There Eyes Were Watching God By Audre Lorde: The Views Of Power

According to W.E.B. DuBois, “double consciousness” is the “sense of always looking at one’s self through the eyes of others, of measuring ones soul by a tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity” (DuBois 5). In other words, it is the self that one views themselves as, compared to the self that comes from the outside perspective, where the person viewing it thinks it is who they are. This idea connects to gender stereotype, how women cannot see themselves as equal to society because they are often portrayed as being voiceless, lonely, and dependent of men. Despite such stereotypical views that separates women from men, Audre Lorde “challenges her feminist community to deliver a collective voice ale to attend to difference without

When a woman lacks a voice, she is often controlled by a man who does the talking for her. This is evident in the story There Eyes Were Watching God when Janie is offered a chance to speak to the public about the grand opening of the new store, but is denied that chance by Joe Starks, her husband. “‘And now we’ll listen tuh uh few words uh encouragement from Mrs. Mayor Starks.’ The burst of applause was cut short by Joe taking the floor himself. ‘Thank yuh fuh yo’ compliments, buh mah wife don’t know nothing ‘bout no speech-makin’” (Hurston 43). Tony, one of the townspeople, offered Janie a chance to give her own words about the grand opening to the rest of the townspeople. However, Joe Starks revokes that privilege from her which proves that he is in control of her. This idea connects to “double-consciousness” because women can be seen as having a voice whereas society sees different since they are often stopped by men if they attempt to speak. However, Janie is continuously denied her right of voice to the point where she is angry and decides to speak up against Joe Starks in front of the townspeople, which destroys his gender