Their Eyes Were Watching God By Zora Neale Hurston?

Zora Neale Hurston is widely considered one of the greatest writers in African-American literature thanks to her transcendent work in her 1937 novel, Their Eyes were Watching God. The book explores the life of Janie, the black female protagonist yearning to reach the far horizons that lay ahead of her, and her journey to enlightenment and a position of equality in marriage. Her journey to enlightenment is greatly impacted by where she resides: mainly in Eatonville, a place of suppression, and the Everglades, a place of freedom, in Florida. In Their Eyes were Watching God, Hurston uses changes in setting in order to spark a transformation within Janie, creating a dynamic protagonist, as well as paralleling her current relationships in the respective …show more content…
It was a town out of the way, still in the process of building, a slow one at that too. While Jody was an ambitious man, a characteristic Janie sought after, this ambition led to another separation between the married couple. After constructing a general store and a post office and bringing the modern concept of a streetlamp to the town, he was unanimously given the position. Achieving wealth and status, the couple couldn’t be more perfect, or so it seemed from the outside. Janie felt oppressed and ignored at Eatonville. First, Joe’s position as Eatonville’s mayor didn’t allow him to indulge in his relationship with Janie, “… it jus’ looks lak it keeps us in some way we ain’t natural wid one ‘nother. You’se always off talkin’ and fixin’ things, and Ah feels lak Ah’m jus markin’ time…” (46) The last statement serves to compare this marriage to the previous with Logan; she feels as if time just passes with no real connection. Furthermore, the townspeople, especially Joe, would be critical of her should she break free of the stereotypes held against her. While taking care of the store, she would often hear the conversations Joe held with those that hung around the porch, “Janie loved the conversation and sometimes she thought up good stories on the mule, but Joe had forbidden her to indulge.” (53) Joe keeps her emotionally and socially isolated from the community, not allowing …show more content…
Her image of a man of authority and nobility is shattered and superseded by one of vanity and superiority. She defers her resentment towards Joe as soon as he shows signs of illness and requests a doctor, who offers only gloomy news. In his last days, she tells him he never really got to know or even listen to her as a result of his “own big voice." He heaves his last breath during the argument. She mourns her loss briefly, finally free from such a restrictive marriage. She enjoys her now independent life, able to express herself and connect with the townspeople of Eatonville. She reaches another milestone on the journey to becoming an independent woman. However, the setting of Eatonville, especially the big house, fuel her loneliness. She attracts the attention of many suitors, none of whom seem to attract her until a man nicknamed Tea Cake emerges. While her initial encounters with him had some doubt beneath them, he teaches her to play checkers and allows her to express herself freely. She has finally found the person that permits her to be herself and be free of societal constraints. However, Eatonville still traps her within the stereotypes usually pertaining to women, in addition to the gossip that always puttered about. Thus, she sets off to the Everglades, or the so-called muck, with Tea