Symbolism In Their Eyes Were Watching God

The Janie at the end of the novel, “Their Eyes Were Watching God”, is far more different from the Janie at the beginning of the novel. As the novel continues, Janie goes through many life changing events due to the many communities she relocated to. In the beginning of the novel, Janie runs away from her first marriage with Logan Killicks for Jody Starks. Janie and Jody then moved to Eatonville, where they ran a store together until Jody’s final breath. Subsequently, Janie moves to different parts of Florida with Tea Cake, whom she met in Eatonville. The many communities where Janie lived in have different views on her. Across the novel, Hurston adds in many symbols that well distinguish the theme, Liberty. Janie’s hair and clothes during her time with Jody displays how

The change in Janie’s hair from the start of the novel compared to the end enhances Janie’s transition. “What dat ole forty year ole ‘oman doin’ wid her hair swingin’ down her back lak some young gal?” (Hurston 2) Hurston gives the reader a glimpse of Janie’s appearance as an attention grabber. As Janie’s life alternates, her hair and style in clothing adjusts to her development as a character. “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 swinging well below her waist.” (Hurston 89) This quote expresses how Janie was beginning to realize that she now had a choice in how she portrayed herself to the world. “So Ah’m back home agin and Ah’m satisfied tuh be heah. Ah done been to de horizon and back and now Ah kin set heah in mah house and live by comparisons.” The Horizon corresponds to Janie’s happiness, it represents her journey and how far she went and came back. Hurston foreshadows the ending of the book by describing her appearance from the start. Hurston's choices of symbols well represents the theme,