Their Eyes Were Watching God: An Analysis

There have been conflicts in the equality of our society. Black rights have taken several decades to achieve, and even today the black community faces racism. A notable time regarding black rights would be the early 1900s, when blacks were beginning to utilize their rights in the US. Although blacks were freed from slavery and confinement, they still faced troubles in equality that lasted throughout the 1900s. Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God portrays the struggle and hardship of colored people as they fought for equality. Roger Rosenblatt reviewed and analyzed Hurston’s novel. While Roger Rosenblatt’s opinions on Janie’s struggle are accurate, his view of her relationship with Tea Cake does not agree with Zora Neale

She notices issues with Tea Cakes health and trusts the white doctor with treatment for her husband. She (as shown) cares deeply for Tea Cake and got a white doctor (presumably because of advanced knowledge and treatment.) Dr Simmons states, “Bout de only thing you can do, Janie, is put him in the County hospital where they can tie him up and look after him.” (Hurston 202) The doctor implies impending death for Tea Cake by use of phrases. He says the only thing Janie can do is put him in a hospital where he will be tied up. By hospital, we connotatively think of treatment, sickness, and unfortunately, death. When we think of being “tied up” in a hospital, we don’t think of injury as much as mental disease. The doctor is saying the hospital will prevent him from harming anyone by tieing him up. The doctor is giving sincere advice on how to proceed safely with Tea Cakes condition. He is warning her that Tea Cake will be hostile. This helps protect her. Rosenblatt states that Janie and Tea Cake only flourish when they avoid the white world. He portrays the white world as being evil and the thing to avoid. Tea Cake was sick on his own, and given more time, white doctors could have saved him. Dr Simmons warning helped save Janie’s life. Without it, she might not have been aware of what she had to be prepared to do-shoot Tea Cake. Flourish means to develop and grow healthy. While Tea Cake might have been doomed, the white Dr Simmons helped save Janie. If they avoided the white world entirely, Janie would have likely been shot by Tea Cake, and both of them would have died. Their Eyes Were Watching God is concluded with Janie achieving peace and serenity. Considering her past experiences, this could very easily be considered growing and flourishing. Because of a white doctor, she was able to