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Free response one page essay about zora neale hurston
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Free response one page essay about zora neale hurston
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Feminist Blasphemy: Symbolism and Rebellion Adding to the recurrent references to feminism, the use of animalization is used in Their Eyes Were Watching God as a vehicle to drive symbolic weight. Throughout the novel, written by Zora Neale Hurston, the animal symbolically used is a mule and is episodically brought up throughout the novel. In addition to the mule casting the load of burden and weight to African Americans, Hurston sympathetically uses it as a symbol to represent the struggling independence of black women during this time period. The protagonist, Janie, can allegorically be seen as a mule in this novel through the harsh burdensome treatment of her husbands, her constant struggle with the patriarchal system of early 20th century …show more content…
She explores multiple marriages, each being different from one another. Janie’s mother states that women are “de mules uh de world” (Hurston; 29). This suggests that Hurston contains feminist principles within this scenario of Janie going through multiple relationships. Claire Crabtree publishes an article relating to Hurston’s novel titled The Confluence of Folklore, Feminism and Black Self-Determination in Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God that relates these marriages to the suggestion that “women [are] seen as valuable only as long as she hesitates; once she is won over and possessed in some way, she ceases to arouse interest or be perceived as valuable” (Crabtree; 59). This implies Janie is treated in a relative same sense as an animal to her husbands. Crabtree also states that her husband, Killicks, includes a mule with her work in the fields, claiming a direct reference to “her elopement with Starks” (Crabtree; 59). While one perspective supports the assumption that Janie is a workhorse like a mule, Hurston also tries to paint the picture that Janie never gives up, even when she is consistently beaten by the patriarchal system she is enslaved in. Janie expresses this behavior when she declares that she can “Utilize mahself all over” (Hurston; 169) to Tea …show more content…
The symbolism in this research is pointed towards the idea that the mule is at the mercy of its master. It is constantly performing tasks at its inconvenience. This could point to the most obvious symbol that the title of the book could be the women. The mule (their eyes) is watching God. When Nanny says, “De nigger woman is de mule uh de world” (Hurston; 29), one could argue that the African American woman represents all of whom is looking up to their higher being: God. Could the patriarchal figures in Janie’s life be a representation of her God? Hurston could have possibly created this way of thinking to challenge the way society looks at women and the way women look up to
Zora Hurston’s novel “Their Eyes Were Watching God” depicts the journey of a young woman named Janie Crawford’s journey to finding real love. Her life begins with a romantic and ideal view on love. After Janie’s grandmother, Nanny, soon grows fearful of Janie’s newfound sexuality and quickly marries Janie off to Logan Killicks, an older land owner with his own farm. Janie quickly grows tired of Logan and how he works her like a slave instead of treating her as a wife and runs away with Joe Starks. Joe is older than Janie but younger than Logan and sweet talks Janie into marring him and soon Joe becomes the mayor of an all African American town called Eatonville. Soon Joe begins to force Janie to hide not only her
In, Their Eyes Were Watching God, the author takes you on the journey of a woman, Janie, and her search for love, independence, and the pursuit of happiness. This pursuit seems to constantly be disregarded, yet Janie continues to hold on to the potential of grasping all that she desires. In, Their Eyes Were Watching God, the author, Zora Hurston illustrates the ambiguity of Janie’s voice; the submissiveness of her silence and the independence she reclaims when regaining her voice. The reclaiming of Janie's independence, in the novel, correlates with the development and maturation Janie undergoes during her self discovery.
The yellow mule and Janie share many similarities. Both the mule and Janie were lighter in color than the others of other kind to show their difference. Yellow mules are not rare, but they are not common either like biracial people. Both the mule and Janie were deprived of a source needed in life. The mule is said to be “skinny” in the book and people tease the owner for not feeding him. Likewise, Janie was deprived of love in her relationship with Janie making her almost lifeless like a starving mule. With a starving heart and belly, they both work to the days end, not seeing much fun. Hurston write in the book, “see the devil plowing Matt Bonner all day long in a hell-hot sun and laying the rawhide to his back.” According to this quote, the reader could infer that the mule was work in a similar way and that this way caused the mule pain and suffering. Janie was also not allowed to leave the shop. Jody never let her go to outside the town, give speeches, join conversations on the porch, or let down her hair. Even when the mule, died and the whole town went to have a funeral. Jody told Janie to stay at the store. They shared a similar oppression by a man that was given power over them by the world. Out of all the resemblances between Janie and the yellow mule, the way the mule died was the most significant. The mules end was just like Janie’s beginning. The mule died under a tree, lying on its back as it to look up at the tree or the sky. Janie laid on her back under a tree in the beginning of the book as well. Hurston describes Janie’s feeling under the tree as “a flute song forgotten in another existence and remembered again”. Janie comes to a realization when under the tree in the beginning, just how the mule realizes his death under the tree. The mule turned on his back because he knew death was coming, otherwise he would have been on his side as one of the characters described it. In the same way,
In Zora Neale Hurston’s novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, the main character, Janie, struggles to find herself and her identity. Throughout the course of the novel she has many different people tell her who she should be and how she should behave, but none of these ideas quite fit Janie. The main people telling Janie who she should be is her grandmother and Janie’s 3 husbands. The people in Janie's life influence her search for identity by teaching her about marriage, hard work, class, society, love and happiness. Janie's outlook on life stems from the system of beliefs that her grandmother, Nanny, instils in her during her life.
