Hurstons powerful literary voice is due to the great themes she. The story was written in the early 20th century and reflects the conditions that women faced when the book was written and still do now. The importance of speech and humor in zora neale hurstons their. If youre thinking that their eyes were watching god sounds like a serious book, then youll be glad to meet the riotous community in zora neale hurstons story. In the novel their eyes were watching god, hurston explains the hardships as ideas of maturity, sexism, and social class. Their eyes were watching god is one of the texts which were written during that time, and hurston succeeds in presenting the black protest literature. The novel both begins and ends with two people, janie and pheoby, sitting on the porch of janies house.
Theme of voice in their eyes were watching god essay. From the four novels that zora neale hurston wrote, this novel was written in 1937 while she was on a trip to haiti. How do the concepts of god, faith, destiny, or sight tie into the plot. Their eyes were watching god is a 1937 novel by africanamerican writer zora neale hurston. Zora neale hurston, haiti, and their eyes were watching god on. Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, and literary devices that can help to develop and inform the texts major themes. In their eyes were watching god, zora neale hurston addresses finding a voice in life and achieving true contentment. I cant say i found it an easy read for the reasons ill set out shortly but i certainly admired it and felt more kindly towards the book in the second half. Tone in their eyes were watching god the overall tone for their eyes were watching god is sympathetic. Janies courageous voice in their eyes were watching god through her use of southern black language zora neale hurston illustrates how to live and learn from lifes experiences. Zora neale hurston wrote her most famous novel, their eyes were watching god, while in. Zora neale hurstons use of symbolism in their eyes were. Natalie peguero ajalai edwards tianna paisley ashlyn cadet adrian taitt chapter 14 summary chapter 12 summary tea cake and janie move to the everglades where janie falls in love with the environment. Their eyes were watching god zora neale hurston isbn.
In that same year at a conference on minority literature held at yale and directed by michael cooke, the few copies of. Their eyes were watching god by zora neale hurston motifs. A teachers guide to zora neale hurstons their eyes were watching god 3 note to teachers the questions and activities in this teaching guide were written to support standardsbased instruction. In their eyes were watching god, community is a motif. Tone an authors tone is the voice or attitude toward the subject of the story andor reader. Women are not only considered the weaker sex, but theyre fundamentally defined by their relationship to men.
Fair and longlegged, independent and articulate, janie crawford sets out to be her own person no mean feat for a black woman in. Professor kristen over of northeastern illinois university explains the motifs in zora neale hurstons novel their eyes were watching god. While god could speak audibly to people today, he speaks primarily through his written word. Motifs used in zora neale hurstons their eyes were watching god. Zora neale hurstons their eyes were watching god and. As janie returns to eatonville, the novel focuses on the porchsitters who gossip and speculate about her situation. It is considered a classic of the harlem renaissance of the 1920s, and it is likely hurstons best known work. In the novel their eyes were watching god, hurston uses several literary devices to help make points or draw the readers attention to something. Learn more about the motifs used throughout their eyes were watching god by zora neale hurston in this study guide for their eyes were watching god. By comparing what we hear to the truth of scripture, we can learn to recognize gods voice.
The importance of speech and humor in zora neale hurstons their eyes were. The beauty of nature exists because it all has a divine quality to it, and for that we have the god of the novel to thank. By 1975, their eyes, again out of print, was in such demand that a petition was circulated at the december 1975 convention of the modern language association mla to get the novel back into print. Sometimes gods leading can come through the holy spirit, through our consciences, through circumstances, and through the exhortations of other people. Joe starks with his big voice wants to keep janie from speaking, but tea cake encourages janie to speak her own mind. This thesis aims to establish the ways hurston uses blues musical techniques in their eyes were watching god, arguing that scholarship fails to address three critical components of blues. This is why marriage is such a big deal in the world of hurstons novel. Throughout the novel, she utilizes an interesting narrative structure, splitting the presentation of the story between high literary narration and idiomatic discourse.
Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work. Books similar to their eyes were watching god their eyes were watching god. Told in the captivating voice of a woman who refuses to live in sorrow, bitterness, fear, or foolish romantic dreams, it is the story of fairskinned, fiercely. Zoras characters speak to us through the wonderful voice of ruby dee. Their eyes were watching god not only explores the theme of language and storytelling at the level of narrative content, but also through its form. Their eyes were watching god meets the standard for range of reading and level of text complexity for grades 1112. Hurstons second and bestknown novel their eyes were watching god focuses on the black womans place in society. Styletheir eyes were watching god linkedin slideshare. Aspects that arise include racism, community and feminism. Janie crawford, the main character of zora neale hurstons their eyes were watching god, strives to find her own voice throughout the novel and, in my opinion, she succeeds even though it takes her over thirty years to do it. Their eyes were watching god possesses a unique structure. Throughout a series of failed relationships, janie finds herself constantly struggling against domineering male figures who attempt to define her by. Document the confluence of folklore, feminism and black self. Download the free study guide and infographic for their.
