Character Analysis: Zora Neale Hurston

As much as a reader might agree with Sherley Anne Williams’ ideas of Hurston’s writing, there are some concepts a reader may question. Although the author, Sherley Anne Williams, was correct in suggesting Hurston including the shield of protection for Janie from her grandmother, Nanny, was not creating a picture of life looking like reality; however, her idea that Janie had an insufficient amount of wisdom about herself as a whole is inaccurate because Janie does have self-awareness as she chose who she wanted to be, even if the ideas were pushed away by others. Sherley Anne Williams includes a quick understanding of how Janie sees herself. Discussing how Janie saw her self for the first time in a picture, notiving she was black. Because Janie

Janie knows who she is and she will keep it this way. When, Joe Starks, husband of Janie at the time, and Janie have a game of attacking each other’s characteristics, Joe explains to Janie that she has become old. Then implies she has lost her beauty in whole. Janie turns the bullet around to Joe, insulting his manhood and pride in front of others of the town. Zora Neale Hurston includes the letters,

"Naw, Ah ain’t no young gal no mo’ but den Ah ain’t no old woman neither. Ah reckon Ah looks mah age too. But Ah’m uh woman every inch of me, and Ah know it. Dat’s uh whole lot more’n you kin say. You big-bellies round here and put out a lot of brag, but ‘tain’t nothin’ to it but yo’ big voice. Humph! Talkin’ ‘bout me lookin’ old! When you pull down yo’ britches, you look lak de change uh life”(Hurston

After reading this novel, other readers would agree Janie knows who she is individually as she in multiple situations makes decisions that benefit her. She should not be read as a character who has no self-awareness. In addition, Nanny created a protected layout for Janie, which increased her unrealistic ideas on the world surrounding her. Although Hurston created a character who is put in not the best position, by being placed there by someone who is not her, so leading her to having to use her knowledge of who she is to overcome the struggles of life, Hurston creates a story everyone can relate to and learn from, no matter where they come