Their Eyes Were Watching God And Hurston's Treatment Of Women
A strong-willed woman refuses to be manipulated no matter the role she plays. In the novel, “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston and the short story, “Hills like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway, there is a common theme of independence blooming from judgment. While Hurston focuses on true development, including puberty and relationships, Hemingway highlights reproductive rights and the role of women during this time. Hurston portrays Janie as a minority, illustrating her with flawless mixed skin and beautiful long hair that symbolizes her freedom throughout the novel. Mrs. Turner says Janie is “a heaven of straight haired, thin-lipped, high-nose-bone white seraphs…[and] she paid homage to Janie’s Caucasian characteristics …show more content…
So this was a marriage!” (Hurston 10). Hurston describes the ‘ecstatic shiver’ and ‘sanctum of a bloom’ to exhibit Janie’s development and her increasing independence as she becomes a woman. Janie sees the beauty in development as nature speaks it into her. She is unique in her perspective and that too sets her apart. Hemingway, on the other hand, does not describe the Girl physically, but …show more content…
The man she is with keeps pushing her to make a life-changing decision about an abortion and she says, “I realize… Can’t we maybe stop talking?,” (Hemingway 3). Including this issue specifically is bold for Hemingway as it is controversial, yet he crafts it to bring even more attention to the Girl’s rights and intentionally characterizes her with this strong will and independence. She later threatens to scream, demonstrating that the Girl is unafraid to bring attention to this altercation. Hemingway provides the Girl with a voice that many women did not have. The man craves authority and manipulates her by saying, “I think [getting the abortion is] the best thing to do. But I don’t want you to do it if you don’t really want to,” (Hemingway 3). The Girl, however, dismisses him and keeps her independent opinion no matter what judgment may spring from the man. The short story ends with the girl saying,, “There’s nothing wrong with me. I feel fine,” (Hemingway 4). She asserts her confidence and the way she feels, not conforming to the man’s beliefs. This is similar to Janie,
Their Eyes Were Watching God By Zora Neale Hurston: Character Analysis
840 Words | 4 PagesAt this point Jody may felt that Janie was slipping away from his dominion and he had to get her back under this control. As the years pass, Janie grows more and more defeated. She silently submits to Jody’s imperious nature and performs her duties while ignoring her emotions. She considers running away but doubts that she can find refuge anywhere, feeling that she has grown unattractive. She feels her spirit detach from her body.
Their Eyes Were Watching God Synthesis Essay
1023 Words | 5 PagesEvery trial and tribulation she undergoes, she continues to arise despite the commodities she faces. She learns something new either about her or the people around her. The static character is Joe Starks, Janie’s first husband. He never shows new emotions or new behavior. His anger strikes out on Janie whenever he gets the chance to.
Their Eyes Were Watching God Feminist Quotes
1354 Words | 6 PagesOn the other hand, silence is used as a demonstration of individualism and expressiveness. This especially allows women of the 20th century to regain control and autonomy. The perspective that Domina presents allows the reader to find a feminist viewpoint of patriarchal events. Furthermore, critics, such as Claire Crabtree, dive deeper into the realm of the impact of feminism that is brought out by Hurston’s novel. Crabtree says, “The three marriages and the three communities in which Janie moves represent increasingly wide circles of experience and opportunities for expression of personal choice” (Crabtree 315).
Their Eyes Were Watching God Symbols
800 Words | 4 PagesShe recalled the first time she made love under a pear tree, “The rose of the world was breathing out smell. It followed her through all her waking moments and caressed her in her sleep. It connected itself with other vaguely felt matters that had struck her outside observation and buried themselves in her flesh.” (Hurston 43). At that point in time, Janie’s life was filled with pleasure and the freedom- to a certain extent- to be her own person, to have fun, and to be young and careless.
Lost Innocence In Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God
1030 Words | 5 PagesJanie’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.
Gender Roles In Their Eyes Were Watching God By Zora Neale Hurston
633 Words | 3 PagesThroughout the course of the book, Janie experiences oppression as a woman, revealing the hidden gender roles in American society that help form the American
Finding One's Identity In Their Eyes Were Watching God, By Zora Neale Hu
897 Words | 4 PagesHurston’s novel shows the identity of her characters through their thoughts, wants and longings. Janie Crawford is the main character of Hurston’s novel, and she is judged most of her life by her appearance and her background. “The men noticed her firm buttocks like she had grapefruits in her hip pockets” (Hurston 2). From this quote, Janie is being seen only for her body and her looks by men, which happens to her all throughout her life. Janie’s search for her identity lasts throughout the novel and in the beginning, Janie never found her identity like most characters had in the novel like Logan Killicks or Tea Cake.
