Zora Neale Hurston, Essay Example

Introduction

Janie Crawford, a beautiful and resolute fair-skinned black woman, living in the American South, is the protagonist of Their Eyes Were Watching God. Janie is back in Eatonville, Florida, after a brief leave. Janie is approached by Eatonville’s chattering people, who speculate that Janie may have left town with a young guy called Tea Cake. Janie’s buddy, Pheoby Watson, speaks up for her and walks over to welcome her in the middle of their chat. My emphasis in this paper will be on feminism, which arose from realizing the American dream, as Janie tells Pheoby about her life and what occurred after she left Eatonville.

According to the author, many relationships fail because men and women have distinct aims and objectives. She argues that men’s fantasies represent optimism and, in some cases, submission, while women’s dreams represent reality. Though the American ideal may come to fruition in the coming years, the author implies that it is frequently in vain. She replies, “Ships travel at breakneck speed.” “Tance takes into account every demand made by a man. They get caught up in the tide for some (Watanabe 240). Others linger on the horizon forever, never landing, never fading, until the Watcher loses hope, his dreams ridiculed by time. This is how males spend their life. The truth is included in the dream. Then they look and behave following it ” (Watanabe 251)

After each day, her thesis and goal are to demonstrate feminism, which arose from realizing the American dream, whose pursuit of pleasure and success inspires many Americans each day. Individuals from different walks come here to flourish and establish new lives, much as Janie. Hers has been a difficult life, which is essential in feminism via the American dream. Jamie’s story demonstrates that accomplishing a goal is never simple. On the other hand, she has endured and outlived two less-than-ideal partners, learning of herself in the meantime. Another typically feminist goal is to find both pleasure and contentment. Self-discovery is a vital aspect of the process that may help you achieve even greater success (Watanabe 250).

A new image of femininity arose in late 19th and early 20th century America, which started to influence popular perceptions and understandings of women’s role in society. The Women’s Rights Movement was a generation of young women who were born between 1890 and 1920 who flouted gender conventions and institutions by asserting a new public presence through labor, entertainment, education, and politics, as well as symbolizing a distinctly contemporary look in contrast to the Victorian ideal (Watanabe 253). The New Woman was linked to the rise of feminism and the battle for women’s suffrage and the early twentieth century’s increased commercialization, mass culture, and freer manifestations of sexuality. The New Woman’s image varies by class, age, color, ethnicity, and geographic region, emphasizing youth, mobility, independence, and modernism and offering a range of behaviors and looks with which various women may identify. Despite becoming polarizing, the New Woman image allowed women to handle existing social realities and advocate for equality and freedom principles that would later become universally accepted (Watanabe 243).

Since it is “reality” of the American spirit, and dreaming of pleasure and riches is what keeps many Americans working every day. Because it has happened multiple times and in the United States, this is a particularly American issue. Individuals with nothing come here, thrive, and begin new lives, much as Janie achieves happiness and satisfaction at the end of the story. Hers has been a challenging existence, which is also vital in the American ideal. Jamie’s tale shows that achieving a goal is never easy. She has, however, persevered and outlived two spouses who were not ideal, learning about herself in the process. Finding happiness and fulfillment is a very American goal. Learning about oneself is an important element in the process, and it could help you reach even better results (Watanabe 240).

Empowering women is an award that women have earned through both the course of history, spanning multiple centuries. In Zora Hurston’s work “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” there is feminine power. Janie, the main character, exudes this power via the choices she makes in her life. Whether she’s abandoning unhealthy relationships, picking somebody for who and what they are, or sticking up to unfair treatment, she’s the boss. Throughout the story, Janie grows to appreciate a feminist who champions her female empowerment. Before the 20th century, the private sphere limited American women’s responsibilities to those related to domesticity. Childbirth, child-rearing, cleaning, cooking, and caring for their husbands were among their tasks. This resulted that, to capitalize only on their domestic life, women tended to set aside their aspirations and ambitions for a future outside their homes. Across the beginning of the twentieth century, women began to challenge their traditional roles and took it on themselves to leave the private sphere. Women were increasingly involved in the public sphere, battling for a range of key topics and contributing to their cause as strikers, suffragettes, and demonstrators. The photographs portray many early 20th American women fighting to move from private to a public sphere, with each group contributing in their distinctive way to the cause (Watanabe 236).

