...Zora Neale Hurston – Naturalism Naturalism is defined as the view that whatever man encounters in any area of human experience is natural. In can be described in detail as factual or realistic representation, especially the practice of describing precisely the actual circumstances of human life in literature and the practice of reproducing subjects as precisely as possible in the visual arts (Yahoo! Education - Dictionary). Zora Neale Hurston, an African American writer, anthropologist, and folklorist, was a naturalist. She was born in the town of Eatonville, Florida, which is five miles from Orlando. Eatonville was the first all black community to be incorporated. Ms. Hurston grew up uneducated and poor, but she was immersed with black folk life. She had little experience with racism early on in life which caused her to have unconventional attitudes later in life. After graduating from the Morgan Academy, Ms. Hurston attended Howard University and received her associates’ degree in 1920. Ms. Hurston worked several jobs during her college years but was still often in debt. She struggled with poverty throughout most of her life despite her hard work. From 1925 on, Ms. Hurston lived in New York and eventually joined the Harlem Renaissance. She was one of the shapers of the black literary and cultural movement of the twenties. Ms. Hurston was the first black scholar to research folklore on the level that she did. From 1930s to the 1960s, Zora Neale Hurston was the...
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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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...their life. There are Americans that have lived up to this quote before, like American writers and patriotic individuals, and there were some events in WWII that were also extremely patriotic. Some American writers are overtly loyal in the literature they write. American writers vary from men to women to all colors like Walt Whitman, Langston Hughes, and Zora Neale Hurston. Walt Whitman, a civil war veteran, decided to write something worth reading. Whitman’s poems are about his time in the war, and about his remarkable events he had gone through. His writings showed Americans the good and bad times of the Civil War. Walt Whitman died in 1892. Langston Hughes wrote against slavery, and he tried his best to do what he could through his writings. Hughes was first noticed when he published his poem “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” in 1921. Langston Hughes did write many things worth reading so he also fulfilled the quote that he will never be forgotten even thought he is dead and rotten (died May 22, 1976). Zora Neale Hurston was another great American writer. Her books inspired Americans though out her life to help end slavery. Zora and Langston finished Zora’s first novel, “Mule Bone”, in 1931. She has many more books that show her patriotism. Many Americans can still be inspirational even though they didn’t write “something worth reading” they can “do something worth writing”. There are many individuals that didn’t necessarily write something worth reading, but they did something...
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...Jocelyn Dill Professor Samuels English 102-05 23 October 2012 Close Reading Analysis: The Gilded Six-Bits In Zora Neale Hurston’s short story “The Gilded Six-Bits,” there are many aspects that can be analyzed. However, I found it interesting that the act of objectification is reoccurring in this story from beginning to end. Objectification means to make a person or thing into an object rather than a human being or what it is. The character, Otis D. Slemmons, plays a very pivotal part in this story. His perception of wealth also plays an important role since the whole turning point of the storyline happens because of it. Mister Slemmon’s wealth and possessions cause everyone to be drawn to him. He himself allows women to treat him as an object rather than a person. Joe is extremely mesmerized by Slemmons. As soon as he hears of his presence, Joe can’t say enough about him to Missie May. She even gets to the point of exhaustion with Joe going on and on. “‘A new man done come heah from Chicago and he done got a place and took and opened it up for an ice cream parlor’” (Hurston 285). “‘Yeah he’s up to date. He got de finest clothes ah ever seen on a colored man’s back’” (Hurston 285). Slemmons is a symbol of wealth and admiration. He is also the cause of all the drama that takes place in this story. Missie May gives us the impression that she is a loyal, faithful wife to Joe. However, after Slemmons comes to town, we learn that is not true. Slemmons is...
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...In the novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God written by Zora Neale Hurston, Hurston depicts the life and struggles of a black woman named Janie Crawford. Hurston uses the literary technique of symbols to represent the plot and emotions of Janie throughout the work. The two prominent symbols pertaining to the growth of Janie is the symbolization of her hair and the hurricane, which act as a symbols for restraint and oppression. Although the hair symbolizes confinement, while the hurricane representing Janie’s continual struggle, they also reveal her strengths and advancement as a character when she breaks free of those bonds. Through the symbolization of Janie’s hair and the hurricane, two themes are highlighted: the struggle to discover the individual stems from language and power, and liberation comes from self discovery found in personal loss. Hurston utilizes the connection between themes and the symbolization of Janie’s hair and the hurricane to give meaning of Hurston’s interpretation of Janie. Their Eyes Were Watching God is unique as a novel because of Hurston choice of conversational dialect for the characters. Throughout the novel Hurston uses the Southern black dialect in order to bring a realistic feel to the setting and plot line for the reader. The irony in the novel’s unique choice of conversational dialect is that the protagonist, Janie, is often hidden behind the other characters in the novel. This brings about the first theme which is, the struggle to discover...
