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Their Eyes Were Watching God Thesis

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Their Eyes Were Watching God is a novel that was written by an African American author, Zora Neale Hurston. The book was launched in 1937 and primarily focuses on the life experiences of the protagonist Janie Crawford (Bloom 59). The story is set in central and southern Florida and epitomizes Janie’s search for self-awareness through love and relationships (Bowers 83). At the heart of the entire narration are the three marriages that Janie has gone through. The story analyses the quest for fulfillment, self-awareness and freedom by the main character through the experiences she had specifically in her three respective marriages. The story is told of her through a comprehensive flashback of her closest ally, Pheoby. The plot emanates in manner …show more content…

In this novel, Hurston writes a story about an African-American woman named Janie Crawford whose quest is to find her identity and desire as a human being to be loved and appreciated for who she is. Her quest to fulfill those desires is not easy since she has to overcome so many obstacles and challenges in her life. A superiority that her Nanny posses over her to determine Janie's own life when she was a teenager and being a beautiful accessory to the glory of Joe Starks' are some of the experience that she encounters. She also has to make some sacrifices. And yet, just like any other heroes, at the end, she returns to her home with a victory on her …show more content…

She acts as the driving force behind the thematic commentary and narrative as a whole. Several literary critics have made comments, on the use of voice within the novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God. I have concentrated much of their research on the setting, theme, symbolism, characterization, form and style of Hurston’s work, in order to illustrate and support the different arguments that I have came up with. The first argument on the theme of silence, which is found within the book, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie’s voice is considered the main component. My view is supported by an article from a critic known as, ‘From Mules to Muliebrity’. She also argues that the main theme can be said to “examine the effects and the empowerment that arises from breaking free from that

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