Zora Neale Hurston’s writings display reflections of the ideas and beliefs of the Harlem Renaissance; however, her writing also shows a departure from the beliefs of the Harlem Renaissance. Zora Neale Hurston shows many reflections of the Harlem Renaissance throughout her writings. In the Harlem Renaissance, while not accepted now, it was okay for a man to hit his wife, if it meant that she would stay submissive to him. This is shown in Hurston’s writing, Their Eyes Were Watching God, where Janie was hit by Joe, her second relationship, and she was also hit by her third husband, Tea Cake, where he only did it to “keep her in line.” Another idea of the Harlem Renaissance was the amount of gossip in people's lives. The people always found it there right to talk about others and place them in other people's lives. Hurston’s writings reflects these views through the use of townspeople in her stories. In Their Eyes …show more content…
At the time it was very popular for artists to include wealthy or middle class black people in their work to show how great their race was. Instead of subsiding with these ideas, Hurston wrote about the lower class of her race, and she showed them more than wealthy people. Janie's grandmother did not have a lot of money, along with the people of Eatonville, and Tea Cake. Hurston also uses the lower class aspect when she writes the dialogue for her characters. They speak with a heavy southern accent and they use words like “gointuh,” and “Ah’m.” In Hurston's story Sweat, Delia was a harder worker and she earned more money than her husband, which was uncommon for the Harlem Renaissance. She was a laundress, and she earned her money every week, while her husband Sykes had no job and provided no income, shown when Delia said, “You aint paid for nothin’ on this place,” (Hurston
Zora Neale was an early 20th century American novelist, short story writer, folklorist, and anthropologist. In her best known novel Their eyes were watching God, Hurston integrated her own first-hand knowledge of African American oral culture into her characters dialogue and the novels descriptive passages. By combing folklore, folk language and traditional literary techniques; Hurston created a truly unique literary voice and viewpoint. Zora Neale Hurston's underlying theme of self-expression and search for one’s independence was truly revolutionary for its time. She explored marginal issues ahead of her time using the oral tradition to explore contentious debates. In this essay I will explore Hurston narrative in her depiction of biblical imagery, oppression of African women and her use of colloquial dialect.
The Harlem Renaissance was all about freedom of expression and the search for one's identity. Zora Neale Hurston’s, Their Eyes Were Watching God, shows these goals through the main character Janie and her neighbors. Janie freely expressed what she wanted and searched for her identity with her different husbands. Even though Janie was criticized by everyone except her friends, she continued to pursue. She lost everything, but ultimately found her identity. Hurston's writing is both a reflection and a departure from the idea of the Harlem Renaissance.
Despite the mindset that most of her peers keep about the inequality of race, she maintains an open mind and declares to the reader that she finds everyone equal. Thus proving herself as a person ahead of her own time. What I feel is truly remarkable about this author is that despite all the scrutiny and anguish that she faces like most of her race at the time she does not take a negative attitude towards white people and she actually chooses to ignore the general racial segregation. Her charming wit and sense of humor despite all the hardship is what attracts the reader. Hurston does not let her social disadvantages stop her from trying to achieve her aspirations and dreams.
Zora Neale Hurston was one of the many authors who gained recognition during the Harlem Renaissance. Hurston was raised in Eatonville, Florida and lived there during her younger days. She attended Morgan University, Howard U...
Zora Neale Hurston was a novelist, folklorist, and anthropologist. Zora plays an important role for the Harlem Renaissance. Zora Neale Hurston is considered one of the titans of twentieth-century African American literature. Despite that she would later fall into disgrace because of her firm views of civil rights, her lyrical writing which praise southern black culture has influenced generations of black American literary figures. Hurston’s work also had an impact on later black American authors such as Ralph Ellison, Alice Walker, and Toni Morrison.
In Zora Neale Hurston’s novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, the character of Janie Crawford experiences severe ideological conflicts with her grandmother, and the effects of these conflicts are far-reaching indeed. Hurston’s novel of manners, noted for its exploration of the black female experience, fully shows how a conflict with one’s elders can alter one’s self image. In the case of Janie and Nanny, it is Janie’s perception of men that is altered, as well as her perception of self. The conflict between the two women is largely generational in nature, and appears heart-breakingly inevitable.
