(Hurston 72). When Janie had this notion, she was debating her relationship with Joe. Joe tends to make Janie initially blind, but as she begins to realize his true colors, she no longer loves him and yearns for something
“I hate to hear you talk about all women as if they were fine ladies instead of rational creatures. None of us want to be in calm waters all our lives.” Jane Austen. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston depicted the travels of Janie Crawford and her understanding of womanhood and freedom through her several marriages. Throughout the book, Hurston portrays the growth of Janie and her ideals, her hair being a major recurring symbol.
In novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston, Janie grows as a person and becomes someone that she wanted to be for a long time. Janie is learning how to play simple things such as checkers and talking to people who she once was cut off from. Janie is starting to learn more about that world and what is happening around her. Janie learns that she is impatient when she is waiting for someone to come or something to happen.
In all three marriages Janie grew up. She was only 16 when first married. Everything she learned was from the time she was 16 to when Tea Cake died. Not only did Janie become the women she wanted, but became someone she felt comfortable being. Nothing could take that away from her.
In the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God by, Zora Neale Hurston Janie, strives to find her own voice throughout the novel and she succeeds even though it takes her time to do it. Each one of her husband’s has a different effect on her ability to find her voice. Janie had noticed that she did not have a voice when Jody was appointed mayor by the town’s people and she was asked to give a few words on his behalf, but she did not answer, because before she could even say anything Jody had stated “ ‘Thank yuh fuh yo’ compliments, but mah wife don’t know nothin’ ’bout no speech-makin’/Janie made her face laugh after a short pause, but it wasn’t too easy/…the way Joe spoke out without giving her a chance to say anything on way or another that took
Janie’s struggles played a huge role in finding her self relevance. People, life, words, rumors, and love all made impacts on her appearance and actions. Joe Starks made her life tougher and treated her like she was banal and small. Joe did not like the fact that Janie’s beauty attracted other men to her, so Joe made her look superior so they did not try anything. All Janie wanted was to join in on the conversations around her, but Joe thought otherwise.
In the book Their eyes were watching god, Janie 's goal in life is to find true love. Hurston defined Janie 's hopes and dreams in the beginning chapters of the book. Janie was watching a bee pollinate a flower and that is when she comes to the conclusion, that this is love. True love is what Janie seeks for in her life. Throughout her journey for true love, Janie has overcame many obstacles.
For the first time, she had been given the freedom she desired and felt truly in love. Although Tea Cake died, Janie was at peace since she had finally accomplished what she had strived for her entire life. “The kiss of his memory made pictures of love and light against the wall. Here was peace. She pulled in her horizon like a great fish-net.”
“It was the time for sitting on porches besides the road. It was the time to hear things and talk. These sitters had been tongueless, earless, eyeless conveniences all day long,”(1) throughout the entire day people on the porch have looked down and judged others for being the way they are. In Zora Neale Hurston’s novel Their Eyes Were Watching God the dominant character Janie had a life full of dramatic aspects, with many influences. Her idea of porches and being gifted with the power to sit on them continually shine through the text.
In Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie Crawford proves she is a weak woman by sucking herself into a bad relationship and not doing anything to get out. Jody, Janie’s second husband tried to control her more than anyone else, and he does so successfully. A few reasons why he was overly controlling of her include refusing to let her go do things she wants to do, will not let her talk and enjoy herself with the town’s people, and believes that all women are inferior. Although she does grow to realize that the way he treats her is not right, she keeps her mouth shut and puts up with it.
In Zora Neale Hurston's novel "Their Eyes Were Watching God," the protagonist Janie Crawford's search for love is a central theme. Throughout the novel, Janie experiences various types of love from her three husbands, each of which ends in a different manner. Janie's first husband, Logan Killicks, represents a traditional and practical form of love. Logan is a wealthy landowner, and Janie's grandmother sees him as a good match for Janie due to his financial stability.
The horizon, the undefinable point at which the sea appears to meet the sky, features rolling waves gently kissing soft, wispy clouds. Each individual defines the exact point of the horizon for himself, and this point changes indefinitely from whichever shore, or perspective, the person views it from. Throughout Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, Janie views her horizon, or ultimate objectives, from a myriad of viewpoints, and finally “pull[ed] in her horizon like a great fish-net,” and defined her individuality as a woman who rejects living passively and harnesses life’s opportunities. Initially, Hurston defines a woman as a watcher of ships and dreams on a horizon, and a realist on the shores of life. She writes “[for
Though Janie faces loss multiple times through the deaths of these people that she loves dearly, she gains qualities in herself which she can use later in her life. In her first relationship with Joe, Janie is continually oppressed in terms of when she’s allowed to speak and how she controls her own appearance but this oppression only works to shape her personality into one that can speak back and be more assertive in front of anyone. By having to be in a situation where she has to choose whether to shoot Tea Cake, she becomes more resilient and proactive. Only through the loss of youthfulness and two loved ones is Janie able to truly discover who she, conveying Hurston’s larger message that self-discovery is fueled through loss and
Complexity highlights not only the differences in characters, but also how they complement each other and add tension to the novel. Zora Neale Hurston uses this to her advantage in Their Eyes Were Watching God, making sure the characters all provide a meaningful addition to the complexity of the overall novel by contradicting or complementing each other. As much as Nanny contradicts her granddaughter's thoughts and wishes, Janie continues to trust her. Nanny was born and grew up as a slave. This imprinted several key values about marriage and life in general which did not apply to Janie and her quest for love.
Janie’s relation with Joes till his death is another step to realize the real meaning of domination and liberation. The moment that Janie kills her third husband Tea Cake is a must in the novel. Although Tea Cake liberated Janie from two different kinds of domination for a period of time but he turns to practice another kind of domination through his physical abuse and his jealousy; so his murder is a momentary freedom for Janie. Janie in her development and growth contends to replace the old culture concept that places women’s wishes on material and economic demands by love and affection.
