Their Eyes Were Watching God By Zora Neale Hurston

In the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston, Janie Crawford, a woman who is in search of her authentic self and for real love goes through a journey where she survives and triumphs through three different marriages. Janie's meaning of love is defined during the pear tree vision she experiences. Hurston exposes Janie to the erotic feeling of pleasure of a relationship at the age of sixteen. As Janie "saw a dust bearing bee sink into the sanctum of a bloom" (Hurston 11), Janie’s women hood started beyond this point as she came to a revelation “so this was a marriage” (Hurston 11), she translated the feeling of pleasure she felt from the pear tree into what a relationship of marriage is and meant to her. Hurston takes us

Nanny, Janie's grandmother, wants to protect Janie from all the social injustices she has gone through and decides that the only way to keep Janie safe in life is for Janie to avoid love and acquire money through a man. Nanny does not want Janie to feel a sexual desire because she believes that it will make Janie vulnerable to other men. Janie marries Logan Killicks, the man Nanny married her of to. “The vision of Logan Killicks was desecrating the pear tree, but Janie didn't know how to tell Nanny that” (Hurston 14). This pushed Janie closer and closer to leave Logan. Through Logan, Janie finds her answer to the her question “Did marriage compel love like the sun of day?” (Hurston 21), no. The natural relationship she experienced with the pear tree did not compare to that of a sacred relationship in real life with a man. Even though Janie is not abused by Logan, his money does not compensate for the labor he has her do. “Got uh mule all gentled up so even uh women kin handle’im.” (Hurston 27), Logan is implying the much harsh labor Janie has to carry with along with Logan's fat and aged body. This lifestyle no longer attractive to Janie and she slowly grows apart from