In her short story, Sweat, Zora Neale Hurston writes of a hardworking and self sufficient woman, Delia, who lives in the small town of Eatonville, Florida in the early 1900s. As a wash woman, Delia diligently works to support herself while receiving no support from her lazy, abusive husband, Sykes, as he is also having an affair, which is known by all the townspeople. Delia faces the dilemma of continuing to live miserably married to Sykes or file for divorce, which was not accepted by her religion or society at the time. Eventually Delia stands up to Sykes and threatens him, yet shortly after Sykes is bitten by the rattlesnake intended to kill Delia, while she listens to him suffer without coming to his aid, letting him die. The story portrays the limitations placed on black females during this time, and the oppression of the strict gender roles that were closely followed in the early 1900s.
The Gilded Six-Bits tells the story of a black family dealing with social restrictions and expectations during the 1930s. The story begins with a picturesque snapshot of a newlywed couple in Eatonsville, the first black integrated community in the United States. Zora Hurston in The Gilded Six Bits demonstrates gender stereotypes through a newlywed couple’s dialogue in the early 1900s. The quintessential women in American society was still the bosomy beautiful homemaker with a penchant for cooking and cleaning. The husband was usually placed on a pedestal as the breadwinner and had the more power in the household and in their marriage. The typical woman during the 1930s was expected to cook, clean, and take care of the household chores.
Zora Neale Hurston is a female African American writer whom is well known for her contributions to the Harlem Renaissance era of American literature. She unfortunately did not gain much recognition during her lifetime due to her most famous works being released during the Great Depression when it was not as popular (Hurston). Nonetheless, she is still well known for her writing style and beliefs. Hurston was also known for not agreeing with many male writers of the Harlem community especially Langston Hughes. She did not believe that her writing needed to boost the African American community, but that it was already raised whereas Langston believed his writing needed to give life back to it (Hurston). In Zora Hurston’s short story, “The Six Gilded Bits,” appearance versus reality
"I have the nerve to walk my own way, however hard, in my search for reality, rather than climb upon the rattling wagon of wishful illusions,” (Boyd). This quote was written by well-known author and short-story writer, Zora Neale Hurston in a letter to Countee Cullen. By these words, she claims to have the right to live her life in fullest potential and be true to herself and beliefs. Hurston is a notorious writer, novelist and playwright who is known for her four novels, 50 short stories, plays and essays (Zora Neale Hurston). Author Hurston also plays an important role for the Harlem Renaissance. She is considered a significant individual of twentieth-century African American literature. Hurston derived from poverty to prominence and was influential towards many. Despite Zora Neale Hurston’s unsettled life, she managed to overcome every obstacle to become one of the most profound authors of her time. Despite that she would later descend into stigma because of her resistant views on civil rights, her passionate writing which eulogize southern black culture has impacted generations of African American literary physiques. Hurston’s work also had an influence on later black American authors such as Toni Morrison, Ralph Ellison and Alice Walker. Zora Neale
Hinton, Kip Austin. "Zora Neale Hurston." Zora Neale Hurston Web Site. Kip Austin Hinton, ed. 07/16/2003. Available at www.1.am/zora
Appiah, K.A. and Gates, Henry Louis, Jr. eds. Zora Neale Hurston: Critical Perspectives Past and Present. New York: Amistad Press, Inc., 1993.
In conclusion, Hurston was a modernist writer who dealt with societal themes of racism, and social and racial identity. She steps away from the folk-oriented style of writing other African American authors, such as Langston Hughes, and she addresses modern topics and issues that relate to her people. She embraces pride in her color and who she is. She does not hate the label of “colored” that has been placed upon her. She embraces who she is and by example, she teaches others to love themselves and the color of their skin. She is very modern. She is everybody’s Zora.
Alice Walker and Zora Neale Hurston are similar to having the same concept about black women to have a voice. Both are political, controversial, and talented experiencing negative and positive reviews in their own communities. These two influential African-American female authors describe the southern hospitality roots. Hurston was an influential writer in the Harlem Renaissance, who died from mysterious death in the sixties. Walker who is an activist and author in the early seventies confronts sexually progression in the south through the Great Depression period (Howard 200). Their theories point out feminism of encountering survival through fiction stories. As a result, Walker embraced the values of Hurston’s work that allowed a larger
... Janie is free-spirited and unconcerned about what others think of her. When she returns to Eatonville after Tea Cake’s death, she shows no shame for what she has done or where she has been, because she is finally able to live the life she always wanted to lead. Hurston’s own struggles in life for individuality and an outlet for her suppressed spirit clearly contribute to the development of Janie’s character. Just as Hurston struggled for recognition, equality, and purpose in the literary world during the Harlem Renaissance, Janie’s struggle for the recognition, equality, and purpose in her relationships.