Personally, in the book Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, I think there is a reflection of the Harlem Renaissance more than a departure. Janie, the main character, has to go through many troubles. A lot of these troubles involve the way they are dealt during this point of time of the Harlem Renaissance. Their Eyes Were Watching God, in many ways is a novel reflecting the Harlem Renaissance, some being sexuality, power, and gender; all of which involve strict rules during this era. In many ways, the novel tells about Janie’s sexual awakening. Because the novel was written in the time period where sex was a very taboo subject to talk about, most of the references are disguised as metaphors. For example, in the novel, Janie finds a man and thinks “He could be a bee to a blossom” (Hurston 126). Janie being the blossom. Something like “the birds and the bees,” of today as explained to curious children. Unlike Nanny, Janie doesn’t see sexuality as a frightening and damaging thing to do to oneself. So when Janie lets “Johnny Taylor kiss her over the gate post,” and Nanny sees it she becomes upset and wants Janie to marry right away …show more content…
For about half of the novel Janie was unable to speak her mind. I noticed this mainly because today most women are allowed to say and do as they please. Janie did not get to speak out of permission, play checkers nor do something so simple as to attend mule funerals. Which i thought that if someone was prohibited to do these things today it would be very absurd. It was very common for women then, to listen and obey their husband because they were afraid of what they could do to them. For example, in the last half of the novel Tea Cake “had whipped Janie” because “Being able to whip her reassured him in possession. No brutal beating at all. He just slapped her around a bit to show he was boss”