Their Eyes Were Watching God Nanny

From a young age, many people are told that they have free will to do what they want and that their actions are what define them as a person; however, what people are told isn’t always the complete truth. In the realms of reality, individuals are always influenced by the people they spend the most time around to such an extent that it can change who they are as a person. Zora Neale Hurston 's novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, epitomizes such truth through the development of Janie, a women who grows from not knowing her own race or what love even means to someone that has gained and lost countless relationships with people. Initially, she marries a wealthy man named Logan Killicks for financial security, but then runs away with a man named

After Joe Stark’s death, Janie performs the overt action of burning her head rags. The narrator explains that “ Before she slept that night she burnt up every one of her head rags and went about the house next morning with her hair in one thick braid swing well below her waist” (89). Janie’s hair symbolizes her power and in her relationship with Joe, Janie is forced to wear a head rag that constrains her identity. Joe uses the head rags as a symbol of his dominance, and overall uses it to convey that Janie is his “ trophy” by covering up her features. After Janie burns her head rags, she feels that she has ridden herself of Joe Stark’s “mark” and feels like a new women. Janie expresses this by stating, “ Tain’t dat ah worries over Joe’s death, Pheoby. Ah jus’ loves dis freedom” (93). This demonstrates Janie’s current state of freedom, and suggests that she is finally free from the shackles of marriage that Joe established upon her with male dominance, abuse, and inequality. All these discontents in Janie’s marriage are embodied by the head rag because it showcases the mindset of Joe, which was having Janie unwaveringly submit to his commands and not giving her a say in their decisions. Furthermore, Janie showcases her rejection with her man by rejecting clothing that connects her to him, but once she found the man that fulfilled her desires in loving her, Janie

Social change in our society can be good and bad at the same time; it can fix things that are not operating well, but it can also badly affect what could be currently working. In Zora Neale Hurston’s novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie Crawford proves her independence by making decisions that change her life both positively and negatively. From the beginning to the end of the novel, Janie switches from allowing her grandma to create her life to taking charge and dictating her own path.

In Zora Neale Hurston’s novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, the story revolves around the protagonist, Janie’s, experiences in three different marriages. First, with a man named Logan Killicks who has the money and land to provide Janie with security. Then, a rich leader and pioneer named Joe Starks. And finally, with a young man who could only provide Janie with his love and best effort, Tea Cake. Although these three relationships never lasted, through each relationship Janie was able to grow.

Janie Crawford is our main protagonist in the book “Their eyes were watching god”she lives her life going through failed marriages trying to find true love. Janie was married 3 times one which she was never happy in and left the other two she was happy at a point then they end tragically. Janie 's first marriage was to a man named Logan Killicks who her grandmother forced her to marry for her protection and financial security. Logan was a old man who did not do much he was a very simple man Janie was not happy at all and he left him. Janie 's second marriage came when she left Logan for a man named Joe Starks. Joe promised to give her the world and treat her the way a lady should be treated. Unfortunately Joe had a turn and he turned to be a bad man and ended up dying. After Joe dies Janie meets Teacake the husband who treated her the best but it was the one that ended the worst of them all.

In the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, Janie Crawford has two marriages, one that she is forced into by her grandmother, and the other her own choice. Both marriages end up showing that Janie is unable to have a husband so far that suits her,maven if she chooses them for herself. This would imply to most people that she's a poor judge in character, but being fair, one of the marriages she couldn't get out of, and the other had the groom charm her into going with him. Both husbands end up eventually making her fairly unhappy in different ways.

In “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” by Zora Neale Hurston’s character, Janie, has a very idealistic view of love. She wants it to be butterflies and rainbows. But as Janie fails to understand the reality of marriage because of her infatuation with her own idealistic view of love. Logan Killick and Jody Starks are two, very different people with very limited similarities.

