Gender in the Bigger Picture
As a commentary on the social system of the late 1930’s, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston truly reflects the norms of the time period in an accurate manner. Hurston was heavily impacted by the traditions and folklores of the African American culture, which are reflected within the ideals of the novel. From the desire to create an individual culture to the relentless search for love, Hurston includes elements that she discovered as she travelled and saw on the rise in the black community. In an era scarred by the shattered remains of a broken promise from the Civil War, the late 30’s was rampant in unequal representation and racism; strong representing factors of the United States to the citizens …show more content…
According to Janie, “the business of the head-rag irked her endlessly. But Jody was set on it. Her hair was NOT going to show in the store…she was there in the store for him to look at, not those others. ” (Hurston 55). Hurston implies stress twice in this area to signify the importance of the words within the passage. Joe’s view of Janie as his personal object, her beauty for his sole enjoyment, was revealed. His beliefs and domineering personality equaled the required submission of Janie as his wife. Her hair tied up was representative of her bondage from her relationship with Joe. Her silence in relation to the community was also a heavy act of oppression under the heavy hand of Joe. While Joe and the local people would sit and converse on the porch of the general store, Janie was required to remain silent by Joe. His reason given was “he didn’t want her talking after such trashy people” being the wife of the mayor. Janie did not feel this way towards the people of the community, she would have engaged in conversation fairly easily. However, because she was under the ruling of Joe, she was placed on a higher platform that placed her within an arena in which she was to act according to her position and remain
As a commentary on the social system of the late 1930’s, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston truly reflects the norms of the time period in an accurate manner. Hurston was heavily impacted by the traditions and folklores of the African American culture, which are reflected within the ideals of the novel. From the desire to create an individual culture to the relentless search for love, Hurston includes elements that she discovered as she travelled and saw on the rise in the black community. In an era scarred by the shattered remains of a broken promise from the Civil War, the late 30’s was rampant in unequal representation and racism; strong representing factors of the United States to the citizens …show more content…
According to Janie, “the business of the head-rag irked her endlessly. But Jody was set on it. Her hair was NOT going to show in the store…she was there in the store for him to look at, not those others. ” (Hurston 55). Hurston implies stress twice in this area to signify the importance of the words within the passage. Joe’s view of Janie as his personal object, her beauty for his sole enjoyment, was revealed. His beliefs and domineering personality equaled the required submission of Janie as his wife. Her hair tied up was representative of her bondage from her relationship with Joe. Her silence in relation to the community was also a heavy act of oppression under the heavy hand of Joe. While Joe and the local people would sit and converse on the porch of the general store, Janie was required to remain silent by Joe. His reason given was “he didn’t want her talking after such trashy people” being the wife of the mayor. Janie did not feel this way towards the people of the community, she would have engaged in conversation fairly easily. However, because she was under the ruling of Joe, she was placed on a higher platform that placed her within an arena in which she was to act according to her position and remain