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...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 to vocalize their opinions regarding the other’s work. Hurston and Wright grew up in diametrically different spheres and shared very little in common regarding early life experiences. As a child, Wright was raised without his father,...
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...Michaels 1 ! Summer Michaels Ms. Field June 6th, 2016 AP English Language & Composition B Zora Neale Hurston Interview 10 questions that I will ask her in this fictional interview. 1. Why was your birthdate so controversial and where did that come from? 2. Did you script out character development before writing? 3. What did you think about your Dad winning the Mayor position when you were young? 4. How did you feel after your Father had abandoned you? Did you ever rectify that relationship? 5. What was it like being the only black student at Columbia? Michaels 2 ! 6. Do you enjoy talking about Zombie's since you've been asked to speak about them in several interviews? 7. How do you feel about being titled - an outspoken black conservative? 8. What would you recommend to girls who are unsure of path to do out of high school? 9. What do you respect so greatly that you would bow to it? 10. Why were you attracted to anthropology? An article in question-answer format for The Virtual Times with Zora as the featured artist. I am being lucky enough to interview Zora Neale Huston, I have read her novel “Their eyes watching God” and my editor and her have agreed to allow me a quick ten question interview. 1. I decided it would like I was too old to have earned certain credentials and I thought that would hurt me or have people disregard my thoughts 2. Sometimes. Sometimes not. I just wrote with my heart most of the time and I wrote...
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...Elijah Sanders English 1020 Fall 2013 Biographical Research Essay Langston Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri. He was the second child of Caroline Langston and James Hughes. After his parents' divorce his father left the country for Mexico and then Cuba to escape the racism of American society. After his divorce his mother traveled looking for work leaving Langston to be raised by his Grandmother in Lawrence, Kansas. Langston Hughes later lived with his mother again along with his new step-father in Cleveland, Ohio where he attended high school. In high school Hughes was elected to be the class poet. he felt that he was only chosen because he was African-American. "I was the victim of a stereotype. there were only two of us negro kids in the whole class and our English teacher was always stressing the importance of rhythm in poetry well, everyone knows, except us, that all negroes have rhythm, so they elected me as class poet." Hughes grew up and lived in an extremely racist time. he came from a long line of ant-slavery and also very politically active people on his mother's side. Hughes also had his own opinions on politics. like many black writers and artists of this time Hughes was drawn to the idea of communism rather than segregated America and lots of his work reflected that. his poetry was often published in the CPUSA newspaper. he was involved in many communist led organizations though was more of a sympathizer than an active participant. Hughes was accused by...
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...Mrs. Doody English 113 November 11, 2011 The Harlem Renaissance changed America in many ways. It is a time where African-American culture was able to express themselves through different ways in the arts. The Harlem Renaissance took place during the 1920's and 1930's. Langston Hughes is one many great writers that came about during this time. Hughes poetry was a reflection of the African-American culture and Harlem. He spoke about the struggles that he and other African-Americans faced everyday. In a time when America was still known for being “separate but equal” Langston hughes poem “Ballad of the Landlord” shows the treatment and struggle African-Americans faces through the voices of The tenant, landlord then police and the newspaper. “Ballad of the Landlord” is a rhythmic poem written by one of the pioneers of the Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes. The poem is about a frustrated African-American tenant who lives in a Harlem apartment which is owned by an Caucasian landlord. The reason the African-American tenant is upset, is because he is lives and paying rent in an apartment that is slowly breaking down. He seeks to his landlord to fix his the issues in his apartment but they are ignored. The tenant becomes further frustrated when his landlord claims that he owes 10 dollars in rent. When he refuses to pay the balance until the apartment is repaired, the landlord threatens to evict him. The tenant who is already upset, threatens physical violence, which the landlord...
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...One of the themes in the works of Langston Hughes is inclusiveness. Inclusiveness is defined as including all parts of society and treating individuals fairly. Hughes started writing during the Harlem Renaissance, which was a new African American movement during the 1920’s and 1930’s. Hughes focused on modern, urban African American lifestyles and ultimately wanted fairness. During the Harlem Renaissance, most writers got inspiration from music and theatre. Some events that happened during this time would include African Americans being honored for their literary works which increasingly made this phase of literature. In result we have Hughes work. Inclusiveness is one of the themes throughout Hughes work, but specifically “I, too”, “Democracy”, and “Theme for English B” stand out strongly for describing how fairness and being included was a huge priority for African American’s during this time. In the poem, I, Too, Hughes portrays the idea of every race being equal. From the poem, Hughes says, “…they send me to eat in the kitchen when company comes…” (3-4), meaning that the African Americans were excluded from the guests of the house because they were not equal. Hughes portrays power and ability to overcome these hardships and ultimately wants other people from different races to see the absolute true beauty from within. Hughes wants to feel included like every other race is included with feeling beautiful. Hughes says, “They’ll see how beautiful I am and be ashamed…” (16-17)...
