Their Eyes Were Watching God Motif Essay

Motifs are so special in writing because they can play multiple different roles. Some motifs can change over the novel, some can have multiple meanings throughout, and some are up for interpretation. In the novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, the motif of sunshine and light symbolizes multiple different things on Janie’s journey for self-discovery. Growing up, Janie had a happy childhood where race, gender, and identity did not phase her. Her grandmother did what she could to protect Janie however she was of old age and her last wish was to have Janie marry an older man that she did not love named Logan. This pattern continued in Janie’s life when she left Logan for a man named Joe who also did not give her a voice and

For instance, when Janie was young, her grandmother did whatever she could to provide for Janie. However, as her grandmother was getting older she realized that she was not going to have the ability to be there for Janie so she instructed her to marry a man named Logan Killicks. Janie did not love Logan , however trusted her grandmother that she would only do this for the sake of finding happiness. For example, the text states, “Did marriage compel love like the sun that day?...Husbands and wives always loved each other, and that was what marriage meant” (Hurston 21). As demonstrated in this citation, all Janie ever knew from her grandmother was that the world was all perfection and hope. Janie grew up with the idealistic mindset that everything works out, but that was very far from the case. Although at the time Janie was not optimistic about her marriage, she stuck to the idea that husbands and wives always loved each other and there was nothing else to it. She stuck to the idea that love would come when she married Logan. She relates this to the sun because at this stage in her life the sun stood for hope and her new beginnings. Janie grasped onto the idea that a new sunrise brought new things, so there would be a chance that Logan would change; however she eventually realized that all marriages weren’t

Throughout the course of the novel, Janie dealt with having trouble to find her own voice through her relationships. It was until Janie met Tea Cake where she finally realized that it wasn’t money or status that mattered to her. What truly made her happy was feeling appreciated and having the ability to speak for herself which Teacake gave her. The text directly states, “Janie mounted the stairs with her lamp. The light in her hand was like a spark of sun-stuff washing her face in fire. Her shadow behind fell black and headlong down the stairs” (Hurston 192). This quote is significant to portray Janie's journey of discovering herself because it describes how she is walking with light and leaving her shadows in the darkness. Her shadows represent all that happened in her past with Joe Starks, Logan Killicks, and all the regrets she has. Although losing Teacake was horrific for Janie, she was thankful for letting her be herself and teaching her how to