Brief Summary By Zora Neale Hurston

149 Words1 Pages
During the post-civil war era, most “colored people did not know how to be free” (Houston Hartsfield Holloway). The abolishment of slavery was a major event that led blacks to desire fulfillment in life. Zora Neale Hurston demonstrates this through Janie’s life and the people she encounters. Each character provides a different outlook on life and their values are distinct from Janie’s. The novel questions what true happiness is via Janie’s quest to find love and her influences. The character that heavily influences Janie when growing up is Nanny. Nanny still has the mindset of a slave so her views are much different than what Janie would see. She wants Janie to have a better life than she did, so she arranges the marriage with Logan. She