ipl-logo

Their Eyes Were Watching God Sexism Quotes

1057 Words5 Pages

Cooper Rachuba Ms. Ewald English 9 May 28th, 2024 Gender In Their Eyes Were Watching God The book, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston demonstrates to the reader the struggle of women in the 1930s South. Through the tale of Janie, Zora demonstrates how through many different tales and encounters, women are forced into many things that they do not want. One of those requirements is marriage. The sexism that the book portrays helps to explain how many women are restricted from their hopes and dreams and rarely accomplish any of them. In the book, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, Janie encounters many thoughts and ideologies about sexism in her community. This causes her to be forced into marriage, squandering any dreams or …show more content…

This helps to expand Janie's thoughts about sexism and how it can affect her. This quote also demonstrates to Janie that she will never be an independent woman. This means that any dreams that she had of living her perfect life, were squandered. This quote helps to understand how sexist norms in communities can lead to the removal of freedom for many women. Ike Green is sitting on the store porch and talking to Janie. She begins to talk about Janie marrying again. Janie is taken aback by this and is quite surprised when she says this. Ike Green says that Janie must marry in order not to be taken advantage of. Ike Green illustrates to Janie, "Womenfolks are easily taken advantage of." You know what tuh let none uh dese stray [n-word] dat's settin' round heah git de inside track on yuh. Whut yuh needs is uh man dat yuh done lived uhround and know all about tu sort of manage yo' things fuh yuh and ginerally do round" (91). This quote demonstrates how terrible a sexist society can treat women when they are not married. Ike Green tries to emphasize to Janie that a woman has to be married in order not to get taken advantage

Show More
Related
478 Words | 2 Pages

She does not care about what society or her grandmother wants her to do. She took a stand, not only for gender equality but also independence for herself. Janie is tired of being a servant, specifically to Joe, but also to society and her grandmother?s expectation. Janie wants equality, independence, and happiness. This response is the start of a ?new?

Read More
799 Words | 4 Pages

Being a woman of color in the 1920’s was no easy task. Gender and racial inequalities have made progress throughout history, however during the time of this novel, and even in our modern day world they are still present and causing conflict. This is an issue that should be focused on and taken more seriously. In the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, Janie does a fantastic job overcoming several of these inequalities in order to pursue her own happiness, overall depicting her as an extremely powerful role model for young

Read More
1189 Words | 5 Pages

How can it be argued that a woman who is willing to defy the expectations of society and the comfort of financial stability in order to find her own happiness is not a powerful role model for young readers? In the Zora Neale Hurston’s novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie is a powerful role model for young readers because she pursues her own happiness by leaving a horrific marriage, engaging in hobbies that she enjoys, and marrying someone that she is happy with. Throughout Janie’s life there are many obstacles blocking her path to happiness. However, instead of allowing those obstacles to prevent her from becoming happy, Janie works to overcome the obstacles and find her path to happiness.

Read More
997 Words | 4 Pages

This becomes evident when he says things such as: “Somebody got to think for women and chillun and chickens and cows. I god, they sho don’t think none theirselves" (Hurston 180). His misogynistic standpoints buildup to the point of physical abuse. Janie earns her power back when she meets her final husband, and one true love, Tea Cake. He allows her to make her own choices, unlike Joe and Logan.

Read More
926 Words | 4 Pages

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.

Read More
1354 Words | 6 Pages

Nirvan Pandya Mr. Farnsworth English 11 Honors February 9th, 2023 The Progression and Fight for Feminism in Their Eyes Were Watching God In American literature, works of the 20th century are likely to be based on the progression of rights and freedom for minorities. Their Eyes Were Watching God, written by Zora Neale Hurston, is a feminist novel analyzed by many critics, depicting the development of the protagonist, Janie May Crawford. Janie is a biracial woman who spent most of her life subdued by towering masculinity up until her third marriage.

Read More
1227 Words | 5 Pages

One way this is shown is when Janie's husband Joe becomes mayor. He then gets asked by the town if Janie would like to speak and he says, "Ah never married her for nothing lak dat. She's a woman and her place is in de home"(43). In this speech, he talks about how he only marries her so that she can help around the house. He says this mainly because he wants to gain respect by following the traditional values of the time.

Read More
633 Words | 3 Pages

Throughout the course of the book, Janie experiences oppression as a woman, revealing the hidden gender roles in American society that help form the American

Read More
118 Words | 1 Pages

In Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, she uses her characters to challenge the gender roles of that time. In her book, women are the submissive and weaker gender. They cannot gain power without a influential or wealthy man backing her up which is usually connected by marriage. Considering since women have no powers in society, in marriages they also don’t have much power, therefore the husband suppresses their wives and doesn’t give them any freedom. Because the females are scared of the males, they don't fight back and just keep it in.

Read More
724 Words | 3 Pages

In the Novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, author Zora Neale Hurston uses themes of identity and challenging traditional roles to reflect ideas of the Harlem Renaissance. The novel follows the life of Janie, a black woman who finds her way through the challenges of life independently for the most part. Janie finds herself in a society that is portrayed as men lead the world. She challenges these stereotypes by becoming a strong and independent woman.

Read More
1464 Words | 6 Pages

Over time, women have slowly gained more and more rights. They have become more prominent in society, making more decisions that influence their lives, as well as the lives of other people. In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston highlights how the gender roles of men and women differ including women being less powerful than men, how Janie had the strength and determination to gain her own happiness, and how stereotypical roles should not play a part in society. Some people view Janie as a woman who should be dependent on her husband, following the traditional roles of women, being satisfied with her life as the less powerful sex.

Read More
1727 Words | 7 Pages

The theme of women openly embracing their sexuality and exploring their desires. This concept is often deemed taboo in patriarchal societies, much like many of the themes considered throughout the novel. Though the idea of women freely giving in to their sexuality is essentially frowned upon, Hurston uses that to her advantage and creates a pipeline between the two. Janie's journey through self-discovery and self empowerment is closely tied to her sexuality, as she learns to embrace her desires and find fulfillment in her relationships with men.

Read More
1105 Words | 5 Pages

The era in which the novel takes place is fraught with old-fashioned ideals. The ideology that women are meant to be subservient to their husbands was prevalent during this time and caused many women to live out their married lives miserably, often being abused both emotionally and physically. Janie is forced to marry at a

Read More
311 Words | 2 Pages

Janie’s first two husbands were Logan, and Joe, they had an entirely different perception on how on how women should be viewed. Joe thought that Janie should be pampered, cared for and anything that she wanted should be at her beck and call, he thinks that women are valuable objects. Joe and Logan’s mentality are not so far off from each other, Logan also thought that women are objects and they should be made use of (Hurston 29). In the 1900’s there was a crisis called the Great depression where the economy in America crashed completely. Black women’s role in the south during this time was to keep the home together, they raised the children, cooked food, and work on the field.

Read More
697 Words | 3 Pages

Women are confined to single roles and are expected to be submissive and respectful. When Joe married Janie, he forced her into a role of subservience. Hurston indicates that Joe attempted to mold Janie into what white women do on a daily basis which is to “sit on their high stools on the porches of their house and relax.” Doing this, Joe believes he is granting his wife all the wishes she ever wanted while neglecting the fact that Janie takes pleasure in the simple things in life like chatting, laughing, fishing and dancing. “Janie [especially] loved the conversation[s]” that took place on the porch and sometimes “she thought up good stories on the mule, but Joe had forbidden her to indulge” because he didn’t want her to talk after those “trashy people” (Page 104).

Read More

More about Their Eyes Were Watching God Sexism Quotes

Open Document