People are constantly searching for their voices. A voice gives someone independence and the ability to make her own decision. The First Amendment ensures that all United States citizens possess the freedom of speech; however, not all people are given the ability or opportunity to exercise that right. When a person has no voice they rely on others to make their decisions. Throughout Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Are Watching God, Janie constantly struggles to find her voice. Her marriage to Logan Killicks, Joe Starks, and Tea Cake help her discover and utilize her voice in different ways. During Janie’s first marriage to Logan she has no voice, Joe silences Janie’s tiniest whisper and controls her similar to a slave; in contrast to Logan and Joe, Tea Cake encourages Janie to use her voice and make her own decisions. Janie cannot express her voice until she discovers happiness and independence through her final marriage.
Zora Neale Hurston an early twentieth century Afro-American feminist author, was raised in a predominately black community which gave her an unique perspective on race relations, evident in her novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God. Hurston drew on her on experiences as a feminist Afro-American female to create a story about the magical transformation of Janie, from a young unconfident girl to a thriving woman. Janie experiences many things that make her a compelling character who takes readers along as her companion, on her voyage to discover the mysteries and rewards life has to offer.
Janie sets out on a quest to make sense of inner questions. She does not sit back and
The late first lady Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "Hate and force cannot be in just a part of the world without having an effect on the rest of it." Mrs. Roosevelt means that although one person may feel alone through the hardships one faces, one has millions beside oneself who can relate to and understand what one may feel. Zora Neale Hurston shows that even though Janie's family and spouses continue to be abusive and harsh toward Janie, their hate and control left her stronger than before, preparing her for the next challenges thrown at her. In Their Eyes Were Watching God, the deaths' of close relatives and family positively affect Janie because she tends to become more educated and wiser with each death she overcomes in the obstacles she calls her life.
From the beginning of society, men and women have always been looked at as having different positions in life. Even in the modern advanced world we live in today, there are still many people who believe men and women should be looked at differently. In the work field, on average women are paid amounts lower than men who may be doing the exact same thing. Throughout the novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston brings about controversy on a mans roles. Janie Crawford relationships with Logan, Joe and Tea Cake each bring out the mens feelings on masculine roles in marital life.
Gender inequality has been a major issue for many centuries now. Societies insist in assigning males and females to different roles in life. The traditional stereotypes and norms for how a male and female should present themselves to the world have not changed much over time. But individuals are more than just their gender and should have the right to act and be treated the way they want. The novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
In the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, Janie Crawford, the protagonist, constantly faces the inner conflicts she has against herself. Throughout a lot of her life, Janie is controlled, whether it be by her Nanny or by her husbands, Logan Killicks and Joe Starks. Her outspoken attitude is quickly silenced and soon she becomes nothing more than a trophy, only meant to help her second husband, Joe Starks, achieve power. With time, she no longer attempts to stand up to Joe and make her own decisions. Janie changes a lot from the young girl laying underneath a cotton tree at the beginning of her story. Not only is she not herself, she finds herself aging and unhappy with her life. Joe’s death become the turning point it takes to lead to the resolution of her story which illustrates that others cannot determine who you are, it takes finding your own voice and gaining independence to become yourself and find those who accept you.
One of the underlying themes Zora Neale Hurston put in her book, Their Eyes Were Watching God was feminism. Hurston used each of Janie’s three marriages to represent Janie moving closer to her liberation and freedom from male dominance. She finally found her liberation and became truly independent after graduating from her final relationship with Tea Cake by killing him.
In every book, symbols provide ideas that form the overall themes. Janie is represented by multiple object; this helps the reader understand her. In Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, there are many objects like Janie’s hair, the mule, the pear tree, the horizon, and the hurricane that form Janie and help the readers understand who she is.
The novel Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston is not a novel that focuses on Janie’s quest for self-identity, but rather a journey towards freedom to be herself and to accept responsibility. The protagonist of the novel, Janie, is seen as a symbol for the movements of African Americans asserting themselves and earning their rights through confrontation after the Civil War. Janie in the story represents not only African American women, but also the African American population itself as a whole and their journey of being able to fully earn their rights and freedom.
Through her use of southern black language Zora Neale Hurston illustrates how to live and learn from life’s experiences. Janie, the main character in Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, is a woman who defies what people expect of her and lives her life searching to become a better person. Not easily satisfied with material gain, Janie quickly jumps into a search to find true happiness and love in life. She finally achieves what she has searched for with her third marriage.