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Essay on their eyes were watching god
Essay on their eyes were watching god
A literary analysis paper on their eyes were watching god
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In many instances, women never have the chance to realize their self worth or to meet their full potential. Learning about bravery, confidence, and selflessness is a major factor in Zora Neale Hurston’s novel. Their Eyes Were Watching God describes the troubles of a young African American woman, Janie Crawford, who is given the chance to learn in each of her relationships. Life presents one with limitless opportunities to learn and to better oneself. Janie finds a way to learn from unfavorable circumstances.
During her first marriage to Logan Killicks, Janie is young and naive. Her Grandmother notices her growing romantic curiosity and forces Janie to marry in an effort to avoid a young pregnancy. She voices her opinions to her Grandmother:
The pair love each other unconditionally and continuously prove the depth of their connection. Through unfortunate circumstances, Tea Cake teaches Janie about sacrifice:
Tea Cake rose out of the water at the cow’s rump and seized the dog by the neck. But he was a powerful dog and Tea Cake was over-tired. So he didn’t kill the dog with one stroke as he had intended. But the dog couldn’t free himself either. They fought and somehow he managed to bite Tea Cake high up on his cheek-bone once (157)
Tea Cake contracts rabies from the dog, ultimately giving up his life due to the ailment. Janie learns not only about the importance of sacrifice to save someone she loves, but of the significance of bravery in a time of need.
Janie is later tested on what she learns from each husband when she is forced to sacrifice her love of Tea Cake for her safety and his health, something she would be unable to do without confidence, courage, and selflessness. Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God showcases the struggles faced by Janie Crawford. The novel particularly brings attention to the struggles she faces due to her three marriages. However, Janie learns essential lessons from each of her marriages. Her rough life gives her the opportunity that she needs to
Tea Cake is more fun and relaxed than the previous husbands. What’s more important however, is that he views Janie as more of an equal than either of the previous husbands. Both of Janie’s first two husbands viewed Janie almost on the same level as an object, or a piece of property. Tea Cake sees Janie more as an equal and a companion.
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.
As much as Tea Cake had the qualities Janie was looking for she found a greater understanding of herself as a women besides her love. Janie was inexperienced at the start of her adventure, learned that love will not always come from promises, and had major reflection when she finished her first marriage with Joe that she went into with assurance. Janie was able to get a glimpse of independency after Joe died which is conveyed through the quote “Besides she liked being lonesome for a change. This freedom feeling was fine” (Hurston 90). Before meeting, Tea Cake Janie was able to understand that she was comfortable with not searching for love. However, Tea Cake was a reminder to her that her ideals of love were still out in the world. He was able to make Janie happy from doing things fun and childish and these activities like fishing during the knight, or playing chess were the things that society would not accept for a women like Janie. The first major instance when Tea Cake helped Janie go against society was when he played chess with her. While a small act to some readers, Janie found the act enormous in her eyes as it showed her that Tea Cake was a man able
When Janie is with Tea Cake she feels complete in all aspects of life, and feels no need to depend on anyone else but him. When Tea Cake passes away we see Janie almost dependent soley upon herself, but she still confides in her best friend Pheoby when she returns
"Janie's Learning Experiences in Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston :: Their Eyes Watching God Hurston." 123 Help Me. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. .
Earlier Tea Cake had gotten jealous of Ms. Turner’s son, and has slapped Janie just to relieve his fear inside him that he had. Also to show Janie, Ms. Turner and her son who is boss. Tea Cake begins to the men, “Ah, didn’t wants whup her last night, but ol’ Mis’ Turner done sent for her brother tuh come tuh bait Janie in and take her way from me. Ah didn’t whup Janie ‘cause she done nothin’. Ah beat her tuh how dem Turners who is boss” (TEWWG.17.148). Tea Cake wanted to prove a point to all the men in the town that he can control what 's his.Then suddenly the next day the storm had came over the Everglades and had flooded the whole town. Janie and Tea Cake had to leave their home because they would have drowned if they stayed. On their way to a safe location, Tea Cake had gotten bit by a furious dog which was intended to bit Janie but didn’t because he jumped in front of it. When the storm was over they went back to the Everglades and Tea Cake had rabies. The doctor had ordered that they don’t sleep in the same bed but Tea Cake feels abandoned. Tea says, ““How come you ruther sleep on uh pallet than tuh sleep in de bed wid me?” Janie saw then that he had the gun in his hand that was hanging to his side.” (TEWWG.19.183). The rabies had gotten to him and was making him go crazy. Janie was scared and didn’t know what to do about the sickness of Tea Cake. He got worse and worse that has changed himself of being into someone that’s not him. The gun that Tea Cake had pointed towards Janie,“The pistol snapped once….and shoved in the shell as the second click told her that Tea Cake’s suffering brain was urging him on to kill....The pistol and the rifle rang out almost together” (TEWWG.19.183-184. He tried to kill Janie so she used a rifle to protect herself and shot Tea Cake. Also he shot back but missed. Tea Cake dies and Janie goes back the her old
Janie found what she was looking for. She searched all her life to find what was within herself, and one special person was all that was needed to bring it out in her. Even though her and Tea Cake’s relationship ended in a tragedy, she knew that he really loved her for who she was. She didn’t need to be with him for protection, or she didn’t need to be the leading lady of a town or a mayor’s wife, she just needed the right kind of love and affection to bring out what was best in her.
