Theme Of Their Eyes Were Watching God

Through symbolism and imagery, in the novel, “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” Zora Neal Hurston highlights the theme that all helpless individuals rely on powerful beings for hope. In the narrative, Janie, the protagonist, describes her life story chronologically, which ends with a violent hurricane. Janie and her husband, Teacake, decide not to believe the hurricane warnings and stay home near lake Okeechobee. Unfortunately, the cyclone arrives with the lake and catastrophically destroys their town. This hurricane made people faithful that “The bossman might have the (hurricane) stopped before morning…” and that “Ole Massa is doin’ His work now” (159). The hurricane represents an inevitable power that makes every type of person, disregarding

The hurricane that portrayed a persisting power also allowed people’s faith in God to strengthen or weaken. When Janie looked outside and everything in town was destroyed and the hurricane continued, their only hope was God. She looked up: “[and her] soul asking if He meant to measure [her] puny might against His. [She] seemed to be staring at the dark, but [her] eyes were watching God” (160). The words “puny might,” and “soul asking” demonstrate the desperation for safety and show the acknowledgment of her powerlessness. The hurricane makes her vulnerable and reliant on a powerful being for hope. Additionally, Hurston utilizes strong words to exemplify the theme that all helpless individuals rely on powerful beings for hope. The devastating hurricane was only getting worse and everyone huddled together wondering what they could do to stop it. The people were terrified: “[and] The time was past for asking the white folks what to look for through that door. Six eyes were questioning God. Through the screaming wind they heard things crashing and things hurtling and dashing with unbelievable velocity”