Their Eyes Were Watching God Symbolism

In the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God by, Zora Neale Hurston Janie, strives to find her own voice throughout the novel and she succeeds even though it takes her time to do it. Each one of her husband’s has a different effect on her ability to find her voice. Janie had noticed that she did not have a voice when Jody was appointed mayor by the town’s people and she was asked to give a few words on his behalf, but she did not answer, because before she could even say anything Jody had stated “ ‘Thank yuh fuh yo’ compliments, but mah wife don’t know nothin’ ’bout no speech-makin’/Janie made her face laugh after a short pause, but it wasn’t too easy/…the way Joe spoke out without giving her a chance to say anything on way or another that took

She’s uh woman and her place is in de home” (43). In other words, Janie is still under control of her significant other. Similar situations such as this continue to occur throughout Janie’s relationship with the Mayor. He orders her to wear certain clothes, doesn’t let her sit outside the store she runs, etcetera. The Mayor becomes increasingly toxic towards Janie, and he eventually dies of old age.

For a while she thought it was gone from her soul” (Knodson 222), Janie continuously let Joe take away her voice, Janie did not even fight back, she lost all of her fight, that's how her whole life had been. When Joe is on his death bed, Janie finally finds just a little bit of fight in her soul, she says to Joe, ”You changes everything but nothin’ don’t change you…”(Hurston 127). This was the first time that Janie stood up for herself, she had a voice in something, she stood up to Joe and this was the start of her gaining her voice back. Even if Janie standing up to Joe did not really get her anywhere, the fact that she stood up to Joe was a major leap in not only gaining her voice but also finding out who she was. Janie makesis making progress.

Wid any and everybody in uh passle pushin’ and shovin’ wid they no-manners selves? Naw, naw” (60). Not only does he tell her she can not go, but he gives the most stupid and flawed reason anyone could think of. Yet, since Janie is too weak to stand up for herself, she just agrees and stays at the

Tea Cake, a younger man who is passionate and affectionate towards her, enters her life. Janie's relationship with Tea Cake differs from her previous two marriages in that Tea Cake allows her to be herself and encourages her to communicate her views and feelings. Tea Cake considers Janie to be an equal partner in their relationship, as evidenced by his words, “Ah never did want yuh to do dat, honey. It wuzn’t for nothin’. Ah just wanted yuh to know whut it wuz lak.”

She employs an unique narrative structure that divides the presentation of the story between high literary narration and idiomatic dialogue across the entire book. The lengthy dialogue celebrates the diverse voices of Janie's universe; these individuals talk unlike few others in American literature, and their originality is marked by their unique language, vocabulary, and tone. Hurston's use of language is similar to Janie's search for her voice. This novel displays the remarkable extent of Janie's endurance and sense of self- recognition that she managed to find balance between love, and self-realization in her life Despite the inherent tragedy of Janie's

After she married Logan that had become “the end of her childhood” (Hurston, 1937/2013, p.12). Janie was not happy and although she did not love him she hoped she would after they got married like her grandmother had told her. Nevertheless, since she had no say in her marriage this caused Janie to desire a more fulfilling relationship that came with love and not just a “house bought and paid for and sixty acres [of] land” (Hurston, 1937/2013, p.23). She constantly felt trapped especially after Logan stopped pampering her and made her perform manual labor. However, once she had met Joe Starks she felt as though she had another opportunity in life.

Janie reacts in different ways to people in her life trying to control her, and this can be seen with Grannie, Jody, and Tea Cake. Grannie forces her to marry Logan, but Janie stands up for herself when she decides to leave him after Grannie dies. Throughout the novel Janie is looking for love, and she

When tea cake shows up janie 's feels something she has never felt before, she is set free but the townspeople don 't think so. “‘Ain’t you skeered he’s jes after yo’ money him bein’ younger than you?’” (Hurston pg.133)Janie is in love with Tea Cake because he loves her for her youthful young side that was forced into hiding for so long because of her previous husbands. However the rest of the community is discouraging her and trying to keep her in the image as a mayor 's wife. They told Janie that Tea Cake was after her money

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston is an influential book that teaches a simple lesson: life is not perfect, but we can still find our happy ending. Hurston demonstrates this by following the life of Janie Crawford. Janie is a headstrong African American who is caught up in the mess of early 20th century America attempting to get used to living with free African Americans. Additionally she must decide for herself what it means to love another person, discover who she is, and thereby, what she wants. Even though Janie is born after the American Civil War, she lives in a society still learning to come to terms with the reality of civil equality.

Additionally, the narrator realizes her consciousness is constantly changing as she “loves the thing untouched by lore…the thing that is not cultivated… the thing built up” (473). The narrator’s consciousness faces another struggle between trying to find equal good in both the culture of her people and the new culture that has been introduced to her. Yet, she stands boldly “one foot in the dark, the other in the light” (473), as she forms a bridge between the two cultures and is stuck while she tries to understand her sense of self. Finally, the silent voice, a metaphor for her faith, calls out to her.

Once again, Janie repeats her questions about life. In this specific moment, however, she acknowledges that she needs to find the answers for herself, because while other creatures already know, she hasn’t gone on her personal journey yet. There’s also an element of a spiritual revelation, as Janie comments on “the voice and vision,” suggesting that she believes her revelation is a message from God. Much later in the book,

He takes Janie in because he feels he could make something

The voiceless, beautiful, store keeper pales in comparison to the smart, talented identity Janie’s thoughts demonstrate her to be. After twenty years of a growing tension, Janie’s thick rope snaps and she tells Jody how she feels Which ultimately kills him. Once again, Janie conforms to the mold of a mourning widow, dressed in black. Contrary to most people 's knowledge, she is overjoyed in the new found freedom she now possesses, but still cannot express. The idea of having to conform outwardly hurt Janie.

When Nanny heard this she had spoke of a horizon. This horizon was also a symbol within this novel. It was a symbol of Janies life after Nanny had died. She wanted a wide horizon for Janie. Janie did as her Nanny wished and