Oftentimes, the best way to appreciate a culture or a tradition is to portray it in the most realistic way possible. In the book, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston writes about the journey of a woman who is trying to find herself in the world. Since the book has been published, it has received criticism for portraying African Americans and their traditions in an unfavorable way. Although it seems that Zora Neale Hurston oversimplifies the lives of African Americans in Their Eyes Were Watching God, the realism seen in her writing actually celebrates African American traditions. Hurston’s specific use of language and her illustrative descriptions of the characters in the novel create the most realistic image of African Americans…
The use of nature in literature is often times more significant than general environmental observations. Rather, nature can serve as a parallel narrative to events or development in literature, and reveal hidden perspectives or underlying messages the author may have. This essay will examine Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon, to explore the significance of the natural world and the extent it be used as a tool to show development, internal tension, and social cultural tension within the novel and society The novel’s main protagonist, Macon Dead III (otherwise known as Milkman) is raised within a particular cultural disjunction. As a member of the black middle-upper class, the contrast between his family’s humble roots and his current style…
Abraham Lincoln famously remarked that “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” The power belongs to those who want to get the top position in organizations with personal qualities, such as leadership, humility, ambition, etc. In this book, Jeffrey Pfeffer examines how to get the power from the individuals’ perspective to make and implement decisions by considering various situations. Also, he describes that power is a positive mechanism in managing the organizations effectively since he has also viewed it as obtained common profits or gains through collectively working together. Such opinion of him about power is diametrically opposed to our common norm that power connotes a conservative…
As a category of American religious history, African-American religious life and the history behind it has often forgotten or briefly summarized in most historians’ work. Prior to the 1970’s, most history written on African-American religion was vague, often just trivial paragraphs in textbooks and considered irrelevant to our nation’s religious history. But as time progressed, history was revisited to show African-American’s having a more prominent voice in America’s religious culture. One historian, Ulrich Bonnell Phillips wrote one of the earliest collections of slave history and life, American Negro Slavery. This book, written in 1918, shaped the perception of what slavery was like for most who did not experience the institution, but…
This nonfiction story about Robert Moses explains a lot about how he was a “quiet fighter” and what he fought for the African American people of the South. Robert Moses is nicknamed one of our “unsung heroes”. In this essay, I will explain that I understand the things Robert Moses did for the people of the South, and explain why he was a “Quiet Fighter”. Robert Moses was one of the greatest forgotten Civil Rights Leaders. He started his adventure by coming from New York City down to Atlanta, Georgia to join Martin Luther King and his movement group in the South.…
Their Eyes Were Watching God By: Zora Neale Hurston LAP TOPIC #1 Written by: Jason Gutierrez African American are portrayed as the “ignorant” scum of society, the slaves to their own race and the epitome of human suffering. They have the vision of becoming equal to those that had once influenced them. Having that motivation creates the need of pursuing answers through life experiences and the ideals of those that surround the goal of ascending to a new level. In the literary novel “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston, it is illustrated how the African-Americans are not as simple as once portrayed.…
The slave trade brought about the devastation of entire African communities; who lost their history and unique way of life, with every branded slave. However, it also created much difficulty for those who wished to maintain their culture outside of their native land. Lawrence Hill’s The Book of Negroes reveals the struggles that slaves faced in colonial lands through Aminata’s experiences, as she strives to remain true to her religion, family, and childhood ambitions. First off, Aminata struggles to retain her belief in religion, both as a slave and as a free person.…
The change from the Pharaoh’s daughter finding the baby to the Pharaoh’s wife plays an important part of the story line. This makes Ramses Moses’ brother, as well as a rival. Whereas in the biblical story, Ramses was Moses’ uncle.…
When meticulously observing the good/evil aspects within the short story the audience is provided with key facts that give the story deeper meaning. Therefore, in Hurston’s short story she uses biblical…
In Zora Neale Hurston’s famous novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston explores the life of a southern black woman, Janie Crawford whose three marriages of domineering control of men make her acknowledge her independence and self-satisfaction as an African-American woman. Set in the early 1900s, Hurston reveals the dominant role of men in southern society and one woman’s journey toward finding herself and God. Summary: Janie Crawford is a southern African-American woman who grows up under the care of her grandmother.…
THESIS The black prophetic fire has become lost among African American individuals. In this book, scholar, philosopher, author, and black activist Dr. Cornel West exchanges dialogue with Christa Buschendorf about what the black prophetic tradition means to him and six African American historical individuals who are prime examples of what black prophetic fire should be. SUMMARY…
Introduction According to David Howard, “Joshua was written to provide an interpretive history of one slice of Israel’s life as a people.” This “slice of life” Old Testament narrative begins in Joshua 1:1-9 with an authoritative call to be strong, courageous and obedient. This passage serves to outline and prepare the reader for the body of work to follow. At the core, Joshua is a story of radical obedience to God and His law.…
Of the many words exemplified in the Bible, one word that is constantly being interpreted is “Wisdom.” The origins of Wisdom in the Bible stem from the old testament. As the books of the Bible progress, the word Wisdom takes on many different shapes. Like many words and concepts in the Old Testament (OT), the New testament uses context to provide a clearer explanation of what those terms mean.…
The Structure of the Passage The Book of Exodus contains some of the most important people, as well as events. In the Book of Exodus, Moses was a prominent character that was discussed seemingly throughout the text. The Book of Exodus is a segment within the Pentateuch, which contains the first five books of the Old Testament.…
Anisfeld, Moshe. “Why was Moses barred from leading the people into the promised land?: a psycho theological answer” Jewish Bible Quarterly 39, no.4 (October 2011): 211-220. Anisfeld’s article is a, psycho-theological answer about Moses. He believes that the reason Moses was barred from leading the Israelites into the promise land was not that Moses committed sin however because he “failed to counteract the peoples slide into blasphemy”, about God.…