Zora Neale Hurstons Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay

Zora Neale Hurstons Their Eyes Were Watching God â€Å"’†¦but she don’t seem to mind at all. Reckon dey understand one ‘nother.’† A woman’s search for her own free will to escape the chains of other people in Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God. In the continuing philosophical debate of free will versus determinism, the question arises as to whether or not free will exists. Do people really have the capability of making decisions on their own? OR Is life already determined, and whatever we do is (and always was) the only thing that we could have done at that time, conditions being what they were? Given the circumstances in Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, I would argue that, while free will does exist,†¦show more content†¦It is almost imaginable that Janie has not changed much in the end of the story and will continue her old ways of depending on a person for support and protection. The plan for Janie’s future begins with her lack of having real parents. Hurston builds up a foundation for Janie that is bound to fall like a Roman Empire. Janie’s grandmother, whom she refers to as â€Å"Nanny† takes the position as Janie’s guardian. The problem begins here for Jani e because her Nanny not only spoils her, but also makes life choices for her. Nanny is old, and she only wants the best for her grandchild, for she knows that the world is a cruel place. Nanny makes the mistake of not allowing Janie to learn anything on her own. When Janie was sixteen years old, Nanny wanted to see her get married. Although Janie argued at first, Nanny insisted that Janie get married. â€Å"’Yeah, Janie, youse got yo’ womanhood on yuh†¦ Ah wants to see you married right away.’† (Page 12). Janie was not given a choice in this decision. Her Nanny even had a suitor picked out for her. Janie told herself that she would try to make the best of the situation and attempt to find love in her marriage to Logan Killicks. But, as time went by, Janie realized that she still did not have any feelings of what she had considered to be love in her husband. Logan Killicks complained to Janie that she had been â€Å"spoilt rotten† because she d id not do hard labor around the house like his previous wifeShow MoreRelatedMythology in Zora Neale Hurstons Their Eyes Were Watching God1023 Words   |  5 PagesMythology is a key part of many of Zora Neale Hurston’s short stories and novels. She researched the stories of her home town and many other areas of the world. Hurston used this knowledge of myths and stories to help her carry them on to later generations in a form that almost everybody could relate to. Through out all of Zora Neale Hurston’s stories, mythology has been a crucial keystone. Her novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, has been influenced by three different ancient myths: the myths ofRead More Zora Neale Hurstons They Eyes Were Watching God Essay2163 Words   |  9 PagesZora Neale Hurstons They Eyes Were Watching God It’s no wonder that â€Å"[t]he hurricane scene in Zora Neale Hurston’s novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, is a famous one and [that] other writers have used it in an effort to signify on Hurston† (Mills, â€Å"Hurston†). The final, climactic portion of this scene acts as the central metaphor of the novel and illustrates the pivotal interactions that Janie, the protagonist, has with her Nanny and each of her three husbands. In each relationship, JanieRead More Zora Neale Hurstons Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay1504 Words   |  7 PagesZora Neale Hurstons Their Eyes Were Watching God In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston portrays the religion of black people as a form of identity. Each individual in the black society Hurston has created worships a different God. But all members of her society find their identities by being able to believe in a God, spiritual or other. Grandma’s worship of Jesus and the â€Å"Good Lawd,† Joe Starks’ worship of himself, Mrs. Turner’s worship of white characteristics, and Janie’sRead MoreEssay on Love in Zora Neale Hurstons Their Eyes Were Watching God869 Words   |  4 PagesLove in Zora Neale Hurstons Their Eyes Were Watching God The novel Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (1937) is a search for self-fulfillment and true love. On a porch in a small town called Eatonville a story is told about an attractive African American womens journey. Her name is Janie Crawford. Her struggle to find companionship and herself starts as a young girl who had lost both of her parents. She lives with her grandmother who is a nanny for a wealthy white family. JanieRead More The Different Places in Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God588 Words   |  3 PagesThe Different Places in Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God It’s amazing that one state can have within it places that differ greatly in all aspects—people, surrounding, weather, and feeling. Zora Neale Hurston exemplifies this phenomenon in Their Eyes Were Watching God. There are a multitude of differences between Eatonville, FL and the Everglades; each place represents a certain theme or feeling to Janie (the main character) and their differences each contribute to the meaningRead MoreJanie and Contemporary Women in Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God724 Words   |  3 PagesThe character Janie in Zora Neale Hurston’s novel Their Eyes Were Watching God is portrayed as a woman who has a modern mindset that is much too advanced for her thinking. Janie does things that raise much controversy with the community and endures