In final words figurative language helps give ideas on how Hurston is allowing the stereotypes to not define her which leads to a brighter
Hurston contrasts this style by using a strong African-American dialect. Later in Chapter 11, Janie says to Hezekiah, “Oh dat’s all right, Hezekiah. Thank yuh mighty much” (143). Hurston chooses to define her characters’ voices using the vernacular in which
Zora Neale Hurston reveals inner self versus outward self through different vocal and lyrical diction. Zora Neale Hurston uses dialect to cause familiarity in her novel and described the struggles as an everyday African American faced in their community. The theme of my novel was gender roles and relationships not as a black woman, but as a human being. Even having the desire for love from different men. The connecting themes were that “Black folks” were proud of their culture instead of being oppressed.
When someone is put into a situation of whether to save someone they love that have been treating them poorly or to ignore them, I think that some people would ignore it. In this short story “Sweat” written by Zora Neale Hurston, Delia and Sykes are married couple for fifteen years. Delia had the choice of helping her husband that was bitten by a rattlesnake, which he deliberately set it up to frighten and get rid of Delia, or to ignore his cry for help. Sykes would physically abuse Delia. For a married couple, Sykes went against his vows.
In reading Joyce Carol Oates, “Hi Howya Doin”, 2007 and Zora Neale Hurston’s, “Spunk”, 1925, we have noticed similarities and differences between the two stories, which we have analyzed for further discussion. Both stories consist of life that is filled with uncertainty; good and evil are ill defined. In the story, “Hi Howya Doin”, by Joyce Carol Oates, she describes a husky male running along a path filled with a variety of different individuals from all walks of life who want only to be left alone, want no social interaction or discourse and prefer to contemplate in solitude with their miserable existence. In “Spunk”, the author paints a verbal picture of life during the early part of the 20th century, in a rural southern community, where social discourse, social contact and social interaction are extremely important for
Zora Hurston uses vivid imagery, natural diction, and several literary tools in her essay “How It Feels to Be Colored Me”. Hurston’s use of imagery, diction, and literary tools in “How It Feels to Be Colored Me” contributes to, and also compliments, the essay’s theme which is her view on life as a “colored” person. Throughout “How It Feels to Be Colored Me” Hurston carefully incorporates aspects of her African American culture in an effort to recapture her ancestral past. Hurston’s use of imagery, diction, and use of literary tools shape her essay into a piece of Harlem Renaissance work. Imagery in “How It Feels to Be Colored Me” is quite abundant.
Hurston’s Curveball Some writers are almost as curious as the crew of the Mystery Machine, constantly looking for a way to wow readers. Zora Neale Hurston was no different, and a prime example. In her book, Their Eyes Were Watching God Janie Crawford, Nannie, Tea Cake, Joe Starks, and Logan Killicks made this book something special. The story that rotates around the deep south while making fun of its racial ideas was a stand out of its time. Zora Neale Hurston’s writing is both a reflection of and a departure from the ideas of the Harlem Renaissance.
Zora Neale Hurston's short story "Spunk" is rich with symbolism that adds depth and complexity to the narrative. Set in a small Florida town, the story follows the intertwining lives of its characters as they grapple with themes of jealousy, courage, and the supernatural. Through the use of symbolic elements such as animals, nature, and objects, Hurston infuses "Spunk" with layers of meaning that resonate with readers and offer insight into the human condition. One of the most prominent symbols in "Spunk" is the rooster, which represents masculinity, strength, and dominance.
In Hurston’s, “The Gilded Six Bits”, what is conveyed is that materialistic things, and the natural greediness of human nature, can tempt and distract people from what they actually have and affect their happiness.
In Zora Neale Hurston’s short story “The Gilded Six-Bits”, many different aspects can be justified and analyzed. One of the things I found most interesting was that Zora Neale Hurston attempted to objectify many of the characters. Objectifying means to treat someone, a physical being, as an object rather than a human. Zora Neale’s short story “The Gilded Six-Bits” is a great example of displaying female subjectivity in African American women’s narratives. Otis D. Slemmons, is one of the main characters who plays a very crucial role in the development on this story.
In utilizing the supernatural within the short story “Spunk,” specifically the character of Joe returning from the dead as a bobcat, Zora Neale Hurston illustrates the strong desire for equality commonly seen in literature written during the Harlem Renaissance. Firstly, it is important to note that while alive, Joe faces quite a bit of negative treatment, especially at the hands of Spunk. For example, Spunk ends up taking Joe’s wife, Lena, from him, walking around the village as “big as life an’ brassy as tacks” (Hurston 949). At this moment, Spunk is far from ashamed to be seen with another man’s wife, basically portraying Joe as incapable of being a decent husband and standing up for himself and his marriage.
Hurston views ‘being colored’ as something that does not truly connect with her racial identity, but as something forced on her by society (Hurston 784). When she later on moves to Jacksonville, she describes how her race became the central feature of her theoretical
Zora Neale Hurston’s book, “The Gilded Six-Bits” is an important piece of literature due to its impact on the world during the Harlem Renaissance era. It is considered a brilliant piece of modernist literature due to Hurston staying true to her background and roots as a black woman from the south, in which segregation was still a huge issue. The reason why it is considered a piece of modernist literature is because she wasn’t afraid to write in the black vernacular which was considered uneducated as blacks were progressing in arts, literature, and the music was alive. The story is filled with many different themes and issues that people can relate to such as money, deceit, and for people who have a big heart forgiveness and reconciliation.
Hurston’s autobiography, Dust Tracks on a Road marks the popularity of her career as a writer in the Harlem Renaissance. It is an autobiography intertwined with reality, mystery, imagination, creation, humor and wisdom, celebrating Hurston’s struggle from an isolated southern child to a recognized black female writer. It is an autobiography contains a controversial work evoking both recognition and discrete criticism. Starting with the history of Eatonville, the founding of the pure Negro town, Hurston in Dust Tracks locates herself as a carefree black girl in a harmless place immune from threats of the racial segregation, then delineates her life as a wander after her mother’s death. Aside from her journey in life, the alienation of the narrator
During this rough time period, segregation was common and prohibition was recently introduced. Along with this, many other social and political issues played a role in Hurston's "Sweat." Consequently, a historical background of the early twentieth century would be ideal in order for the reader to better comprehend and appreciate the work thoroughly. In this story, Hurston writes about Delia and Syke's work lives. In the early 1900's, approximately sixty percent of African American woman and about twenty percent of men were employed (Mclaughlin).During this time period, men felt that they were vastly superior over women.
