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Their Eyes Were Watching God Symbol Analysis

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So many people become impatient when it comes to growing up and maturing. Masaru Emoto once said, “If you feel lost, disappointed, hesitant, or weak, return to yourself, to who you are, here and now and when you get there, you will discover yourself, like a lotus flower in full bloom, even in a muddy pond, beautiful and strong.” This quote is especially apparent in Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God as Hurston uses symbolism to express Janie’s life experiences. Multiple uses of symbols can be found in this story such as the pear tree to follow in Janie’s journey of self awakening.
Many symbols focus on aspects of Janie’s identity including the pear tree which is brought to attention throughout the novel. The pair tree in her …show more content…
Her second husband Jody even mentions, “A pretty doll-baby lak you is made to sit on de front porch...” (Hurston 26). This provides insight on Jody’s view of love compared to the bees and the blossom; Jody believes the woman should be treated like a queen not obligated to work. Incidents like these eventually lead to selfishness and Starks demonstrates this by treating her as a personal slave. Each man Janie is in a relationship with, such as Jody, guides her to a new checkpoint to finding herself. By Hurston writing, “Starks said impatiently,…”Whut you waitin on?” the reader is able to be aware that Janie is distancing herself emotionally from Jody. Her word choice in referring to Jody as “Starks” represents Janie emotionally distancing herself. This provides recognition of Janie’s grasp on becoming who she wants to be by ridding toxic people from her life. As time goes on Janie meets new people including Tea Cake, yet after a few life experiences she learns not to try to jump into love. She finds herself doing her daily duties while “she thought resisting thoughts about Tea Cake” (Hurston 68). After living as she was, Janie is skeptical of meeting a new man taking into consideration Hurston uses the word “resisting” to describe Janie’s thoughts of Tea Cake. In the evaluation of this, Janie is tempted to pursue Tea Cake but puts herself first displaying she has truly grown up mentally.

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