal Hurston portrays Janie after herself, as Hurston had a similar childhood to that in her story. Hurston had parents who were slaves and had lived in Eatonville when she was very young. She also had a fascination with nature, which added to the idea of Janie's idealized view of nature. Janie's journey to find what she was looking for was rough but she ultimately succeeded. In Their Eyes Were Watching God the author uses many symbols to characterize Janie's search for love and identity. In this story, Janie Crawford...
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...Maya Lin’s quote “To me, the American Dream is being able to follow your own personal calling”. To be able to do what you want is an incredible freedom.” fully captures the uniquely American idea of chasing one's dreams and aspirations in search of fulfillment. This idea can be found throughout Zora Neale Hurston's novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, which explores Janie’s journey to find her dream. Even if it goes against societal norms and pressures. The term “The American Dream” was first coined by James Truslow Adams in 1931 in his novel The Epic of America, where he writes about how the American Dream has influenced the United States' past but also future. To Adams, the American Dream is about reaching one’s best self and rising above what someone was born to do. But at its core, and what Maya Lin believes, is that the American Dream embodies...
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