Zora Neale Hurston

1891-1960

Early LifeBorn in Alabama in 1891• She claimed 1901 as her yr.

of birth making her 10 yrs. younger

• Her second marriage license listed 1910 as her yr. of birth

She is the 5th of 8 children.Parents were former slaves.• Dad: carpenter, share

cropper, and Baptist preacher• Mom: teacher who pushed

education on her childrenFamily moved to Eatonville, FL when she was very young.• Eatonville is known for being

the first incorporated black town in America.

Family Problems• mother dies when she’s 9• father unaffectionate and cold

• remarries shortly after wife’s death• family is broken apart

• sent away to boarding school and to live with various relatives

College Years

• earned associate degree from Howard University

• first published in the on-campus magazine (short story)

• leaves Howard for NYC

• arrives in NYC just as Harlem Renaissance is gaining popularity

• awarded scholarship to Barnard College; accepted and studied anthropology

Harlem Renaissance• Hurston quickly becomes popular with the HR

crowd. (shocked many with her antics, which included smoking in public)

• Befriends Langston Hughes, Wallace Thurman, Countee Cullen and many other affluent black writers of the era.

• Her apartment said to be a major hangout for the crew.

• Started Fire!, a magazine with Hughes and Thurman (two major leaders of the HR)—only publish once due to lack of funds

The rise of African-American culture in 1920s America which consisted of all types of artists including writers, musicians, and dancers.

Folklore, Friendships, and

Fame• travels to Florida to collect

“negro” folklore for a novel• Meets resistance from locals,

runs out of money, and returns to NYC

• returns to Florida• succeeds in research• publishes Mules and Men

• writes a play with Langston Hughes

• attempts to claim full ownership and publish play solo ending the friendship

• travels to Jamaica and Haiti for work

• writes TEWWG in 7wks., inspired by her relationship with the mysterious “P.M.P”, her perfect love, who she later abandons

• recieves an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from Morgan State College

• publishes her acclaimed autobiography Dust Tracks…in 1941

• Receives Howard University Distinguished Alumni Award

Controversy• accused of molesting a 10 yr. old boy and arrested in 1948

• charges dropped, boy was mentally disturbed and confused, Hurston was out of the country when alleged act took place

• Hurston becomes depressed and suicidal due to backlash from bad press and false accusations

• takes public stance against desegregation, claiming blacks don’t need “white America” or its education system• many write her off as a traitor to her race• literary works lose popularity • takes jobs as librarian and maid

• fired from librarian job, moves to small cabin in Florida where she grows her own food

Death and Legacy

• struggled financially and personally during final decade

• cont. writing, but found difficulty getting work published

• Suffered several strokes, moved to St. Lucie County Welfare Home

• Died poor and alone on Jan. 28, 1960 and was buried in an unmarked grave

• Alice Walker wrote about Hurston in an essay published in a popular magazine in 1975 putting her back on the literary radar and resurrecting her work; she also had a gravestone placed over the marker believed to be Hurston’s final resting place

What do you know?1. Though highly regarded for literary

work, Hurston studied ______ in college. 2. Hurston was one of many artists who

contributed to a period of culturally flourishing in the arts known as___________.

3. Hurston believed that integration was a positive step for black culture. True or False

DIALECT• form of language that is specific to a

particular region or group (while largely due to region, can also be greatly influence by social class)

“Janie, youse uh oman now…”“Nobody heah aint lookin fo no wife outa yuh. Old as you is.”“Thought I’d try to get heah soon enough to tell yuh mah day time thoughts.”

Truth in Fiction• Writers often use places they’ve

been/lived within works of fiction…sometimes they create new names, others they’re kept as they actually are i.e. Eatonville, Florida

• Same goes for events…be on the lookout for one in the book that actually happens during that historical time period

setting• early twentieth century, 1920s or

1930s• rural Florida

Tentative Reading Schedule

Chapters 1-4, pgs. 1-33 (33) Tuesday, 3/4Chapters 5-8, pgs. 34-87 (53) Thursday, 3/10Chapters 9-11, pgs. 89-109 (20) Friday, 3/12Chapters 12-16, pgs. 110-146 (36) Monday, 3/14Chapters 17-18, pgs. 147-167 (20) Tuesday, 3/17Chapters 19-20, pgs. 168-193 (25) Thursday, 3/20