Has one ever wonder what makes the world’s greatest novels so hard to put down? The ones that make one gasp aloud and bite one’s nails frantically; great novels that leave you on the edge of your seat, like, Romeo and Juliet, The Notebook, and even the Titanic. In each of these novels, they display a story of, the search for independence. In the novel, by Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God the protagonist, Janie Woods, begins her search for independence through three marriages and a life marked by poverty, trails and purpose.

She asked nanny what type of love should it be between and wife and her husband Nanny can provide no answers. That sort of love has never been a part of her own life. Logan Killicks can offer this child security with his 60-acre potato farm. Nanny sees no need for the love that Janie asks about. A month after this conversation, Nanny is dead, and Janie is alone and unloved.

Over the years the novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston has received many literary reviews and critiques both. Some praise her for bringing up gender inequality in the time period and showing how the main protagonist overcame her obstacles in life. Others think Hurston's writing style was confusing and needed more work to establish what exactly she was trying to say.

After the end of her relationships with Nanny and Killicks, Janie realizes she deserves to have her voice heard and have the power to do something about it. Becoming tired of being pushed around and forced to work, Janie meets Joe, someone Janie believes will respect and love her as her own person, “You ain’t never knowed what it was to be treated lak a lady and Ah wants to be de one tuh show yuh” (29). As Janie’s story progresses, however, Joe’s true colors begin to come to light: he believes himself above everyone else in the town, including Janie. Hurston describes the house in which they live as “the big house” (47). Here, Hurston suggests he is the plantation owner and everyone else are his servants (47). Joe also alludes to himself as a god-like figure, “I god” is a common catchphrase Joe states every opportunity to lord over the town as though the townspeople are his subjects (44). By describing Joe as someone who believes himself as better than his peers, Hurston proves Joe will never see Janie as his equal, meaning Janie could never become independent while still with Joe. Near the end of Janie and Joe’s relationship, Joe became terminally ill because he decided not to go see a real doctor, “He needed medical attention years ago. Too late now” (83). Joe’s hubris in the face of death gave Janie the courage to stand up for herself while he was

about racial and personal independence and not following what others tell you your future holds, but instead following God. The main dilemma in the story is when Janie finds herself in with both marriages, one that was picked by someone else and the other she choose and believed she belonged with. Through the fist six chapters, Janie has been rejecting other people ideas for what she wants in life.

Bond, Cynthia. “Language, Speech, and Difference in Their Eyes Were Watching God.” Bloom’s Modern Critical Interpretations: Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God- New Edition. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Infobase Publishing, 2008. 41-55. Print. Bond analyzes the language spoken throughout Their Eyes Were Watching God as appropriate and crucial to understanding Afro- American literature. Hurston’s language emphasizes the cultural tradition within the South. Not only does Hurston demonstrate black oral tradition, but she also utilizes southern dialect to critique a male dominated society. Hurston uses literary references, such as the pear tree to scrutinize her awakening self-love. These illustrations that occur on notable occasions

As once stated by Italio Calvino, “You take delight not in a city's seven or seventy wonders, but in the answer it gives to a question of yours.” By what they behold, every city offers answers. However, that does not mean these answers are always accurate. Residing in South Florida, Eatonville and the Everglades contrast each other not only by the visual contents, but also the answers given to the self-actualizing questions of the protagonist, Janie Crawford. These answers, defining what the towns represent, utterly differ. Though commonly overlooked, these cities essentially contribute to Janie’s discovering of herself. The two focal settings in Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, Eatonville and the Glades, eagerly display

Th eir Eyes were Watching God is a novel of many struggles and triumphs. From the very beginning of the story, Janie, the main character of this novel had been dealing with abandonment and being the outcast because of her color. Everyone in her small little town made fun of her because she had no parents, she lived with her grandmother, and at the time in the backyard of some "white folk". She dreamt about love, and happiness. She wanted to be appreciated instead of only worried about. She wanted someone that she could be herself with because even with her grandmother, she was having to watch everything that she did in fear of disappointment.