Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God

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Equality is meant for all humans at the moment of their birth as it is said that all are created equal by god. Yet, to this day not all are equal. The novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston explores negative aspects of humanity and the values, morals and ethics it promotes through thematic topics. The book uses the thematic topics of sexism, domestic relationships, racism, independence, ambition, and love to prove that equality must be earned and is not given due to the values, ethics and morals that society promotes. This truth is supported and proven by narrative conventions and other writing techniques by Zora Neale Hurston in the novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God.

Zora Neale Hurston uses the theme of sexism in the novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, to demonstrate her truth. Hurston’s truth is that equality is not given due to society’s values and must be earned. Male dominance is valued strongly and promoted by Hurston’s society which leads to inequality. This means that in order for Janie to gain equality in her relationship she must earn it. This is proven during a conversation between Janie and Logan when he asks her to help him with the farm work. Janie refuses to help him so Logan replies by saying:

‘You ain't got no particular place. It's wherever Ah need yuh. Git uh move on yuh, and dat quick.’ ‘Mah mamma didn't tell me Ah wuz born in no hurry. So whut business Ah got rushin' now? Anyhow dat ain't whut youse mad about. Youse mad 'cause Ah don't fall down and wash-up dese sixty acres uh ground yuh got. You ain't done me no favor by marryin' me. And if dat's what you call yo'self doin', Ah don't thank yuh for it. Youse mad 'cause Ah'm tellin' yuh whut you already knowed.’ (Hurston, 31)

Janie...

... middle of paper ...

...so keep in mind that inequality should never be accepted by any human as all are meant to be, by the eyes of god, equal.

Works Cited
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"The Fight for Women's Suffrage." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.
Holt, Jennifer. "The Ideal Woman." California State University Stanislaus. California State University, n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2013.
"Martin Luther King, Jr.: Fighting for Equal Rights in America." Tavaana. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2013.
Owens, Nick, and Nazrin Wilkinson. "Forced Marriage: Ayesha Was Repeatedly Beaten, Raped and Then Twice Almost Murdered by Her Own Family." Mirror News. N.p., 10 Nov. 2013. Web. 01 Dec. 2013.
"Virginia Memory: John Mercer Langston." Virginia Memory: John Mercer Langston. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2013.

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