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Their Eyes Were Watching God Janie's Identity

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People are often a product of the society in which they live. A person’s beliefs, thoughts and ideas about him or herself are often shaped by the role society plays in molding an individual. That said, a person does have the power to become self-aware, and create their own unique identity truly expressing who they are and how they want the world to see them; this is exactly what Janie does in Zora Neele Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God. At first Janie’s identity is determined by society and her partner based on her external appearance; however, Janie creates her own identity at the end of the novel, suggesting that one can eventually gain full control of their identity.
Mrs. Turner and Janie’s community create a superior identity for …show more content…
Mrs. Turner also expresses her views by saying, “Ah hates tuh see folks lak me and you mixed up wid ‘em. Us oughta class off” (141). Mrs. Turner desires to create a new race for “light skinned” folks like herself and Janie. Mrs. Turner tries to manipulate Janie into believing that she is too good to associate with black people who do not look the same as them; in hopes of gaining respect from white people. “We oughta lighten up de race,” Mrs. Turner says (140). At this point, Janie is unsure of her identity because Mrs. Turner convinces Janie she is not black, thus giving Janie the mindset that she is superior to other black people. Janie’s community sees her this way as well. When Janie returns to Eatonville, “The women took the faded shirt and muddy overalls and laid them away for remembrance. It was a weapon against [Janie’s] strength and if it turned out of no significance, still it was hope that [Janie] might fall to their levels some day” (2). The women in Janie’s community are jealous of Janie’s life, style, looks, and wealth; they are angry with her and use her status as a motive to dislike her. Janie views her status differently than society, but she is not given the

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