Quest Formula In Their Eyes Were Watching God

822 Words4 Pages

In like manner, the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston can be closely associated with Mr. Foster’s “quest formula”. The novel revolves around a main character named Janie who, since a young girl, has always wanted to find true love after witnessing a bee pollinating a pear tree. With only her grandmother as her family, she married twice, Logan Killicks and Joe Starks, before she found a man that made her happy. During unexpected circumstances, Janie had to kill Tea Cake and return to her previous home, where she rationalizes that Tea Cake gave her what she wanted the most, freedom and free will, and finally finds her peace of mind. Comparatively, this journey that Janie goes on is very much alike to Mr. Foster’s concept …show more content…

When Janie sees that Logan does not give her the affection and care she’s always wanted she allows herself to be wooed by Joe Starks. Swoon by his fanciful promises, Janie elopes with Joe and goes to a new town named Eatonville. There she earns herself the position of mayor’s wife. She lives a high lifestyle with Joe, but again lacks that needed affection. Joe starts to stop caring about her and focuses on his grocery store, his ambition, and his pride. At this point in the plot Janie confronts her challenges that get in her way of finding love. Her hardest challenge was being told to keep quiet whenever she wanted to talk to the other town folks. Janie always tries to indulge in the town discussions and gossip, but Joe always tells her to maintain her distance. He closes her off from the rest of town and denies her what she wants more than love, freedom. She wants to talk and explore the town, but is confined to either the shop or their home. In another event, the town is gathering for a mule dragging, but Joe argues that a fine woman like her is not fit for a commoner fun like this and is left alone in the town as everybody