Individual Values In Their Eyes Were Watching God By Zora Neale Hurston

An individual's values help obtain an authentic understanding of who they are and what they want in life. In Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston the protagonist Janie was constantly influenced by her grandmother Nanny's worldview. She played a significant role in shaping who Janie was and her values which affected her evolution as she went through life. Nanny had grown up as a slave and had endured many hardships in her life and as a result, she placed a high value on security and stability. Her own life experiences had taught her that it was important especially as a black woman to find a good husband who could provide and take care of her. As a person who had little to no control over her own life, her desire to provide

After she married Logan that had become “the end of her childhood” (Hurston, 1937/2013, p.12). Janie was not happy and although she did not love him she hoped she would after they got married like her grandmother had told her. Nevertheless, since she had no say in her marriage this caused Janie to desire a more fulfilling relationship that came with love and not just a “house bought and paid for and sixty acres [of] land” (Hurston, 1937/2013, p.23). She constantly felt trapped especially after Logan stopped pampering her and made her perform manual labor. However, once she had met Joe Starks she felt as though she had another opportunity in life. He had promised Janie a better life with the money he had saved up to move to a new town, Eatonville, that was run by people of color. Not only did Joe glamorize his dreams with her, Janie's hopes for love returned. However, her decision to run off with Joe had put her in a difficult situation especially after he became mayor of Eatonville. He was able to provide Janie with a comfortable life but became controlling and both mentally and physically abusive. He would speak out “without giving her a chance to say anything” (Hurston, 1937/2013, p.43) or he would go to the extent of hitting her or making her change the way she looked and acted to keep a status within their community. As time went on her love for Joe turned into