situations that would be deemed inhumane in today’s society. Examining the abuse, oppression and criticism Janie undergoes in Zora Neale Hurstons Their Eyes Were Watching Go d from both a contemporary womans viewpoint and an early twentieth centuryRead MoreThe Life of American Women in Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God895 Words   |  4 PagesZora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God is a novel illustrating the life of an African American woman that finds her voice through many trials and tribulations. At the heart of the story, Hurston portrays a protagonist who moves from a passive state to independence, from passive woman with no voice who is dominated by her husband to a woman who can think and act for herself. Hurston achieves the greater theme of Their Eyes Were Watching God, of self-expression and independence throughRead MoreRichard Wright’s Misperception of Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God 2453 Words   |  10 Pagesartists of the Harlem Renaissance could ever disagree as much as or be as different as Zora Neale Hurston and Richard Wright. Despite the fact that they are t he same color and lived during the same time period, they do not have much else in common. On the one hand is Hurston, a female writer who indulges in black art and culture and creates subtle messages throughout her most famous novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God. On the other hand is Wright, who is a male writer who demonstrates that whites doRead MoreA Womens Search for Identity in Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God729 Words   |  3 Pagesâ€Å"It’s uh known fact, Pheoby, you got tuh go there tuh know there†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Hurston 192). The theme of identity can be seen throughout Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, of a story of a women’s journey for self-identification. Through symbolic imagery, such as the pear tree, Janie’s hair, and the horizon, Hurston ultimately shows a women’s quest for her identity. As a young teenager, Janie becomes infatuated with the idea of an idealistic romance: â€Å"She saw a dust-bearing bee sink into theRead MoreJourney To The Horizon in Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God2558 Words   |  11 Pagesâ€Å"Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board,† (Page 1) starts Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, a story about a young girl’s experiences as she tries to find love. The novel begins by distinguishing the dreams of men and women. The dreams of men either come along naturally, or â€Å"sail forever on the horizon, never out of sight, never landing until the Watcher turns his eyes away in resignation, his dreams mocked to death by Time.† (Page 1) Women, on the other hand, remember Zora Neale Hurstons Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay Zora Neale Hurstons Their Eyes Were Watching God In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston portrays the religion of black people as a form of identity. Each individual in the black society Hurston has created worships a different God. But all members of her society find their identities by being able to believe in a God, spiritual or other. Grandma’s worship of Jesus and the â€Å"Good Lawd,† Joe Starks’ worship of himself, Mrs. Turner’s worship of white characteristics, and Janie’s worship of love, all stem from a lack of jurisdiction in the society they inhabit. All these Gods represent a need for something to believe in and work for: an ideal, which they wish to achieve, to aspire to. Each individual character is thus†¦show more content†¦There is nothing physical or material to lend confidence and support to her, so she regulates her conviction in the ethereal. Grandma also uses her fidelity in the divine as an opportunity for procuring power, because she â€Å"want[s ] to preach a great sermon† (pg. 16). Although she never is afforded the opportunity to preach, her worship of her religion allows her the opportunity to attempt to achieve this position of power, which seems to be enough for Grandma. Even though she is denied this chance because she has a baby â€Å"all the same [she] [says] thank God† (pg. 16). Through her failure she also recognizes that God wanted it that way for a reason, which enables her to move forward with her life. Just as Grandma’s need for power was transferred to her worship of God, Joe Starks’ need for dominion is reflected by his worship of himself. Joe always says â€Å"I God† instead of â€Å"My God,† through which he is subconsciously referring to himself as God. He says that â€Å"Let colored folks build things too if dey wants to crow over somethin’†¦it ha[s] always been [my] wish and desire to be a big voice† (pg. 28). Joe believes that he is meant to be a sovereign in this new town, and as soon as he gets there, he starts working on making himself the mayor. This colored town embodies all his wishes and desires, because it is the only place that he can have power. He is never allowed this chance in white society, but in this colored only town, by declaringShow MoreRelatedMythology in Zora Neale Hurstons Their Eyes Were Watching God1023 Words   |  5 PagesMythology is a key part of many of Zora Neale Hurston’s short stories and novels. She researched the stories of her home town and many other areas of the world. Hurston used this knowledge of myths and stories to help her carry them on to later generations in a form that almost everybody could relate to. Through out all of Zora Neale Hurston’s stories, mythology has been a crucial keystone. Her novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, has been influenced by three different ancient myths: the myths ofRead More Zora Neale Hurstons Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay1399 Words   |  6 PagesZora Neale Hurstons Their Eyes Were Watching God   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"’†¦but she don’t seem to mind at all. Reckon dey understand one ‘nother.’