Analysis Of Their Eyes Were Watching God By Zora Neale Hurston

Characteristics that are out of your control are often times the ones that cause the most trouble. Janie Crawford in Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, realizes this at a very early age. Throughout the novel, Janie fights desperately to be independent, but she is constantly held back by those factors outside of her control. Although Janie’s life is already partially determined at birth due to her race, bloodline, and gender, her actions and personality reveal her true identity. The time period in which Hurston wrote Their Eyes Were Watching God was not one of complete racial equality. That being said, in the novel, Janie faces belittlement for being biracial. Mrs. Turner, a biracial woman much like Janie, acts as a

Janie is the product of rape. Her mother, a poor black girl, was raped and impregnated by a white school teacher. Janie is raised by her grandmother, a woman with very steadfast beliefs stemming from her own personal trauma. Janie’s grandmother, Nanny, lived through the Civil War, and was forced into an unwanted relationship with her white slave master. Nanny wants what she thinks is best for Janie. She sets Janie up to marry a man named Logan, who Janie does not love. Nanny tells Janie that marriage will keep her safe and secure, and that feelings can follow. She does this by saying things like: “Heah you got uh prop tuh lean on all yo’ bawn days, and big protection, and everybody got tuh tip dey hat tuh you and call you Mis’ Killicks, and you come worryin’ me ‘bout love" (Hurston 27). Janie does not agree, and feels that her marriage to Logan lacks the most important component, love. Janie’s experiences with men are rough, and she does not find someone she truly connects with until she meets Vergible “Tea Cake” Woods, her third husband. Janie’s struggle to find love stems from the elder women in her life. Both her mother and her grandmother had horrific experience with men. This causes Janie’s grandmother to teach her to steer clear of love. Janie does not rule out the option of finding love, though. In fact, she does the opposite. Janie become infatuated by love. Throughout Their Eyes Were

More than once within the novel, women are portrayed as objects. Logan, Janie’s first husband, is a scummy older man. He believes that women are meant to be dominated. Logan can not understand why Janie is not overjoyed that she has married someone as affluent as he. He becomes upset with Janie when she does not show complete obedience and gratitude towards him. Janie’s second husband, Joe Starks, often referred to as Jody, does an even worse job of empowering her. He treats her as a possession rather than a person. Jody focuses on Janie’s physical beauty and gets pleasure out of showing her off to his friends. Jody also believes that because of her gender, Janie lacks intelligence. This becomes evident when he says things such as: “Somebody got to think for women and chillun and chickens and cows. I god, they sho don’t think none theirselves" (Hurston 180). His misogynistic standpoints buildup to the point of physical abuse. Janie earns her power back when she meets her final husband, and one true love, Tea Cake. He allows her to make her own choices, unlike Joe and Logan. Tea Cake also listens to what Janie has to say. Janie’s past husbands belittled her and did not take her opinions seriously. Janie’s most dynamic display of power in Their Eyes Were Watching God occurs after Tea Cake is bitten by a rabid dog. Tea Cake loses his mind and attempts to kill Janie. Janie shoots her husband out of self defense. This