Community is an essential concern in both black as well as women’s literature. The racist and patriarchal nature of American social structure, which Morrison refers to as our country’s political matter, renders blacks and women, especially black women, powerless and vulnerable. To survive, black women must operate inside communities as just a protective barrier. Janie and Sula’s financial security stems from their society, which serves as a social and cultural structure for them to venture out into the world. Janie inherits her husband’s riches, allowing her to explore new locations while maintaining her Eatonville residence. Sula’s succession of Eva’s home gives her a place to stay no matter where she goes or what she does. Through these social institutions, the society defines, illustrates, and communicates the ideas and expectations that shape the books’ circumstances (Watanabe 236).

Their gaze was fixed on the scene. God’s feminist perspective recognizes and explains how patriarchal ideas and systems influence personalities and interactions between genders, people, and communities and how they influence personalities and interactions between genders, people, and communities. It also links interpersonal problems to materials and developmental patterns. It understands how the other thinks and perceives the world. It rejects the idea that the other, regardless of a specific sex, culture, or group, should never be allowed or that force should be used to conquer and subjugate them (Watanabe 240).

It is the tale of the spiritual awakening and growth of personality of Janie, primarily via her interactions with others. Hurston masterfully illustrates how relationships affect identity and self-growth via the themes of power, dominance, abuse, as well as respect in Janie’s interactions with Killicks, Nanny, Starks, and Tea Cake. Her connection with Nanny initially stifles Janie’s self-growth. Janie has a great deal of admiration for Nanny, who has nurtured her since her mother fled. Janie’s regard for her grandma goes beyond what is expected of a youngster for his caregiver according to tradition (Watanabe 244).

They were thinking about God and keeping an eye on him. Killicks’ power over Janie dwindles as Janie’s admiration for him grows. Janie’s brazen refusal to be Killicks’ workhorse shows Killicks’ lack of power in their relationship. Killicks’ desperate desire to control Janie’s love for him manifests itself in physical harassment, in which he attempts to undermine Janie’s consciousness by telling her that there aren’t “no mo’ fools” who would have been willing to work and feed Janie, especially after her attractive body regains its youth (Watanabe 245).

It had asked her to look into a mystery, from barren, dark brown stems to shining leaf buds and leaf buds to pure bloom purity. This piqued everyone’s attention in her. Zora Neale Hurston, an African-American publisher, is known for her colorful and innovative language. Her use of imagery, especially character imagery, is used to elicit creativity from the audience while emphasizing the importance of work. One of her most well-known paintings, Their Eyes Were Watching God, depicts nature in a way that demonstrates a unique relation between various characteristics: majesty and devastation (Watanabe 245).

During the novel, Janie married three times. Janie’s ultimate self-actualization is assisted by the treatment she receives from each of her husbands. The first spouse is Logan Killicks, a very well-known local landowner. Janie marries him since her grandmother, Nanny, insists. Janie displays her allegiance to Nanny by following her, despite her distaste for Killicks.

Before her first marriage, Janie had an insight into how natural marriage should be, like a bee nourishing a flower. On the other hand, Janie’s meeting with Logan Killicks contradicts her revelation. Killicks is often angered and rude in his treatment of her. Then she meets Joe Starks, a smooth-talking nomad who happens to be traveling through her town. Jody tempts her with sweet words and promises to “treat her like a lady.” She departs Killicks, certain that Jody will confirm her marriage news (Watanabe 254).

Jody and Janie go to Eatonville, and Jody eventually becomes mayor. Jody’s jealousy and perception that other guys hunger for his wife eroded their relationship over time. He makes her wear a scarf around her head to hide her beautiful hair. Jody forbids her from expressing herself, and when she does, she is beaten and humiliated into quiet. Her silence is deafening. Janie is dismayed by Jody’s abuses, even though it appeared at first how he was trying to enlighten her about the pleasures of marriage (Watanabe 256).

Conclusion

In the novel, the lessons learned on feminism that arose from realizing the American dream define Janie’s success story as she tries to realize her adolescent purpose of getting love and fairness in her prospective marriages. On the other hand, the author’s description of Janie’s need for friendship suggests that this journey eventually emphasizes the need to achieve fulfillment inside oneself rather than through the company of several people. We must first take a proactive step toward our ideal future to attain our objectives. Janie had wished for real love since she’s a youngster, and she had spent most of her teen years “stretching the pear tree.” The pear tree was Janie’s favorite tree as a youngster, and she linked it with love and her ideal love. Janie realized as her life went that she would never find her happily ever after in a relationship, no matter how hard she tried. After being married off as a youngster to a guy called Logan, she immediately understood that “connection did not create love.”

Works Cited

Watanabe, Nancy A. “Zora Neale Hurston’s Vodun-Christianity Juxtaposition:” Zora Neale Hurston, Haiti, and Their Eyes Were Watching God, pp. 237-256.