Jealousy is inevitable. No doubt about it. Writer Elizabeth Bowen once said, “Jealousy is no more than feeling alone against smiling enemies.” Most people agree with that because you can't control jealousy, especially in situations where it is the first instinct to make. It takes over your other emotions and covers them up, causing paranoia. But could you imagine the world without it, life would be perfect! And that just isn’t accurate. In Zora Neale Hurston’s prized book, Their Eyes Were Watching God, there are many illustrations that show jealousy rearing its ugly head. By using figurative language and word choice, Hurston is arguing that jealousy seems to always be present in every situation.
An example of that is in the first chapter of Their Eyes Were Watching God, By personifying the cruel mood of the porch sitters, Hurston is arguing that jealous thoughts can make a person malicious. In this quote, Janie is has returned to Eatonville in dusty blue
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That was a fact back in the 30’s and a fact in 2017. I think the reason Hurston wrote Their Eyes Were Watching God to show that jealousy doesn't have to take over situations. Relationships can get through a little bump in the road caused by envy. You can ignore the rude things that people say because jealousy is the biggest form of flattery. But Hurston is also showing us how jealousy can become dangerous. Tea Cake didn’t have to beat Janie to show possession, but unfortunately, that is how the times were back then. The times have changed, but sadly not enough. 85% of women are abused in relationships, just like the affairs back in Hurston’s time. Hurston used Janie and Tea Cake and the rest of the characters in this book to make a point that you can let the pitfalls of jealousy rule everyday situations but you don't have to. Hurston made this book important and relevant to everybody. And that is the important