Their Eyes Were Watching God Symbolism

Estelle Ngobua
Debra Lydon
American Literature
13 April 2023
Their Eyes Were Watching God.
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neal Hurston male dominance and power is seen in the book as the author uses symbolism to explain and show how the male figure poses a threat to the female’s freedom in the relationship. This masterpiece shows how no human can stand against God or what he has in turn for you. As the protagonist's life is put together life lessons are shown in themes of power, male domination, love, inequality, discrimination sexism, teaching her things she wouldn’t have known. As she continues her journey of finding the happiness and love she yearns for, one of the hindrances in making this possible is power and male domination which

As Jody maintains his reign of power he takes away Janie’s freedom and the life of what a young married woman should be like. He forces her to tie her hair up because he feels he would lose her “What dat ole forty-year ole ʼoman doin’ wid her hair swingin’ down her back lak some young gal?” (Hurston 52) To Joe Janie’s hair is not only her beauty but also a symbol of modesty but at this moment telling her to tie her he is indirectly saying she is improper. As Jody gets his newly given role as mayor he installs street lamps and to celebrate this Jody organizes a ceremonial celebration for installing the new lamp. Janie sends a vague sense of dissatisfaction towards his new attitude but he turns a deafening ear to her but instead repeats that he has "aimed tuh be uh big voice."(Hurston 43). And by installing these street lamps symbolizes that he is God though it is not made clear in the text itself, his bringing street light shows that he wants to play as God because he is bringing light to Eatonvillle, and playing God in the sense that God brought light to humankind in Genesis and not only that this also gives him the chance to situate himself as an important person in society by giving him power. Jody said he wants to be the "big voice" which is also a way of holding in check Janie's inner voice by saying she has no say in whatever he is doing because she belongs to him and a

Jody begins to age and get sick and he noticed, Seeing this he knows that all the years of power and control were drawing to an end and he felt bitter about it he wanted it to last forever. Knowing that Janie was aware of this unfortunate predicament he began to insult her more often and viciously based on her body hoping she would leave his body and turn her attention to hers even though hers was okay.“You oughta throw somethin’ over yo’ shoulders befo’ you go outside. You ain’t no young pullet no mo’. You’se uh ole hen now.”......... “Dat’s somethin’ for de young folks, Janie, you out dere jumpin’ round and won’t be able tuh git out de bed tuhmorrer.”, Janie was no fool for the first time she did not believe the things he said although she didn’t read books she did not know the world but even at that, she did not pay attention to the words coming out of his mouth. Jody criticizes Janie based on what she did and how she “looked like” because he did not want to feel like an old man although he was becoming one. Jody continued to do so until one time when Janie made a mistake while serving a customer at the store Jody got angry and insulted her in front of everyone “I god amighty! A woman stay round uh store till she get old as Methusalem and still can’t cut a little thing like a plug of tobacco! Don’t stand dere rollin’ yo’ pop eyes at me wid yo’ rump hangin’ nearly to yo’ knees!”(Hurston 118), Janie not taking these finally