Download - Their Eyes Were Watching God
-
TheirEyesWereWatchingGodresponse
Inthebildungsroman,TheirEyesWereWatchingGod,byZoraNealeHurston,athird
personnarratordescribesthelifeofJaniethroughhereyes.Janie,anafricanamericaninthe
earlytwentiethcentury,beginsasayounggirlraisedbyhergrandmotheronawhitefamilys
land.ThewhitefamilyprovidesandcaresforthemandJanieadmits,Ahwaswiddemwhite
chillunsomuchtilahdidntknowaswazntwhitetilahwasroundsix.Sincehergrandmother
wasraisedwiththebeliefsthattobesuccessfulmeanstomarryasuccessfulman,sheurgesJanie
togetmarriedasateenager.Hergrandmothereventuallydies,andJanierealizessheisnothappy
andshedoesnotloveherhusband.Throughoutherlife,sheismarriedtwicemore,eachtime
lookingforawaytoreachherdreams,throughthesemen.Janiestrugglestoconformtothe
outsideexpectationsimposedonherbyothers,aswellaswithherneedtobeindependentand
free,strengtheningtheoverallmeaningoftheworkhappinessandspiritualfulfillmentcannotbe
foundthrougharelationship,insteaditmustbefoundinsideoneself.
Inthebeginning,JaniemarriesLogantopleasehergrandmothersselfishand
materialisticdesires.HermarriageendsabruptlywhensherunsawaywithJoeStarkstobe
marriedonceagain.JanieisconsumedbythewayJoespeaksofpowerandabetterlife.
However,Janiesoonlearnsthatshewillnotsharethispower,butinsteadbeoppressedbyit.
WhenJoebecomesthemayorofasmalltown,Eatonville,hisneedtoberespectedalienates
Janie.Forexample,heforceshertowearherhairupinaragoutofjealousyandaneedfor
control.ItmusthavebeenthewayJoespokeoutwithoutgivingherachancetosayanything
onewayoranotherthattookthebloomofthings.Sherealizesthatshehaslosthergreatest
-
weapon,hervoice.JaniecannotspeakhermindandisunabletovoiceheropinionswhenJoe
becomesviolent.Healsoforceshertorunthetownstore,whichrepresentsprisontoher,forhe
abusesherphysicallyandverballyifshemakesamistake.SoonJoediesofkidneyfailureandit
isevidentthatJaniefeelshersenseoffreedomreturn.Immediatelysheletsherhairdown,
symbolizingtheendofheroppression.
ResentmentofhergrandmotherfillsJaniesheart.Nannyhadtakenthebiggestthing
Godevermade,thehorizonandpincheditintosuchalittlebitofathingthatshecouldtieit
abouthergranddaughter'snecktightenoughtochokeherwithit.InJanieseyes,her
grandmotherhadstolenherdreamsinthenameoflove.Afteralongperiodofmourning,Janie
meetsTeaCake.Heisconsiderablyyoungerthanher,assheisnownearlyforty,howeversheis
attractedtothewayhetreatsherasanequal.TeaCakeinviteshertoplaycheckerswithhim,
whereasJoewouldorder,gofetchmemycheckerboard.Withhim,Janiefeelsfreeandableto
reachherdreams.WhentheygetmarriedandmovetotheEverglades,herloveforTeaCakeis
evidentevenafterheleavesherforperiodsoftimesandhitsher.Janiebeginstoacceptmale
dominanceasagiven.WhenTeaCakeisbittenbyarabiddog,hebecomesmentallysick.One
day,hetriestokillJanie,andsheisforcedtoshoothim.Althoughsheisinlovewithhim,her
actionprovesshelovesherselfmore.
ThenovelreturnstothepresentandJanieisnowbackinEatonville.Sheforgivesher
grandmotherandJoe,assherealizestheyarenotbadpeople,theysimplyareunderwrong
beliefs.Herforgivenessandacceptancerepresentsherstrengthandgrowthasaperson.Foronce,
shedisregardswhatthetownspeoplesayabouther,asshehaslearnednoteverythingrequiresa
reactionandsilencecanoftenspeaktheloudest.Finallythatnight,sheremembersthedayshe
-
killedTeaCakeandisheartbroken.However,sheconveysthatheshowedherthehorizon,and
becomesateaseknowingthatshehasbeentothehorizonandback.Janiesinternaljourney
andoutsideexperiencescreateawomanwhovaluesselfloveovervainrelationships.