During the 1930’s, women were expected of nothing more than to lean on a man’s arm and look pretty. Women submitted to their husbands and looked like trophy wives among the public every single day. The evolving world would soon need women to stand up and become the leading voices for many who deemed themselves silent in the gender patriarchy. Therefore, Zora Neale Hurston was one of the most notable feminist writers of the time period. Although Hurston was never the first female associate justice of the Supreme Court nor was she the first woman to fly across the United States solo and nonstop, she made her name by writing literature that everyone else was too afraid to write, the feminist truth. It is clear that throughout many different novels, …show more content…
Much like Janie Crawford, Lena Kanty is the “pretty, small town” female character that longs for passionate love and to be affectionate with a partner rather than confined to the kitchen or to the other specific gender roles expected of women at the time in society. Hurston clearly preaches through the story of “Spunk” that women are more than just a wife to be working the household. Hurston believed that women had more purpose than what was expected of them which is why Lena Kanty went to another man who made treated her with passion and with a strong, wealthy arm to lean on. Lena was tired of submitting to Joe, so she moved on to the next man in hopes of escaping her patriarchal imprisonment which was a common theme throughout multiple of Zora Neale Hurston’s literary works. When Joe begs for Lena’s attention saying “Lena, ain’t I yo husband?,” she refuses in disgust for she already mentally moved on to the next man with hope for a change in her own heart and for happiness (Hurston 4). Eventually though, Lena learns that even Spunk’s attitude towards her is commanding and aggressively in control, therefore bringing her to tears in fear of the parallel life she’s embarking on compared to her previous marriage with Joe Kanty. Through the characters of the short story “Spunk,” Zora Neale Hurston teaches many lessons and passively preaches the importance of a woman finding her own security and independence for her own
Evan Wheeler Ms. Gommermann Honors English 10 3 March 2023 Role of Women in Different Works In both her short story, “Sweat,” and book, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston brings forth the convention that black women are abused by their husbands; however, she highlights the different ways that the women in each story stand up for themselves. In the short story, “Sweat,” Delia defends herself from the beginning. Conversely, in Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie hesitates to assert herself until midway through the book. The outcomes of these women standing up for themselves are very similar, but the timing in which they do so are very different.
“Love is lak de sea. It’s uh movin’ thing, but still and all, it takes its shape from de shore it meets, and it’s different with every shore,” says Janie in “Their Eyes Were Watching God” (Hurston 191). This novel is about a woman who refuses to live in worry, bitterness, doubt, or preposterous romantic dreams. It is a story of a passionately independent Janie Crawford, and her maturing selfhood through her three marriages. Each husband was compared by the people and each were different in their own ways.
The Harlem Renaissance was the peak of creativity for African Americans in art, music, and literature. African Americans were discovering self-love and how amazing the Negro actually was. The “New Negro” refused the commonly perceived slave image that many blacks were still viewed as. In Zora Neale Hurston’s essay, "How It Feels to Be Colored Me." , she also explains her life and what is was like to be her in the time during the Harlem Renaissance.
During the 1920s men held a more authoritative figure while women were still being discriminated against. Hurston departs from these ideas in the novel as she presents Janie as an independent, tough woman. With this, she takes on the role of challenging traditional gender roles through Janie’s character and the relationships she pursues throughout the novel. This challenge can be seen in Janie’s second marriage with Joe Starks, nicknamed ‘Jody,’ “She thought back and forth about what had happened in the making of a voice of a man… She went over to the dresser and looked hard at her skin and features.
In utilizing the supernatural within the short story “Spunk,” specifically the character of Joe returning from the dead as a bobcat, Zora Neale Hurston illustrates the strong desire for equality commonly seen in literature written during the Harlem Renaissance. Firstly, it is important to note that while alive, Joe faces quite a bit of negative treatment, especially at the hands of Spunk. For example, Spunk ends up taking Joe’s wife, Lena, from him, walking around the village as “big as life an’ brassy as tacks” (Hurston 949). At this moment, Spunk is far from ashamed to be seen with another man’s wife, basically portraying Joe as incapable of being a decent husband and standing up for himself and his marriage.
