How Does Janie Use Race Relations In Their Eyes Were Watching God

Janie’s experience with race relations influenced her journey of self-revelation. Her story was set in the Deep South before World War II, a time period with strict racial segregation laws. While race was not the central part of the story, Janie’s experiences with racial tension guided her path to discovering individuality. “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston was written during the Harlem Renaissance and published in the 1930s. The two most notable experiences of race relations in the story are Janie’s interactions with Mrs. Turner, a black woman who takes pride in her white features, and the treatment of the mule, which symbolizes slavery and oppression of the black community. Both examples are vital to Janie’s self-reliance. In “Their Eyes Were

Turner is a strong example of the obstacles that Janie had to overcome to achieve self-reliance. Additionally, the mistreatment of the mule is a strong symbol of the oppression experienced by black individuals during slavery. Janie felt empathy for the mule and confronted the people of Eatonville when she said, “‘They oughta be shamed, uh, themselves! Teasin’ dat poor brute beast lak they are! Done been worked tuh death; done had his disposition ruing wid mistreatment, and now they got tuh finish devilin’ em to death’” (Hurston 56). This quote shows the difference between Janie’s ideology and the Eatonville community. Both the mule and the African Americans were forced into intense labor and dangerous circumstances. Janie’s understanding of the parallel and the injustice leads to her ability to find self-awareness. According to Hurston, “Everyone was having fun at the mule baiting. All but Janie” (Hurston, 56). Her refusal to partake in the mule baiting shows her understanding and awareness of injustice in the story, which contributes to her personal growth. The mistreatment of the mule became a vital moment in her realization of the importance of embracing her identity and having