Analysis Of Their Eyes Were Watching God By Zora Neale Hurston

Often in literature, the author sets the main character on a physical journey to divert attention away from the main character’s spiritual journey. In the novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, the main character, Janie, goes on a physical journey that not only challenges her sense of self, but also is vital in her life-long spiritual journey to personal liberation and self-empowerment. Janie’s relationships mark Janie’s migration toward fulfilling Hurston’s purpose of the piece: Janie becoming empowered and finds personal liberation. Hurston proves Janie’s physical journey plays a central role as Janie completes her spiritual quest to personal liberation and self-empowerment. Through the loss of her grandmother and movement

After the end of her relationships with Nanny and Killicks, Janie realizes she deserves to have her voice heard and have the power to do something about it. Becoming tired of being pushed around and forced to work, Janie meets Joe, someone Janie believes will respect and love her as her own person, “You ain’t never knowed what it was to be treated lak a lady and Ah wants to be de one tuh show yuh” (29). As Janie’s story progresses, however, Joe’s true colors begin to come to light: he believes himself above everyone else in the town, including Janie. Hurston describes the house in which they live as “the big house” (47). Here, Hurston suggests he is the plantation owner and everyone else are his servants (47). Joe also alludes to himself as a god-like figure, “I god” is a common catchphrase Joe states every opportunity to lord over the town as though the townspeople are his subjects (44). By describing Joe as someone who believes himself as better than his peers, Hurston proves Joe will never see Janie as his equal, meaning Janie could never become independent while still with Joe. Near the end of Janie and Joe’s relationship, Joe became terminally ill because he decided not to go see a real doctor, “He needed medical attention years ago. Too late now” (83). Joe’s hubris in the face of death gave Janie the courage to stand up for herself while he was

While Janie may realize she should be able to have a voice, be able to act on her opinions, and be respected, Janie still does not believe that she has a purpose without a husband. When Janie meets Tea Cake, he enthralls Janie with his charm. Tea Cake treats Janie as her own person, “Janie, you’se yo’ own woman” and does his best to make Janie feel special by taking her on dates, ”Janie, everybody’s talkin’ ‘bout how dat Tea Cake is draggin’ you round tuh places you ain’t used tuh”, something Joe and Killicks never bother (113,112). This proves Janie has realized that she is unwilling to be with someone who does not make her feel special, and because she was with men who do not make her feel special in any way and do not treat her as her own person, indicating a significant growth in what she believes she deserves. After Janie and Tea Cake’s first night in Jacksonville, Janie wakes up alone and realizes Tea Cake left and took her emergency money with him, “she found out Janie realizes, “That was when she found out her two hundred dollars was gone” (118). Through taking her money without asking her first, Tea Cake proves that because Janie is his wife, he believes her money, and by extension Janie herself, is his to use for whatever he wishes. While talking to the other men the town about how Tea Cake is obviously in charge of