Their Eyes Were Watching God Sexism Analysis

In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston acknowledges the idea of sexism

when she addresses that Janie Starks, the protagonist, never got to fulfill her dreams. Janie’s

grandmother, Nanny, wanted the best for her granddaughter so she married her off to a man

named Logan Killicks, a man who had a small farm and good wealth “Janie and Logan got

married in Nanny’s parlor of a Saturday evening with three cakes and big platters of fried rabbit

and chicken,” (Hurston 3). Years has passed within the marriage and Janie never found love for

Logan. Logan comparing her to his ex-wife, discriminated Janie’s place of position, “Mah fust

wife never bothered me ‘bout choppin’ no wood nohow. She’d grab dat ax and sling chips lak uh

You done been spoilt rotten,” (Hurston 27). Logan stated that Janie was “spoilt rotten” he

made her a lower class than what Janie really is. This is an idea of sexism because women are

seen more as fragile, gentle, and not hard working. By Logan comparing Janie to his last wife,

Logan is stating that she isn’t the image or the female that Logan expects Janie to be, a hard

working female. This subject ties to sexism because Janie was not able to express herself but

lived through the image of a hard working female.

Interpreting the message of sexism in Their Eyes Were Watching God. Janie is now with

another man named Joe Starks (Jody by the nickname Janie gave him) was a man in high wealth.

Janie was not able to have the freedom she wanted with this man. Whatever he did she would

have no say; Janie continued to keep silent regardless of what happened in their marriage, “No

matter what Jody did, she said nothing. She had learned how to talk some and leave some. She

was a rut in the road,” (Hurston 76). By this Janie was not well respected by Jody, she was not

able to say how she felt. Considered being the wife of a rich man, she was treated less than