Their Eyes Were Watching God By Zora Neale Hurston: A Literary Analysis

Black art thrived in the 1920’s during the Harlem Renaissance. Smooth jazz soothed the ears of a race trying to find a place in the world; vivid art displayed the vibrant and successful birth of black excellence in a society that crushed any evidence of black people transcending “barbarity”. Just as this renaissance was in decline, one of the most pivotal literary works materialized. Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston, depicts a woman searching for enlightenment and self-acceptance through in an erratic and unruly world. Themes from the Harlem Renaissance of trying to persevere in an oppressive society correlates to how it is difficult for Janie to find a voice. Throughout the book, people try to restrict Janie