Zora Neale Hurston Bildungsroman Analysis

One of America’s famous folklorist and novelist during the mid-late 1930’s was Zora Neale Hurston. On January 7, 1891, in Notasulga,Alabama, Zora was born during a time when african american women faced many restrictions and were treated unfairly lowering there shots of opportunity. Hurston made an uproar in the Harlem Renaissance age and was often referred to as the“ New Negro Movement”. Bildungsroman is a type of novel that deals with the development of the protagonist in which they grow up and become knowledgeable. Most of the novel is narrated in third person.

The protagonist usually tries to gain their own identity in the world. Typically, there 's a moment of realization for the protagonist when they finally understand things in life.

Countless rumors are spread about her life until her close friend (Phoeby) decides to listen to her true life story. The story begins when janie was a little girl being raised by her grandmother (Nanny) living in a white family’s backyard. Eventually her grandmother saves enough money to buy her own house and land for her granddaughter. Later on, Janie talks about how she’d spend time hanging around the pear tree and it’s significance. Nanny pushes for janie to get married to Logan Killicks while she’s still living for Janie’s own protection. During their marriage, they had no chemistry together causing her to act stubborn and look elsewhere , in which she becomes attracted to Joe Starks. Soon, she runs off with Jody leaving her first husband behind and moves into the colored people town of Eatonville, Florida. In the town of Eatonville, Joe becomes Mayor and improves the town 's conditions leaving Janie to run the store. At first, their marriage was great until Joe became too demanding , ruining the chemistry they once shared. After several years of marriage, Joe gets older and becomes ill and eventually dies. Once he dies, everyone in town mourns his death

The town looks down on their relationship and perceives Janie as an ignorant and disrespectful woman for “messing around” with a man like Tea Cake. As their relationship flourishes, the quickly move out of town and get married in Jacksonville. They later live in the Everglades where they enjoy each other as well as friends. Some people try to break them apart from each other, but they always managed to subdue them. Nonetheless, after living in the Everglades for a year , a hurricane starts to approach the area. Everyone else evacuates except Tea Cake, Janie, and Motor boat resulting in them being stuck in the storm. Motor boat decides to stay behind inside a home while janie and Tea Cake look for dry land. Along the way, they get swept over by rising flood waters. Janie holds on to a cow for support but comes face to face with a vicious dog on the cow’s back. Tea Cake fights off the dog to save Janie but ends up getting bit by the dog. Once the storm is over , they settle back down in the Everglades , but things have changed because Tea Cake becomes ill because of the dog bite. He becomes paranoid to the point where he believes Janie is against him , so he shoots her and fails and she shoots back and kills