Richard Renner's View Of Abortion
821 Words | 4 PagesIt is even implied that this makes her the real protagonist of the story (Bauer, p 134). The transformation from a dependent girl to a mature woman making her own choices happens on feminine terms. Read in such a manner the story can be viewed as feministic and anti-patriarchal, since she opposes the man’s wishes and single-handedly takes the decision that will affect her for the rest of her life (Lee, p 15). It shows a Hemingway more perceptive about the underlying dynamics of female-male relationships than he has been given credit for (Bauer, p
Gender Roles In Their Eyes Were Watching God By Hurston
1464 Words | 6 PagesOver time, women have slowly gained more and more rights. They have become more prominent in society, making more decisions that influence their lives, as well as the lives of other people. In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston highlights how the gender roles of men and women differ including women being less powerful than men, how Janie had the strength and determination to gain her own happiness, and how stereotypical roles should not play a part in society. Some people view Janie as a woman who should be dependent on her husband, following the traditional roles of women, being satisfied with her life as the less powerful sex.
Similarities Between The Great Gatsby And Ernest Hemingway
889 Words | 4 PagesHe couldn't stand things, I guess." "Do many men kill themselves, Daddy?" "Not very many, Nick." (Hemingway, Indian Camp, p. ) Hemingway’s construction of gender identity is a theme intrinsically seen as part of his works.
Analysis Of Ernest Hemingway's Hills Like White Elephants
1006 Words | 5 PagesThe man answers, “I think it's the best thing to do. But I don't want you to do it if you don't really want to” (Hemingway 231). The man thinks she should have the abortion just because, he wants her to. He just does not want to think about any other plan because he does not want the baby he has made. The girl replies, “And if I do it you'll be happy and things will be like they were and you'll love me” (Hemingway 231)?
Gender Roles In Soldiers Home By Ernest Hemingway
676 Words | 3 PagesTwo of the major topics that Ernest Hemingway portrays in his writings are gender roles and the lost generation. The story that portrays both of these the most is “Hills Like White Elephants.” This story is symbolism for an abortion that only one of the characters wants. The other story that portrays the lost generation is “Soldiers Home.” Gender roles play a huge part on the lost generation in these stories.
Hills Like White Elephants Character Analysis
1044 Words | 5 PagesAccording to Smiley, “The dialogue contains the essence of the story's power; for to read Jig's and the American conversation is to recognize the powerless frustration of parallel interchanges” (2). The girl's character passes changes throughout the story. It appears that “Hemingway works out the story's conflict, which revolves around the development of his female character” (Renner 28). The girl gains power and frees herself from the following the American man. In the beginning of the story, the girl take the initiative to speak which leads to the discussion: “'what should we drink?'
The Dialogue In Hemingway's Hills Like White Elephants
1629 Words | 7 PagesThe dialogue in Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” reveals a man’s and a woman’s incongruent conflict on abortion, and the author’s fundamentally feminist position is visible in the portrayal of the woman’s independent choice of whether or not to keep the baby she is carrying. The plot is very simple in the story which is less than 1500 words long. A woman and a man spend less than an hour on a hot summers day at a Spanish train station in the valley of Ebro as they are waiting for a train heading for Madrid. Their dialogue takes up most of the space and only few major actions take place.
Ernest Hemingway There's Nothing Wrong With Me
198 Words | 1 PagesWhen I was first reading the story, I was somewhat discontent with the ending, as I thought that there was no decision and the topic was averted by the woman saying she was fine while they waited for the train. I then realized, after adding the themes that I uncovered during multiple re-reads that Hemingway attempts to provide an answer for the reader. When the man comes back to the woman and asks if she feels better, the woman responds, “I feel fine,” she said. “There’s nothing wrong with me.” (478)
More about Their Eyes Were Watching God And Hurston's Treatment Of Women
Their Eyes Were Watching God By Zora Neale Hurston: Character Analysis
840 Words | 4 PagesTheir Eyes Were Watching God Synthesis Essay
1023 Words | 5 PagesTheir Eyes Were Watching God Feminist Quotes
1354 Words | 6 PagesTheir Eyes Were Watching God Symbols
800 Words | 4 PagesLost Innocence In Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God
1030 Words | 5 PagesGender Roles In Their Eyes Were Watching God By Zora Neale Hurston
633 Words | 3 PagesFinding One's Identity In Their Eyes Were Watching God, By Zora Neale Hu
897 Words | 4 PagesRichard Renner's View Of Abortion
821 Words | 4 PagesGender Roles In Their Eyes Were Watching God By Hurston
1464 Words | 6 PagesSimilarities Between The Great Gatsby And Ernest Hemingway
889 Words | 4 PagesAnalysis Of Ernest Hemingway's Hills Like White Elephants
1006 Words | 5 PagesGender Roles In Soldiers Home By Ernest Hemingway
676 Words | 3 PagesHills Like White Elephants Character Analysis
1044 Words | 5 PagesThe Dialogue In Hemingway's Hills Like White Elephants
1629 Words | 7 PagesErnest Hemingway There's Nothing Wrong With Me
198 Words | 1 Pages