Critical analysis of janies voice in their eyes were watching god. Their eyes were watching god not only explores the theme of language and. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of their eyes were watching god and what it means. Pdf zora neale hurstons their eyes were watching god narrates a black. Hurstons their eyes were watching god, follows the life of protagonist, janie crawford, a confident, middleaged black woman who goes throughout life discovering her quest for spiritual enlightenment and selfdiscovery. Contentment cannot be found unless the one searching is their own person, unless they have found their identity and their own voice. Narration and symbolism eyes were watching god english. Janies full discovery of her own voice emerges in chapter 19, the climactic trial scene immediately following tea cakes death. Discussion of themes and motifs in zora neale hurstons their eyes were watching god. Because a persons words are a direct product of their mind, janie recognizes that joes attempts to silence her are an intrusion on her very thoughts. How does the title their eyes were watching god capture some of the main themes of the book. Although many critics have noted the blues themes, characters, and settings in zora neale hurstons their eyes were watching god, none addresses the way hurston recreates elements of blues music in her novel. In their eyes were watching god by zora neale hurston, the author weaves words together to create a poetic view of the characters. One cannot find contentment in life through others.
Voice, language and storytelling theme in their eyes were. Throughout the novel, the most important theme from their eyes were watching god is search of the main character janie for fulfillment and love in life. What makes their eyes are watching god a classic book. One of the most important works of twentiethcentury american literature, zora neale hurstons beloved 1937 classic, their eyes were watching god, is an enduring southern love story sparkling with wit, beauty, and heartfelt wisdom. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. Natural imagery in zora neale hurstons their eyes were watching. A summary of motifs in zora neale hurstons their eyes were watching god.
Their eyes were watching god by voice actor websites staff. Their eyes were watching god by tianna paisley on prezi. Hurstons use of language parallels janies quest to find her voice. The essay offers an analysis of the text in reference to other african american literary works. Women in her novel their eyes were watching god are striving through such. Janie raised her voice, but still, she remained susceptible to suppression and abuse. Zora neale hurston utilizes symbolism in their eyes were watching god to portray janie crawford as a character who realizes that, through hard work and perseverance, one may find out who he or she really is on the inside rather than the imperfections on the outside. Were watching god by zora neale hurston in this study guide for their eyes were watching god. Their eyes were watching god is most often celebrated for hurstons unique use of language, particularly her mastery of rural southern black dialect. The power of silence in zora neale hurstons their eyes were watching god. Pulled it from around the waist of the world and draped it over her shoulder. Also, if you love a lot of beautiful imagery, this is a good example.
Recent years have seen a renewal of interest in the work of zora neale hurston marked by. Essay on janies courageous voice in their eyes were. In zora neale hurstons their eyes were watching god, the novels protagonist, janie crawford, is immersed in a journey to establish her voice and, consequently, shape her own identity. Their eyes were watching god is one of those books that you feel you ought to love because it occupies such an iconic position in 20th century literature. Their eyes were watching god c onsistent critical attention focuses on janies voice because, as michael awkward has stated, perhaps the dominant image in the recent creative and critical writing of afroamerican women is the struggle to make articulate a heretofore repressed and silenced black females story and voice inspiriting 1.
Their eyes were watching god essay prompts citing from the text, write a 35 page essay that answers one of the following prompts. Their eyes were watching god essay in search of voice. Janie, the main character in hurstons their eyes were watching god, is a woman who defies what people expect of her. I do not own anything in this video except for the captions. Literary criticism comparison and assessment projects evaluation. Hezekiah potts leaves work early one day to go to a ball game. In their eyes were watching god by zora neale hurston, janie wants something out of life and love that seems unattainable and difficult to. But the community doesnt just provide welcome levity. In this book, god isnt so much the traditional deity as he is deeply connected with fate and nature.
Hurston uses foreshadowing in chapter 2 when janie and nanny were talking after nanny had seen janie kissing johnny taylor. Janie makes plain to joe one way that men try to keep women downby silencing their voices often by speaking louder than their women or ignoring their pleas. A summary of chapters 1718 in zora neale hurstons their eyes were watching god. Throughout the novel, she utilizes an interesting narrative structure, splitting the presentation of the story between high literary.
Zora neale hurstons novel, their eyes were watching god, depicts janies life as a series of events which help her to eventually acquire a voice, meaning the acknowledgement and expression of the person whom she realizes herself to be. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in their eyes were watching god, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Hurstons best novel, their eyes were watching god, in terms of its themes of feminism and black selfdetermination. Erins zora neale hurston page university of washington. The kiss of his memory made pictures of love and light against the wall. This motif also appears in earlier parts of the novel, as the narrator explains that the peoples. The power of silence in zora neale hurstons their eyes. There is a clear split between the narrators literary style and the dialect of the black american south used by janie and the characters in her community. In their eyes were watching god, how do the motifs of. Nanny always wanted to make a great speech, but no one would listen.
The concluding chapters of their eyes were watching god offer especially striking contrasts to the events narrated in marie grubbe following maries marriage to soren mollr. In their eyes were watching god, men and women occupy very different roles. Black people, and especially women, could not voice their opinions. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Zora neal hurston wrote their eyes were watching god during a time when womens voices, especially black womens voices were marginalized. Need help on symbols in zora neale hurstons their eyes were watching god. Their eyes were watching god by zora neale hurston presented by. Voice and interiority in zora neale hurstons their eyes. Voice and interiority in zora neale hurstons their eyes were watching god. Thank you very much for downloading their eyes were watching god study guide answers. Literary criticism evaluation their eyes were watching god. Their eyes were watching god is very much a part of this tradition, and has inspired many fine studies on the ways that its protagonist finds a voice and a. Analysis about their eyes were watching god english.