Media: From T.V. to Books is a Changin' Thing "There's two things everybody got to find out for theyselves: they got to find out about love, and they got to find out about living. Now, love is like the sea. It's a moving thing. And it's different on every shore." (Film) Janie, a young, strong willed, black woman, sets of on a life long journey to find her perfect shore in Their Eyes Were Watching God. While this is true for both the film and novel, some argue that the film excluded some of the most important pieces from the novel. However, details about Nanny, Leafy, Logan Killicks, and Jody, may have been unnecessary for the big screen. Now, it is easy to see why it is argued that the film should have included more about Nanny and Leafy. Nanny represented the threshold guardian, set up the marriage to Logan Killicks, and, because of Leafy, felt she had good reason to do so. While the film may not go out and explicitly show all the details of Janie's creation, it gives the audience subtle clues that work. Janie, upon arriving to Eatonville is noticeably lighter skinned than many of the other …show more content…
The film adds important touches here not seen in the book. Janie is required to help plow the fields, cut up seed potatoes, and slaughter farm animals. In the book, Logan does most of the outside work, calling Janie "spoilt"(Hurston 26). While these details may not have been in the book they highlight the lack of love in the Killicks' home and make it easier for the audience to agree with her decision to run away with Jody Starks. While the movie may have left out a lot of background information some viewers considered crucial to the story, the film added other details that not only made up for those left out, but translated better on the big screen. Nanny, Leafy, and Logan Killicks, were not nearly as important to the love story of Tea Cake and Janie as later parts of the
Click here to unlock this and over one million essays
Show MoreJanie Crawford was influenced for better and for worse by many people throughout the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God. She was pushed towards comfort by Nanny, harder work by Logan, and a higher status by Joe. Mrs. Turner pushed Janie to look down on her own race and people. Finally, Janie’s dream of true love was fulfilled when she met Tea Cake. Although Nanny, Logan, Joe, and Mrs. Turner all had an influence on Janie, Tea Cake’s influence was the most significant because he allowed Janie to realize her dreams and led her to become a stronger individual; accomplishing both without infringing on her independence.
The black culture is very diverse in different parts of the world-even in different parts of the state. Janie as moved throughout Florida to places such as West Florida, Eatonville, and the Everglades. Residing in these different places helps develop and define the character of Janie. Throughout Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie experiences many variations of black culture that helps build her character as she travels through Florida.
Janie’s mom became an alcoholic after being raped by her own teacher. When Janie was left alone, Nanny took janie in and took care of her herself. If I were to imagine Janie with her mother if she didn’t leave, I would think that Janie would be a bit more obedient. As for hushpuppy’s mom, she left when Hushpuppy was still young. If Hushpuppy was still with her mother, I would think she would be a bit more feminine.
Leonie is not just the failed mother most make her out to be because her thoughts are in the right place, trying the best she can given her own circumstances, but her past and her own childhood haunts her too
Toni Morrison’s A Mercy portrays a young slave, Florens, struggles with her past as well as her life as a slave. Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God shows a woman, Janie, who struggles through various relationships in her life, but in the end, they help her find her freedom and individualism. Both stories have different story lines, but upon a closer look, it is easy to see that Florens and Janie have common factors in their lives; which includes, both characters are isolated by others, both characters want to love someone, both character’s guardians make decisions for them that they do not understand which causes conflict, and finally, both characters commit difficult actions which ends up changing their lives.
In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston acknowledges the idea of sexism when she addresses that Janie Starks, the protagonist, never got to fulfill her dreams. Janie’s grandmother, Nanny, wanted the best for her granddaughter so she married her off to a man named Logan Killicks, a man who had a small farm and good wealth “Janie and Logan got married in Nanny’s parlor of a Saturday evening with three cakes and big platters of fried rabbit and chicken,” (Hurston 3). Years has passed within the marriage and Janie never found love for Logan. Logan comparing her to his ex-wife, discriminated Janie’s place of position, “Mah fust wife never bothered me ‘bout choppin’ no wood nohow. She’d grab dat ax and sling chips lak
In Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston, Janie suffers from hardship in two relationships before she can find her true love. Janie explains to her best friend, Pheoby, how she searches for love. Therefore Pheoby wants to hear the true story, rather than listening to the porch sitters. Throughout the book Janie experiences different types of love with three different men; Logan Killicks, Joe Starks, and Vergible "Tea Cake" Woods. At 16 Janie marries Logan Killicks.
The “Rock Pile” by James Baldwin and “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston are two stories that examined black male resistance to emasculation. The men in these stories lived in patriarchal societies, and they reaped the benefits of a structure that favored men. In both of these stories, the male characters are dominant figures in their households, and when they felt like their manhood was being attacked, they retaliate viciously. In “Their eyes were watching god”
Her Story, Her Voice The unique story that is Their Eyes Were Watching God is a story of voices collected together to create one big voice. Hurston uses many characters’ voices to help Janie find her own, actual voice and tell her story by the end of the novel. The story by Zora Neale Hurston is a frame story which is a story within a story. Hurston, like many other authors, uses the frame narrative to help the story come full circle and create a sense that the reader is part of the story.
Self-discovery is essential to a prosperous life. In the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, Janie, the main character, discovers who she is through her relationships. Janie learns from each of her experiences, but the most significant are her husbands: Logan, Jody, and Tea Cake. Each of these people attempt to control her thoughts and actions, but Janie rebels against them. Janie stands up for what she believes in, and through these confrontations, she better understands herself.
In Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston Janie is held back from growing to her full potential. Janie is married three times and in each marriage there is one item that restrains her. In her marriage with Joe she was forced to wear a head rag to cover her hair because it is so long and beautiful. The red rag resembled the restraint Joe put on Janie.
She is the one female character that challenges the standard of a southern, rural woman. Unlike Cora she isn’t obedient to her husband nor God. She cheated on her husband, Anse, with a minister and isn’t sexually satisfied by Anse. Addie isn’t happy with the traditional way of life of having a husband and kids, “So I took Anse. And when I knew that I had Cash, I knew that living was terrible…”
Also, after the DCF pays Halley a visit due to an anonymous call about her prostitution, she starts to clean up her act by getting rid of her weed and making sure the room is presentable. It is clear that although these two women may fit profile of poor, careless young adults in the eyes of some, they still fiercely treasure their children and are very much in touch with their maternal feelings. Rather than the lazy, welfare dependent representation set by society, Ashley and Halley are shown to be making an effort to provide for themselves and their children as Ashley actually has a job and Halley resorts to selling perfume to tourists and prostitution as a last-ditch
Put me down easy, Janie, Ah’m a cracked plate. " Nanny is beyond exhausted. She grew up during slavery, was raped and had to raise her child, Leafy, without a father. Nanny never got married because she was worried that Leafy would be trampled upon like she was. But, she still lost her child after living to see her be trampled upon the same way she was.
The movie is centered around Gill, the protagonist, and how he deals