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... "Their eyes were watching God" is quite an awe-inspiring story about Janie Crawford's quest for self-revelation and freedom of self-expression. She starts off as an innocent and curious little girl who does not truly know herself and the world around her. But, one day, she finds herself lying down beneath the pear tree witnessing the wonders of animals and nature in astonishing unity. She ha[s] been summoned to behold a revelation[…..]She [is] seeking confirmation of the voice and vision, and everywhere she [finds] and acknowledge[s] answers. A personal answer for all other creations except herself. She [feels] an answer seeking her, but where? When? How? (p. 11). By showing her all the beauty that can exist in this world, this moment stimulates her desire to strive for the same herself and triggers all of her aspirations. It creates a chain of astonishing discoveries first and foremost about love while ultimately leading her to self-discovery. Hence it becomes the vital factor in her journey. By exploring what true love is and what it means to her, Janie opens up the world she never knew existed. With love for Joe (Jody) she finds an outlook for the brighter future and it brings her the sensual love which fascinates her. It also gives her a chance of living on high and helps her understand what type of life she truly craves for. The love for Tea Cake brings her even further. It gives her adventure, sensuality, the freedom in self-expressing and equality that she could not...
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...Their Eyes Were Watching God is a classic novel written by Zora Neale Hurston. Hurston uses the story of Janie Crawford to show how women had to gain and develop a voice for themselves. Women during this time were seen as either a “toy’ men could show off or a worker. Janie Crawford went through three marriages. In each marriage, she learned what she did and didn’t want in love. Janie also learned about herself. The things she went through in her marriages helped her develop a voice and her own personality. Janie had to develop her sense of self and independence. Janie had been alone from the beginning, her father left and so did her mother. Her grandma was her only hope of developing into a great and independent woman. Janie had no idea how...
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...For some readers, Zora Neale Hurston’s novel Their Eyes Were Watching God falls short of challenging the outdated societal views of the 1930s in any meaningful way. However, for many other people, it has clear value as a piece of literature that explores sexism and racism through symbolism and the characters’ actions. Hurston utilizes language in her novel as a symbol of the power, or lack of power, that certain groups of people held in society during the 1930s. In some sections of the book, this symbolism relates to women’s lack of power. Throughout her marriage with Joe Starks in particular, Janie is controlled with verbal abuse and manipulation; Joe’s voice represents his power over her. He repeatedly tells her not to speak in public...
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...Standing on a street corner at the intersection of 142nd Street and Lenox Avenue, in Harlem, New York, New York, around the year 1930, dazzling lights would flash, a sign would read Cotton Club. Inside could be heard, on any given night, the likes of Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, or even the great Satchmo himself, Louis Armstrong wailing on his trumpet. Welcome to the Harlem Renaissance, a period of time where according to the book Harlem Renaissance, is said to be: “Harlem intellectuals, sharing in that belief and seeing themselves as living out the moment of their race’s rebirth” (Huggins 9). The Harlem Renaissance was a time of a great cultural blossoming, not only for New York, but for the United States. During this period, one man stands above the rest, Louis Armstrong. Louis Armstrong is the most noteworthy jazz player of the Harlem Renaissance. Not only is Armstrong’s skill with a trumpet unmatched, the length and depth of his career is a tell tale sign of a legend.The affect in which Louis imprinted on jazz, elevated jazz itself. Armstrong raised the bar for the next generation. Louis Armstrong's ever lasting legacy rings throughout time. The start of Louis Armstrong's career according to the Britannica profile “started in 1922 when King Oliver sent for Armstrong to play second cornet in Oliver’s leading band in Chicago” (“Louis Armstrong”). As long as breath filled his lungs Louis was trying to perform. In the book Louis Armstrong - An Extravagant Life it gives testament...
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...Their Eyes Were Watching God The novel Their Eyes Were Watching God is a story of a woman’s growth as a person physically, emotionally, and intellectually while on a journey for life fulfillment. Janie lives her life how her grandmother wants her too, and then tries to take her own course only to find out that she is still unhappy. Finally she finds happiness within herself. During the Harlem Renaissance Janie faces all of these feelings and conflicts. The Harlem Renaissance was a movement that included the new African-American cultural expressions across United States during the 1920’s. In Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston uses the style element of conflict to reflect from the Harlem Renaissance ideal of asserting agency, while she departs from the ideals of the movement with her use of conflict to reflect from the Harlem Renaissance ideal of...
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