The Theme Of Racial Identity In Their Eyes Were Watching God?

Racial tensions in America have always been a prominent issue ever since the conception of the hypocrisy that “All men were created equal.” As times have changed, America 's views on the treatment of people of different cultures and the racial equality movement have taken flight. The world is constantly changing, and people of color are now more respected and equal than they have ever been in society. Zora Neale Hurston in her novel Their Eyes Were Watching God touches on the topic of racial identity, but her use of emotional appeals sets her writing apart from others because she can make her readers feel sympathy for her characters and their struggles. “Passing as Black: How Biracial Americans Choose Identity” by Meredith Melnick of Time Magazine in 2010 also touches on the topic of racial identity, but uses little to no emotional appeals. Hurston and Melnick both write about how people identify themselves, but the disparity in appeal to emotion changes the effect the piece has on the reader. One of the main ways in which these two pieces contrast is in their purpose. Although they both share the topic of society and its effects on how people identify themselves, the two differ in how they utilize pathos to create a greater argument. Hurston’s purpose is to make a change in the world she currently lives in, with much of her story pertaining …show more content…
Hurston was a victim of many racial injustices herself, and had a purpose that was more supportive of an emotional appeal. Melnick, on the other hand, did not have a purpose that required the reader to feel sympathy for African Americans and does not have the personal experience with racism directed at her as Hurston did. Despite the fundamental similarities in topic, the two works have very different effects on the