Their Eyes Were Watching God

Summary of the Book

While romantic novels tend to draw a reader’s attention to the individuality of the characters regarding the expression of affection for each other, Zora Neale Hurston’s literary work explores an array of issues based on the theme of love. Their Eyes Were Watching God dwells on the road to self-discovery by a Southern American girl, Janie Crawford. Growing from a teenage girl into a woman, Hurston’s portrayal of her main character, Janie, features the quest to attain the status of a liberated woman. Furthermore, the novel trudges into highlighting the value of a female in a relationship and marriage, general gender roles, and controversial issue of race. Zora Neale Hurston’s novel contextualizes the position of women in society at a time when woman empowerment was gaining traction in the American society. Therefore, through the eyes of Janie Crawford, Hurston’s thematic concerns are concisely explored.

Hurston’s gradual progress illustrates the scope of female empowerment at the hands of the domineering males. White suppression and issue of racial discrimination are aptly presented through the antagonism of Janie and her husbands, particularly Joe. The author’s distinct voices, such as Janie’s narration and other characters, illuminate the pertinent issues of race and identity at the height of societal discrimination against women, especially in the institution of marriage. Essentially, Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God explores the controversial issues of race, the conflict of genders, and the path to self-discovery pursued by the main character, Janie Crawford.

The Context of Zora Neale Hurston’s Book

One of the most crucial aspects of literature involves presentation of the context of a story. The readers must always be able to draw reference to a particular point in history, particularly given the unfolding set of events. Contemporary audience of Zora Neale Hurston’s novel can trace a number of events at the time Their Eyes Were Watching God was written. First, Hurston’s novel came at a time the racial climate was unbearable to the African-Americans following the legalization of the Jim Crow laws. As a result, upon enactment of the acts from 1890 to 1910, most African-Americans felt locked out of the American society. Apart from that, they were disenfranchised. White supremacy coupled with its respective favoritism were strongly referenced across the media, such that African-American representation was politically forbidden (Alva & Salgueiro, 2010). Janie Crawford’s relationship and subsequent marriage to Joe captures elements of the white male dominance. The African-American political representation was sharply declining following the normalization of the Ku Klux Klan attack on the black population (Hurston, 1937). Consequently, these events are crucial for a complete entry into the author’s subject matter of racial discrimination.

Racial segregation forms the core aspect of Zora Hurston’s novel, particularly given the legalization of Jim Crow laws. Hurston’s novel is based on the Southern states where normalization of the racial segregation was created following the enactment of the Jim Crow laws after the reconstruction period. By mandating segregation in public facilities, these bills created a huge apathy in the relations between African-Americans and the rest of the public. It also bred suspicion and animosity among the white population in the Southern states (Bloom, 2008). A situation typified by tenant farming, which is massively referenced by Hurston following the marriage between Janie Crawford and a farmer, Logan Killicks. Sharecropping and tenant farming form the foundation upon which the re-enslavement of African-Americans was ignited in the Southern states, a crucial setting for Hurston’s flowing ideas.

Zora Hurston’s novel is set in an era of legitimization of racism. White supremacy further highlighted the stumbling block in African-American quest to attain a second liberation. Amidst the quest for such liberation, W.E.B. Du Bois’ uplift agenda is strongly evident in Hurston’s text. Apparently, this period involved a deeper recognition of African-Americans from a positive perspective, a case often referred to as the Harlem Renaissance. Such a renaissance focused more on the liberalization of the African-American voice through literary works (Roberts, 2013). Racism was to be exposed for what it is, hence denying human dignity and societal recognition. Racial oppression was a cancer that paralyzed the entire American society. Interestingly, despite the explosive and controversial issue of race dividing the American public, Zora Neale Hurston’s book only makes a slight attempt to expose it.

Analysis of Themes, Imagery, Ideas, Symbols, and Theories

Zora Neale Hurston’s novel is a constellation of scores of ideas about individual pursuit of discovery against the societal opposition. For instance, through the theme of love, Hurston focuses on the significance of romantic connotations in understanding an individual’s viewpoints on morality, equality, justice, integrity, as well as recognition (Bloom, 2012). All these aspects are directly reflected in Janie’s quest to find true love in an ocean of misunderstanding, individualism, and outright gender discrimination. The power of gender in defining society either through opposition to certain norms and beliefs is strongly referenced in the quest to attain female liberation (Hurston, 1937). In the novel, Janie is presented as deeply preoccupied with searching for her identity. More often, she does not have a voice in most of her marriages. She is expected to be a submissive wife: a tradition common in the American South (Alva & Salgueiro, 2010). Therefore, Janie should never fight back. The woman adopts a different path, namely pursuing a life independent of men. It is a challenging path given all the women have chosen to subscribe to the existing notions about men being dominant and women playing second fiddle. Perhaps, Janie’s womanliness, particularly her looks, ends up as the source of jealousy of her husbands, namely Tea Cake and Starks (Hurston, 1937). However, towards the end of the novel, Janie has overcome the traditional roles that women are expected to uphold. Therefore, she succeeds in cultivating a liberated woman despite societal opposition.

