Rachel Hayes
Miss Sibbach
AP English III
12 December, 2014
Were Their Eyes Watching God? Oprah Winfrey completely contrasted Zora Neale Hurston’s ideas while making the movie Their Eyes Were Watching God. Each of Janie’s relationships change in some way in the film and the theme and literary devices Zora Neale Hurston used while writing Their Eyes Were Watching God are also removed. Oprah Winfrey did not portray Janie’s journey in the movie, but instead she made it an epic love story. The changes altered Zora Neale Hurston’s views in her writing and made the film a version of Oprah’s wrong interpretations. Zora Neale Hurston describes Janie as respectful towards her Nanny and also to Logan Killicks during their marriage, whereas Oprah …show more content…
The pear tree symbolizes the major growth in Janie’s life. “One of the most obvious symbols used in the novel, and charged with sexuality, the pear tree motif is introduced early in Janie’s story” (Kendall). Each time Janie grows in love in the novel she thinks of the blossoming pear tree. Janie longs to change and grow into a woman who understands love. “Janie had spent most of the day under a blossoming pear tree in the back yard…It had called her to come and gaze on a mystery. From barren brown stems to glistening leaf-buds; from the leaf-buds to snowy virginity of bloom. It stirred her tremendously. Now they emerged and quested about her consciousness” (Hurston 10). The significance of the pear tree created Janie’s spirit by engaging her in the beautiful aspects of life. The gate in the novel symbolizes the major changes in Janie’s life by representing her leaving one part of her life while entering another stage. Oprah changes the motif so that each time Janie changes she no longer thinks of the gate, but jumps into a pond of water. Janie jumping into a pond of water does not require her to think about growth and opportunity. Oprah taking out the pear tree and the gate, which symbolized Janie blossoming into a stronger woman and changing alters Janie’s character by making her undergo her life changes in a different
Miss Sibbach
AP English III
12 December, 2014
Were Their Eyes Watching God? Oprah Winfrey completely contrasted Zora Neale Hurston’s ideas while making the movie Their Eyes Were Watching God. Each of Janie’s relationships change in some way in the film and the theme and literary devices Zora Neale Hurston used while writing Their Eyes Were Watching God are also removed. Oprah Winfrey did not portray Janie’s journey in the movie, but instead she made it an epic love story. The changes altered Zora Neale Hurston’s views in her writing and made the film a version of Oprah’s wrong interpretations. Zora Neale Hurston describes Janie as respectful towards her Nanny and also to Logan Killicks during their marriage, whereas Oprah …show more content…
The pear tree symbolizes the major growth in Janie’s life. “One of the most obvious symbols used in the novel, and charged with sexuality, the pear tree motif is introduced early in Janie’s story” (Kendall). Each time Janie grows in love in the novel she thinks of the blossoming pear tree. Janie longs to change and grow into a woman who understands love. “Janie had spent most of the day under a blossoming pear tree in the back yard…It had called her to come and gaze on a mystery. From barren brown stems to glistening leaf-buds; from the leaf-buds to snowy virginity of bloom. It stirred her tremendously. Now they emerged and quested about her consciousness” (Hurston 10). The significance of the pear tree created Janie’s spirit by engaging her in the beautiful aspects of life. The gate in the novel symbolizes the major changes in Janie’s life by representing her leaving one part of her life while entering another stage. Oprah changes the motif so that each time Janie changes she no longer thinks of the gate, but jumps into a pond of water. Janie jumping into a pond of water does not require her to think about growth and opportunity. Oprah taking out the pear tree and the gate, which symbolized Janie blossoming into a stronger woman and changing alters Janie’s character by making her undergo her life changes in a different