† A woman’s search for her own free will to escape the chains of other people in Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God. In the continuing philosophical debate of free will versus determinism, the question arises as to whether or not free will exists. Do people really have the capability of making decisions on their own? OR Is life already determined, andRead More Zora Neale Hurstons They Eyes Were Watching God Essay2163 Words   |  9 PagesZora Neale Hurstons They Eyes Were Watching God It’s no wonder that â€Å"[t]he hurricane scene in Zora Neale Hurston’s novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, is a famous one and [that] other writers have used it in an effort to signify on Hurston† (Mills, â€Å"Hurston†). The final, climactic portion of this scene acts as the central metaphor of the novel and illustrates the pivotal interactions that Janie, the protagonist, has with her Nanny and each of her three husbands. In each relationship, JanieRead MoreEssay on Love in Zora Neale Hurstons Their Eyes Were Watching God869 Words   |  4 PagesLove in Zora Neale Hurstons Their Eyes Were Watching God The novel Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (1937) is a search for self-fulfillment and true love. On a porch in a small town called Eatonville a story is told about an attractive African American womens journey. Her name is Janie Crawford. Her struggle to find companionship and herself starts as a young girl who had lost both of her parents. She lives with her grandmother who is a nanny for a wealthy white family. JanieRead More The Different Places in Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God588 Words   |  3 PagesThe Different Places in Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God It’s amazing that one state can have within it places that differ greatly in all aspects—people, surrounding, weather, and feeling. Zora Neale Hurston exemplifies this phenomenon in Their Eyes Were Watching God. There are a multitude of differences between Eatonville, FL and the Everglades; each place represents a certain theme or feeling to Janie (the main character) and their differences each contribute to the meaningRead MoreJanie and Contemporary Women in Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God724 Words   |  3 PagesThe character Janie in Zora Neale Hurston’s novel Their Eyes Were Watching God is portrayed as a woman who has a modern mindset that is much too advanced for her thinking. Janie does things that raise much controversy with the community and endures situations that would be deemed inhumane in today’s society. Examining the abuse, oppression and criticism Janie undergoes in Zora Neale Hurstons Their Eyes Were Watching Go d from both a contemporary womans viewpoint and an early twentieth centuryRead MoreThe Life of American Women in Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God895 Words   |  4 PagesZora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God is a novel illustrating the life of an African American woman that finds her voice through many trials and tribulations. At the heart of the story, Hurston portrays a protagonist who moves from a passive state to independence, from passive woman with no voice who is dominated by her husband to a woman who can think and act for herself. Hurston achieves the greater theme of Their Eyes Were Watching God, of self-expression and independence throughRead MoreRichard Wright’s Misperception of Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God 2453 Words   |  10 Pagesartists of the Harlem Renaissance could ever disagree as much as or be as different as Zora Neale Hurston and Richard Wright. Despite the fact that they are t he same color and lived during the same time period, they do not have much else in common. On the one hand is Hurston, a female writer who indulges in black art and culture and creates subtle messages throughout her most famous novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God. On the other hand is Wright, who is a male writer who demonstrates that whites doRead MoreA Womens Search for Identity in Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God729 Words   |  3 Pagesâ€Å"It’s uh known fact, Pheoby, you got tuh go there tuh know there†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Hurston 192). The theme of identity can be seen throughout Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, of a story of a women’s journey for self-identification. Through symbolic imagery, such as the pear tree, Janie’s hair, and the horizon, Hurston ultimately shows a women’s quest for her identity. As a young teenager, Janie becomes infatuated with the idea of an idealistic romance: â€Å"She saw a dust-bearing bee sink into theRead MoreJourney To The Horizon in Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God2558 Words   |  11 Pagesâ€Å"Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board,† (Page 1) starts Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, a story about a young girl’s experiences as she tries to find love. The novel begins by distinguishing the dreams of men and women. The dreams of men either come along naturally, or â€Å"sail forever on the horizon, never out of sight, never landing until the Watcher turns his eyes away in resignation, his dreams mocked to death by Time.† (Page 1) Women, on the other hand, remember