Examples Of Figurative Language In Their Eyes Were Watching God

The light in her hand was like a spark of sun.¨ (ch. 20 pg. 192) That quote is from Their Eyes Were Watching God. The novel was written in 1937 by famous African American writer Zora Neale Hurston. The novel goes through Janie (the main character) and her complicated relationships with Logan, Joe Starks, and Tea Cake (all the men she was married to) throughout her life. The book uses unique diction and figurative language which popularized it in many literature classrooms across the United States. Zora Neale Huston uses a variety of diction, imagery, and figurative language. The use of imagery is what shapes up the book and contributes to the overall theme the author is portraying. Which is finding true love and having self-acceptance.
The

The first and the eldest of them all is Logan Killicks, Janie did not want to marry him at all but her grandmother forced her and saw it crucial to her as she was looking out for her. Janie had no love for him at all as he was very old and she uses blatant imagery to express how she feels. Janie says "His belly is too big too, now, and his toe-nails look lak mule foots. And ‘tain’t nothin’ in de way of him washin’ his feet every evenin’ before he comes tuh bed.” (chapter 3, pg 26) Next, after Logan she finds a man who she actually is attracted to; his name was Joe Starks. Janie thought he was the one she was looking for but as time went on she realized she could be living better. Janie, over their 20 year marriage began to lose love for him and on chapter 7, pg.77 she says “His prosperous- looking belly that used to thrust out so pugnaciously and intimidate folks, sagged like a load suspended from his loins.” Eventually Joe died from stomach cancer and now she was a widow and had to pretend like she cared in front of the people of her town. Lastly she had a marriage with Tea Cake who she loved the most and this was the man she was most attracted to as in chapter 10, pg.96 she states “Those full, lazy eyes with the lashes curling sharply away like drawn scimitars. The lean, over-paddled shoulders and narrow waist. Even nice!” Janie uses an abundant amount