Their Eyes Were Watching God Literary Analysis

Often times women were unable to break of their repressive bonds in their marriages. Throughout the 19th century, many women were left at home all day to oversee domestic duties. They had such great influence at home which gave men the need to constantly put them in their place, which was beneath theirs. It was the women’s job to please their husbands who dictated every aspect of their life. In all four texts, Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”, Emily Dickinson’s, “She Rose to His Requirement”, Susan Glaspell’s, Trifles and Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, the protagonists have sacrificed something of importance to them due to the oppression of the institution of marriage. Their individuality is censored due to the lack of respect and the dominating role of the

She uses many metaphors to describe the relationship between Joe and Janie. Their relationship is packed with a great deal of emotions and the use of these metaphors makes it easier to understand what Janie is thinking about. Hurston says, “Janie had robbed him of his illusion of irresistible maleness that all men cherish, which was terrible” (Hurston 79). The word robbed has very powerful meaning. Joe is the mayor of the town, therefore he has a lot of power. If one was to rob the mayor of his power, it would be considered a big offense. Not only that, it would also definitely embarrass the mayor himself. The power Joe has is what is able to give him the position of the town’s leader. Being deprived of that by Janie, definitely hurt his ego and his feelings. This is why Joe has always bullied Janie to feel as if she is beneath him; deep down inside Joe knows Janie’s capabilities and how she is such a strong person if she only had the chance to show it. This is why he kept her locked in the store all the time, secluded from the people and from having a say in any