Two influential works that reveal the true lives as a black woman in the early twentieth century are Zora Neale Hurston in Their Eyes were Watching God and Toni Morrison 's The Bluest Eye. In the works of both Hurston and Morrison, African-Americans are divided through the estrangement of color, social, and economic classes. Each author is able to distinguish the harsh realities between the public and private realms in the southern United States. They use the characters in their novel to expose intra-racial socioeconomic stratifications that occur as a sequence of slavery.
In Hurston 's Their Eyes Were Watching God, Joe Starks reinforces the divide between the classes of blacks. Prior to meeting Janie, Joe worked for a banker, which is how he is able to have the capital he needed to become mayor of Eatonville. In the beginning of their marriage, Janie confuses Joe’s excitement with love …show more content…
Main character Pecola is a young girl who experiences societal racial cruelty, incestuous rape by her father, and puberty at a young age. As the character develops, she engulfs herself in various tactics to be socially accepted. Due to Pecola being so young she has a hard time comprehending the things that are happening to her. Pecola has no real support in her home she has no one to confide in about the issues she is confronted with, especially her low self-esteem issues. Secretly Pecola wishes to be loved properly, although she uses her fixation of whiteness as a coping mechanism, which is what drives her to be obsessed with Mary Jane, Shirley Temple and blue eyes. She has internalized hate because of her relationship with her parents. Her mother Pauline is living vicariously through her white employers, impersonating the lifestyle she wishes she had. Her father Cholly an abusive alcoholic, causes Pecola the most harm, as he rapes and impregnates
In Hurston 's Their Eyes Were Watching God, Joe Starks reinforces the divide between the classes of blacks. Prior to meeting Janie, Joe worked for a banker, which is how he is able to have the capital he needed to become mayor of Eatonville. In the beginning of their marriage, Janie confuses Joe’s excitement with love …show more content…
Main character Pecola is a young girl who experiences societal racial cruelty, incestuous rape by her father, and puberty at a young age. As the character develops, she engulfs herself in various tactics to be socially accepted. Due to Pecola being so young she has a hard time comprehending the things that are happening to her. Pecola has no real support in her home she has no one to confide in about the issues she is confronted with, especially her low self-esteem issues. Secretly Pecola wishes to be loved properly, although she uses her fixation of whiteness as a coping mechanism, which is what drives her to be obsessed with Mary Jane, Shirley Temple and blue eyes. She has internalized hate because of her relationship with her parents. Her mother Pauline is living vicariously through her white employers, impersonating the lifestyle she wishes she had. Her father Cholly an abusive alcoholic, causes Pecola the most harm, as he rapes and impregnates