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The Central Theme Of Their Eyes Were Watching God By Zora Neale Hurston

526 Words3 Pages

In Zora Neale Hurston's novel "Their Eyes Were Watching God," the protagonist Janie Crawford's search for love is a central theme. Throughout the novel, Janie experiences various types of love from her three husbands, each of which ends in a different manner.
Janie's first husband, Logan Killicks, represents a traditional and practical form of love. Logan is a wealthy landowner, and Janie's grandmother sees him as a good match for Janie due to his financial stability. However, Janie does not love Logan and only married him because of her grandmother's insistence. Janie quickly becomes disillusioned with Logan's domineering and controlling behavior, and their marriage ends when Janie leaves him for her second husband, Jody Starks. As Janie reflects on her marriage to Logan, she remarks, "She was sorry for him. He had spoken for her, but it was only because he thought he was doing the right thing. She knew he was not the right thing for her" (Hurston 29). Janie realizes that Logan's love is not genuine and does not fulfill her emotional needs. …show more content…

Jody is charismatic and ambitious, and Janie is initially drawn to his confidence and vision for their future. However, Jody is also controlling and belittles Janie, refusing to allow her to express herself or engage with the community. Their marriage ends when Jody becomes ill and dies, and Janie is left feeling unfulfilled and stifled. As Janie reflects on her marriage to Jody, she remarks, "She was old before her time. She sat in the house and watched the sun go down" (Hurston 89). Janie realizes that Jody's love was stifling and suffocating, and that she lost a part of herself by being with

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Their marriage was not passionate. It did not entail a complete commitment. “Naw, Jody, its jus’ looks lak it keeps us in someway we ain’t natural wid one ‘nother. You’se always off talkin’ and fixin’ things, and ah feels lak Ah’m jus’ markin’ time”(Page 46). Jody hardly ever spent time with Janie.

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By recalling all her memories and past events in her life, Janie can see all of the mistakes she has made that led her to realize the importance of her life quest, her fight for freedom, love, happiness, and self-revelation.

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In her epiphany from Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie realizes her intrinsic capacity as an individual, and frees herself from Jody’s covetous ways in the act of letting down her hair. In the quote, “She tore off the kerchief from her plentiful hair... the glory was there,” Janie’s hair symbolizes her power and strength because it holds glory. By Janie releasing her hair, she finally notices the greatness that she has, which allows her to now view herself as eminent individual whom has independence. Because Jody made her tie her hair up as a device to hinder her individuality and identity in their marriage, he is intimidated by her reluctance to comply with his controlling demands.

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“Jaine, if you think Ah aims to tole you off and make a god outa you, youse wrong. Ah wants to make a wife outa you,” says Jody, knowing he only wants Janie for her looks (29). Jody displays an act of respecting Janie at the beginning of the book, but his act doesn’t last very long. His desire for Janie was only until her looks, nothing beyond that. He would never let Janie act on her own, and always disregarded the things Janie wants to do, “Thank yuh fuh yo’ compliments, but mah wife don’t know nothin’ ‘bout no speech-makin’.

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Jody exhibits towards Janie, forcing her to wear a head rag and covering an essential feature that contributes to her self expression. Then, as well as Jody's constant demand for perfection, when he “gits on [Janie] ever now and then when she make a little mistakes round de store”, the townspeople present the inequality of power dynamics in Janie’s relationship (Eyes 49). Janie is depicted as a weak and obedient follower rather than her own person with thoughts. Through their inputs, Hurston entails the heavy baggage the protagonist shoulders from their treatment received in the relationship. By including others'

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After being with Joe she realizes that this marriage lacks a good partnership. Joe was able to control Janie and all those great qualities she saw In the beginning of the marriage vanished. He was no longer giving her the attention she wanted and stopped complimenting her. Joe was even abusive towards her, which she could do nothing about. Janie began to feel miserable, as well as trapped because she wanted to leave, but had no where to go.

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Janie recognizes that her marriage to Logan is not based on love, but rather a transaction between families. She is not happy in this marriage, and she feels that she has lost her sense of self. Janie's journey towards acquiring her own voice and the ability to shape her own life

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Janie states that her “‘own mind had tuh be squeezed and crowded out tuh make room for yours in me’”(Hurston 87) portraying the relationship and power dynamics Janie has with her second husband. There is a shift in power dynamics because Janie chose to express her feelings in the most vulnerable state that Joe Starks was in. She makes her way towards the mirror and “had told her girl self to wait for her.” The little girl that she once saw had now become “a handsome woman” that “had taken her place”(Hurston 87). For Janie, Joe Starks was a lesson and a stepping stone to guide her path to finding herself in her relationships and where she stands as an individual.

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In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston uses speech as a tool to show the progression of the story. Janie Crawford, the main character of the novel, finds her true identity and ability to control her voice through many hardships. When Janie’s grandmother dies she is married off, to be taken care of. In each marriage that follows, she learns what it is to be a woman with a will and a voice. Throughout the book, Janie finds herself struggling against intimidating men who attempt to victimize her into a powerless role.

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In Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston, Janie suffers from hardship in two relationships before she can find her true love. Janie explains to her best friend, Pheoby, how she searches for love. Therefore Pheoby wants to hear the true story, rather than listening to the porch sitters. Throughout the book Janie experiences different types of love with three different men; Logan Killicks, Joe Starks, and Vergible "Tea Cake" Woods. At 16 Janie marries Logan Killicks.

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In The Eyes are Watching God, the author Zora Neale Hurston expresses the struggles of women and black societies of the time period. When Hurston published the book, communities were segregated and black communities were full of stereotypes from the outside world. Janie, who represents the main protagonist and hero, explores these communities on her journey in the novel. Janie shows the ideals of feminism, love, and heroism in her rough life in The Eyes. Janie, as the hero of the novel, shows the heroic qualities of determination, empathy, and bravery.

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Hurston illustrates how Janie is affected by Jody’s treatment during the marriage. Jody suppresses Janie’s emotions and opinions, often with a physical beating, comparable to the damage inflicted to a rut in the road. Janie is able to bring her life back to the surface after Jody’s death, no longer experiencing the domination of a powerful man in her life. Janie expresses her anger and disappointment towards Jody in the final moments of his life, “‘All dis bowin’ down, all dis obedience under yo’ voice—dat ain’t whut Ah rushed off down de road tuh find out about you’” (Hurston 87).

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One day Joe beats Janie in the middle of the store for a small mistake she makes. Janie retaliates by commenting on Joe’s deteriorating body. After this Joe stops talking to her, and Janie confides in Pheoby. She cries to her that she “wouldn't do one thing tuh hurt nobody”(82). Even though it's her husband who is not understanding her, she goes to Pheoby for consolidation.

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Jody’s image of Janie changes her into someone who she is not, submissive and non independent. Again, Janie’s marriage was not made in love and she was trapped. Unlike Logan, Janie puts up with Jody for 20 miserable years before she is finally freed by his death. To Janie, Jody’s death is an eye-opener. Janie is no longer going to settle for less than what

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Jody controlled major aspects of Janie’s life, such as her appearance, when he forces her to keep her hair up. Janie does not like that Jody feels the need to control her: “This business of the head-rag irked her endlessly. But Jody was set on it... that was because Joe never told Janie how jealous he was” (Hurston 55).

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