In the book Their Eyes Were Watching God Janie is the main character. Her best friend is Pheoby. Pheoby wants to live through Janie for wealth and the high class life. Janie’s grandmother is Nanny. Nanny wants her to get married to someone right away. Janie does not know or love that person. Therefore, Janie had three husbands, which represent her emotional, spiritual, and physical growth.
Have you ever felt so trapped in a relationship that you cannot be yourself? In Their Eyes Were Watching God, written by Zora Neale Hurston, the main character, Janie Crawford, often feels that way. She finds herself married to a man named Logan Killicks, who wants her to change to become his version of a perfect wife. She then runs away with Joe Starks, who is highly ambitious as well as restrictive of Janie’s freedom. The last man Janie is involved with is a man named Tea Cakes, who allows her freedom and is unabusive, and dies at the end of the novel. Janie’s quest for freedom is a significant portion of the novel. For the majority of her life, she wants control over herself and her choices, yet other people do this for her for a large part
Janie’s first marriage is one that she coerced into by her grandmother where she marries an older man who she doesn’t love. From that short marriage with Logan Killicks, she find out that marriage does not necessarily bring love. She doesn’t like being told what to do and cannot life like this without any romance.
Though Janie had three marriages in total, each one drew her in for a different reason. She was married off to Logan Killicks by her Grandmother who wanted her to have protection and security. “Tain’t Logan Killicks Ah wants you to have baby, its protection.” (Hurston 15) says Janie’s grandmother when Janie said she did not want to marry Logan. Though Janie did not agree with her grandmother, she knew that she just wanted what’s best for her. Next, she married Joe Starks, Janie was unsatisfied with her marriage to Logan so Joe came in and swept her off her feet. Janie did not like the fact that Logan was trying to make her work, so Joe’s proposition, “You ain’t never knowed what it was to be treated like a lady and ah want to be de one tuh show yuh.” (Hurston 29) was too good to pass up, so she left Logan and married Joe. Janie’s last marriage was to Tea Cake. Fed up after having been treated poorly by Joe, Janie finally found someone who liked her for who she was. “Naw, ...
Ah jus’ loves dis freedom” (page93). She ran the store as usual and even though she was not looking for it she was still open to the thought of love. Then came along Tea cake the protagonist character who is younger than Janie but charms her with his good looks and a playful spirit. Although he didn't have money and a very high social ranking as Janie's past husbands, she could appreciate his good heart and kind spirit more than the money or social rankings. He treated Janie as equal not as a trophy to be showed off he laughed joked and even played checkers with her the first time he came in contact with her he said “How bout playin’ you some checkers? You looks hard tuh beat.” (Page95) He shows her that his with her because he found comfort in her not because she was wealthy. Janie tells Pheoby “He ain’t never ast de first penny from me” (Page 112). Janie finally fells all the symptoms of true love in Tea cake she felt comfort, listening ears and even jealousy which was something she was not use to as the book tells us on page 136 “Janie learned what it felt like to be jealous”. Their love for one another was proven even though Janie did not leave in a big fancy house like she was use to and did have the finer things she was fine with that because his love and affection was constantly there. Their love is truly proven once Tea cake got bite by a dog with rabies “They fought and somehow he managed to bite Tea Cake high up on his check-bone once” (Page166). After this bite Tea Cake changed he was more aggressive and controlling. Even through this Janie stayed because she knew the actions were from illness not from the heart. Both of these actions ultimately shows their love for one another, and that no matter the social standing or the age that love is love and once you have experienced true love, you will be satisfied no matter the condition of
Janie's views on things changed from the beginning of the novel to the end her attitude and personality are shaped and transformed from her previous relationships. As she learns lessons about life and love she learns that
Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God reveals the role of masculinity as well as femininity in one’s life. Janie’s various relationships develop her sense of femininity, as the different men who she becomes involved with all possess different masculine traits. The progression from Logan to Jody to Tea Cake allows Janie to find her own feminine identity due to the different hardships she endures throughout her relationship with the three men. The vast difference in characteristics of the three men emphasizes the role that masculinity plays in a consensual, reciprocal relationship, and what ideal reciprocity looks like. While men typically exude power through control and influence, women tend to find strength through inner voice and self-discovery. As a result, the men and women in Janie’s life influence her growth and development as a woman and in turn, the women reflect the varying nature of those who can be vulnerable, desire stability, and find power through their internal voice.