Examples Of True Love In Their Eyes Were Watching God By Zora Neale Hurston

Love is different for each and every person. For most people it comes easy and happens early in life. “Their Eyes Were Watching God”, written by Zora Neale Hurston portrays that romantic love is the protagonists ultimate goal. The protagonist’s vision of true love us associated with innocence, openness, understanding and equality between Janie’s lovers. Marriage does not immediately lead to love, though it can be expressions of it. For the protagonist, love is also an essential part of life; without it, Janie’s soul practically gets shredded apart and dies. Throughout the novel Janie comes off as a strong woman, but she watches patiently by the side waiting for love to happen rather than acting to create love in her life and marries for status

Janie meets a man named Joe Starks and is immediately attracted to him because he displays himself as a confident, determined, and well-spoken man. “Janie, if you think Ah aims to tole you off and make a dog outa you, youse wrong. Ah wants to make a wife outa you” (Hurston 29). Joe gets Janie to run away with him to make a wife out of Janie, and they end up in Eatonville, Florida. While in Eatonville, Janie begins to feel oppressed by Joe. Joe as mayor, believes that his wife, Janie, should not socialize with the common people because she has to act and appear better than them as Mrs. Mayor of Eatonville. He forces her to do what he wants, such as keeping Janie in the shop, and making sure she did not socialize with the townspeople. “Janie did what she has never done before, that is, thrust herself into the conversation…’You gettin’ too moufy, Janie,’ Starks told her, ‘go fetch me de checker-board and de checkers” (Hurston 75). Joe believes that she should not want to take part in the men’s activities because she is an upper class woman and should look down upon the

She comes across a man named Tea Cake. She falls in love with Tea Cake because he displays himself as a “natural” and spirited man. Tea Cake goes fishing in the middle of the night just for enjoyment, and he is willing to teach her how to play checkers; a game which Joe seemed to “manly” for her. Tea Cake also teaches her how to shoot a gun, which is not common for women to do because they are known for not being “equal” to men. “Moon’s too pretty tuh anybody tuh be sleepin’ it away, ‘Tea Cake said after they had washed up the plates and glasses. ‘ Less us go fishin’.’ Fishin? Dis time uh night?’ ‘Unhhunuh, fishin’. AH know where de dream is beddin’. Seen ‘em when Ah come round de lake dis evenin’. Where’s yo fishin’ poles? Less go set on de lake” (Hurston 102). Tea Cake convinces Janie to leave Eatonville and go with him to the muck. This represents a drastic change in Janie’s life that will eventually lead to a change in