What Are Some Examples Of Womanhood In Their Eyes Were Watching God

The Harlem Renaissance brought about a new sense of African American pride. The arts flourished with new artists and writers and singers. This time period brought about more confidence for African Americans from their former experience in slave life. This mindset of this new generation of people effected both males and females. In Their Eyes were Watching God, the contrast between Janie and her grandmother shows the differing thought on independence and the new womanhood during the time period of the Harlem Renaissance. In Their Eyes were Watching God, Janie represents new womanhood while her grandmother, or Nanny, has different views about how a woman should live her life. Nanny’s intentions are good and pure. She wants the best for Janie

She relates to Janie how women were treated under slavery. "So de white man throw down de load and tell de nigger man tuh pick it up. He pick it up because he have to, but he don’t tote it. He hand it to his womenfolks. De nigger woman is de mule ud de world so fur as Ah can see." (Hurston 14) All slaves lived a horrific and terrible life which can be seen in Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. However, slave women had it doubly hard. Nanny Crawford wants security for her granddaughter and views Janie as a clean slate for her to find a better life for. The grandmother states “Honey, de white man is de ruler of everything as fur as Ah been able tuh find out.” (Hurston 14). Janie was not raised with this mindset which is what Nanny initially wanted. In the Davis article “The Legacy of Slavery”, Nanny can be compared to the Eliza’s. “ It was those women who passed on to their nominally free descendants a legacy of hard work, perseverance and self-reliance, a legacy of tenacity, resistance and insistence on sexually equality—in short, a standard for new womanhood.” (Davis 29) So while Nanny Crawford cannot quite break free from the notion of white supremacy, she must have and did instill these vale in Janie. Janie grew up and is discovering the power of her femininity and independence. She is unafraid of the issue of race. The pear tree symbolizes new love, femininity and inspires curiosity in Janie which is an

She is strong, curious, independent and self-confident. Many trials throughout the book test her strength and independence but she overcomes. She recognizes as she gets older and gains more experience that there is a double standard for men and women. “The slave system defined black people as chattel. Since women no less than men were viewed as profitable labor units, they might as well have been genderless as far as slave holders were concerned” (Davis 5) In the Davis article, “The Legacy of Slavery” Standards for a New Womanhood”, slaves, especially slave women were viewed as genderless. Janie is a character who redefines this notion of women being viewed and treated as genderless into these strong, capable, independent beautiful women. Janie defends her woman hood.

“Naw, Ah ain’t no young gal no mo’ but den Ah ain’t no old woman neither. Ah reckon Ah looks mah age too. But Ah’m uh woman every inch of me, and Ah know it. Dat’s uh whole lot more’n you kin say. You big-bellies round here and put out a lot of brag, but ‘tain’t nothin’ to it but yo’ big voice. Humph! Talkin’ ‘bout me lookin’ old! When you pull down yo’ britches, you look lak de change uh life.” (Hurston