Obstacles In Their Eyes Were Watching God

How can obstacles and challenges faced while embarking on achieving a dream help with self-discovery and empowerment? In "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston, the protagonist Janie Crawford, a young black woman, embarks on a journey of self-discovery and empowerment while trying to achieve her dream of finding true love. Janie learns how to navigate the complexities of love and identity through her interactions with three different men, Logan, Joe, and Tea Cake. This novel highlights the importance of resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity, as it offers insights into the human experience and can inspire individuals to overcome obstacles and strive for personal growth in their own lives. By examining the struggles

Hurston introduces this idea in the first sentence of the book, "Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board. For some they come in with the tide. For others, they sail forever on the horizon, never out of sight, never landing until the watcher turns his eyes away in resignation, his dreams mocked to death by time" (Hurston 1). Hurston speaks to the idea that everyone has a wish or dream that they hope to achieve, but not everyone can make it a reality. For some, their wishes may come to fruition easily, while others may struggle to achieve them, and their dreams may remain forever out of reach. Janie, like any other person, also has dreams that she would love to fulfill. "She saw a dust-bearing bee sink into the sanctum of a bloom; the thousand sister-calyxes arch to meet the love embrace and the ecstatic shiver of the tree from root to tiniest branch creaming in every blossom and frothing with delight. So this was a marriage! She had been summoned to behold a revelation. Then Janie felt a pain remorseless sweet that left her limp and languid" (Hurston 11). This is Janie's first encounter with true love. This is Janie's moment of revelation as she realizes the beauty and joy of a true marriage. This also reveals the emotional impact of this realization on Janie, as she feels a "remorseless

Janie’s story was used as an example of a story of self-discovery of identity. Janie went on a journey to find true love and during her journey, she had many challenges, like her relationship with Logan and Joe, that ultimately allowed her to discover herself. She discovered that she has the strength and resilience to assert her own identity. Ultimately she found true love in the form of Tea Cake but her journey to finding Tea Cake is what led her to find her identity. The idea that personal growth and empowerment often result from overcoming challenges and obstacles on the path to achieving one's dreams is a universal concept that holds true everywhere. By adopting this viewpoint, readers will gain a better understanding of the significance of resilience and perseverance in, as well as a stronger sense of self-awareness and