With the brewing topic of black identity through the Uplift Agenda proposed by W.E.B. Du Bois, Hurston’s novel takes a diversionary attempt to conform to identity narrative. Her rebellion is noted in the manner that she tries to draw from the experiences of the entire American society. It is an inclusive book. For instance, the issue of female emancipation is dominant as opposed to black identity (Bloom, 2008). Hurston rather tries to display the challenges affecting the American woman when a male dominance was strongly preferred. Janie Crawford’s marriages reference the tumultuous experiences women were subjected to at the turn of the century in the United States. Furthermore, this period involved female empowerment, such that they could use all the available tools to help in achieving societal and self-recognition. Women cannot be pinned down by age, romance, or anything denying them similar rights as men.

The conservative southern culture involves the society defining gender roles, which further establishes the relationship between men and women. For instance, protection is portrayed as the ultimate reason for a woman to get married. Love does not influence the institution of marriage; instead, a woman should marry a man not owing to love but due to protection (Hurston, 1937). The males’ belief that Janie should define their marriage is deeply shrouded in the societal inclination towards the broader issue of marriage (Alva & Salgueiro, 2010). Joe thinks that, “she’s uh woman and her place is in de home” (Hurston, 1937). From being forbidden to socialize with men on the porch to accepting the aspect of possession, Zora Neal Hurston’s novel illuminates gender roles as defined by the society and the need to break these chains.

Zora Hurston’s in-depth use of imagery, both visual and literary, adds a different dimension to the novel, particularly in presenting its thematic concerns on the general message. The author’s description of the rising and setting of the sun illustrates Janie’s life as well as hope for a better tomorrow. Literary, the journey from a girl child to womanhood portrays the Janie’s quest to find true love as a liberated woman, no longer bound by conservative cultural norms. Within the precincts of imagery, Hurston (1937) focuses on nature personification in the book’s climax to represent the impersonality of nature in inflicting its wrath on humans. It is indicated by the juxtaposition between hurricane and lake. Such images depict human’s inability to control nature.

Application of Henry Louis Gates Jr.’s Signifying Theory

Zora Neale Hurston’s literary scope in Their Eyes Were Watching God employs Henry Louis Gates’ theory of signifying. Gates avers that a writer imitates, directs, or simply signifies other works to achieve their goal. Hurston’s novel reflects this approach. Signifying does not absorb negative critique. Based on Gates’ theory, Hurston’s approach of adopting a romantic storyline to promote female empowerment at the height of societal and racial discrimination slightly varies from the approaches used by other African-American writers in early 20th century. However, their thematic concerns are similar. The quest for identity illustrates the theory of signifying through Hurston’s work. Zora Neale Hurston’s use of black vernacular in South to craft her book draws reference from a scores of other authors, such as Thomas Dixon’s The Leopard’s Spots. For instance, Janie and the residents of Everglades refer to the city as “the muck”, thus illustrating the deadly surroundings that are habited by landowners who harass, exploit, and overwork people (Roberts, 2013). It represents the quest by the African-American authors to find identity in the literary world.

Hurston (1937) uses language with dual intentions: a pivotal approach to discover her own place in the society and find true love. For instance, Joe’s chauvinism plays a key part in displaying this aspect. Joe thinks that Janie is “a rut in the road” (Roberts, 2013). It implies the societal view of her and the lack of identity. Such two aspects differ in the sense that Janie’s marriages imply the difficult journey to find her true self and whether she can change the societal perception of women given the male dominance. Therefore, she can only be “somebody” if she can reconcile her current identity and what she ought to be as well. True love can be realized when these aspects are reconciled (Hurston, 1937). The role of women in the society is heavily emphasized by Hurston, especially in her portrayal of Nanny’s relationship with Janie. It illustrates both the lack of voice for women and domination of societal values, which pin down the females. For instance, while seeking for Janie’s opinion about marrying Logan Killicks, Nanny exclaims, “you wants to make me suck de same sorrow, yo’ mama did, eh?” (Bloom, 2008). The entire conversation, particularly this phrase, dually explains both the normalization of societal misconceptions about women and their lack of a voice as well. Essentially, the statement attests to Henry Louis Gates Jr.’s conceptualization of the signifying theory.

Conclusion

Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God deeply probes serious issues about black identity in society. It delves into normalization gender and racial discrimination, societal bias, downplaying empowerment of women, and decimated the role of women in relationships and marriage. Women just like men have a responsibility about the next course of society, particularly on issues, such as marriage and relationships. People should learn that emancipation of women is similarly connotes to the ultimate education of the entire society. Apart from that, marriage is an institution that demands utmost commitment, respect, understanding, and love. Until people put these aspects into proper use, there can never be a complete society. Hurston’s book helps understand female empowerment as the next phase of societal development. Therefore, black identity is etched in inclusiveness despite African-American grievances, such as racial discrimination, lack of political representation, and gender inequality.