The Importance Of Independence In Their Eyes Were Watching God

Everyone is on a journey to find their identity, and it’s not about looking in the right places but rather just looking in the first place. Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, reveals that we must take action and stand up for what you think is right in order to gain independence. While this story revolves around Janie’s relationships with others, it is not that which catches my eye, but the growing relationship with her self. In the beginning of the book and at the end of the book, I notice that Janie is alone. She is alone but a completely changed person because of the sense of independence that has grown within her. In the beginning she does not know who she is or how she wants to live, but by the end, she returns to Eatonville …show more content…
She uses language to try to find her voice and with finding her voice, comes independence. The first example is when Janie talks out loud about how she might run away from Logan, which makes his fears a real possibility. Hurston then states, “There! Janie had put words in his held-in fears” (30). This shows that with language, she has power to tell people what she wants and by doing so she gains independence from the boring and impractical relationship with Logan. Another example of when Janie uses language to gain independence is when she insults Joe and the other guys about their manhood. Janie exclaims, “You big-bellies round here and put out a lot of brag, but ‘tain’t nothin’ to it but yo’ big voice. Humph! Talkin’ ‘bout me lookin’ old! When you pull down yo’ britches, you look lak de change uh life” (79). By Janie saying this, she gains a voice of her own and is not dependent of the voice of Joe anymore. She now feels free to speak for herself and because of that, Joe actually loses his voice, finally allowing Janie independence in the relationship. The third way Janie uses Language to express her independence is when Janie highlights the crucial difference between talking and doing. Janie has the independence and bravery to do something she feels should be done, but the porch-talkers do not. Janie says, “‘Course, talkin’ don’t amount tuh uh hill uh beans when yuh can’t do nothin’ else. Two things everybody’s …show more content…
The first instance is when Logan tells Janie how he thought she would be more grateful for his treatment. He says, "Ah thought you would ‘preciate good treatment. Thought Ah’d take and make somethin’ outa yuh. You think youse white folks by de way you act” (30). Janie’s manner is exceedingly prominent for the poor class in which she is in, according to Logan. Seemingly, by marrying a woman in a lower social class, Logan was anticipating to have Janie feeling tremendously grateful towards him. Since he also wants to "make somethin’ outa" Janie, he obviously thinks that Janie is not worth that much and he is trying to fix that. The thing is, Janie does not care what people think of her. Janie knows that she is in the lower class, but uses that all the more to show how independent she is and how little she is affected by society. The second time class grows Janie’s independence is when she throws off her apron and grabs a seat next to Joe. Hurston states, “The morning road air was like a new dress. That made her feel the apron tied around her waist. She untied it and flung it on a low bush beside the road and walked on, picking flowers and making a bouquet. After that she came to where Joe Starks was waiting for her with a hired rig. He was very solemn and helped her to the seat beside him. With him on it, it sat like some high, ruling chair” (32). She takes a seat in the higher class, among the people who sit in a