The short story “Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston is about an abusive man who is married to a hard working woman. Through Hurston’s use of diction she is highlighting the idea that an individuals actions are directly correlated with their destiny. This is shown when Sykes uses Delia’s fear of snakes to scare her. In the beginning of the story Delia’s fear of snakes is made clear when Sykes drops his bull whip on her shoulders to scare her. Later in the short story, Sykes brings a rattlesnake into their house.
The theme of women openly embracing their sexuality and exploring their desires. This concept is often deemed taboo in patriarchal societies, much like many of the themes considered throughout the novel. Though the idea of women freely giving in to their sexuality is essentially frowned upon, Hurston uses that to her advantage and creates a pipeline between the two. Janie's journey through self-discovery and self empowerment is closely tied to her sexuality, as she learns to embrace her desires and find fulfillment in her relationships with men.
”Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston tells the story of Sykes Jones, and his wife, Delia, who never strays from her beliefs. Sykes’ character traits lead him directly to his death. His cruel treatment of his wife results in her stand by and do nothing as he walks into death’s arms. His arrogance leads him to believe that he has control over things that he does not. His infidelity is a catalyst for it all, as he wants Delia out of her own house, and he will stop at no measure to get her out.
A LITERATURE CLASS ON THE WORKS OF ZORA NEALE One of the most memorable classes I had today was the literature class which was focused on Zora Neale Hurston's "How It Feels to Be Colored Me". The class was taught by Miss Tushabe, who was incredibly knowledgeable about Hurston's work and was able to bring the text to life for us. The main point of the class was to understand the personal experiences of Hurston, as a Black woman in America during the 1920s and 1930s, and how she used the essay to express her sense of self and identity.
When someone’s story isn't public knowledge, the public tends to make up their story for them. In the novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston uses third-person narration to demonstrate Janie’s story being told in a way of which she is not in control. By giving her story to Pheoby, Janie hopes to suppress the gossip and assumptions that have been made about her in order to earn her place in society. The role of storytelling demonstrates the necessity of a woman’s story in being part of a community.
Janie’s first dream was dead, so she became a woman.” This realization made by Janie supports one of the biggest themes in this novel, which is that the concept of innocence and womanhood can’t exist at the same time. Because Janie finally lets go of her “childish fantasy”, her innocence is lost and she is now a woman. The theme of lost innocence in exchange for womanhood is also prevalent in Hurston’s story Sweat. This idea is one of the reasons that Sykes and Delia’s relationship begins to fall apart when we meet them.
“A Jury of Her Peers” is a valuable resource for anyone curious to what life was like for women in the twentieth century for which it demonstrates women struggling to publish and define
After skimming through Volume 1 of The Norton Anthology Literature by Women, I noticed the reoccurring themes of patriarchy, women subordination, and the strength to be creative despite oppression. During the times that these literary pieces were written, women were constantly battling the patriarchy in order to get basic rights. During the earlier time periods, intelligence was seen as a sign of an evil spirit in a woman, resulting in miniscule amounts of literary works written by women. Women were not provided with equal spaces to creatively express themselves, as mentioned by Virginia Woolf. Moreover, they were not given the same publishing opportunities, many women either went anonymous or by a fake male name to have their works published.
One major theme authors universally write their stories around concern the power of human relationships. Though writers may take different paths to communicate this, the strength that comes from these unique connections that exist between individuals resonates with everyone. Authors clearly articulate through a myriad of rhetorical devices that maintaining relationships is a fundamental part in personal growth and allows for a stronger sense of self. In finding companionship and comradery. people become capable of evolving and arriving at better understandings of who they are.
From the outset, literature and all forms of art have been used to express their author’s feelings, opinions, ideas, and believes. Accordingly, many authors have resorted to their writing to express their feminist ideas, but first we must define what feminism is. According to the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, feminism is “the belief that women should be allowed the same rights, power, and opportunities as men and be treated in the same way, or the set of activities intended to achieve this state”. As early as the fifteenth century is possible to find feminist writings. Centuries later, and although she never referred to herself as one, the famous English writer Virginia Woolf became one of the greatest feminist writers of the twentieth