Their Eyes Were Watching God By Zora Hurston: An Analysis

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Hurston is a timeless epic about a black girl turned women named Janie. When the story begins, Janie is a young teenager with no self-knowledge, but by the end of the book, she is in her late 40s, has seen much, and knows exactly who she is. Within this time frame Janie marries three men: Logan, Jody, and Teacake. Janie’s first marriage to Logan is not a happy marriage and she seems to be looking for something but she is not sure what. Her second marriage to Jody is better than her first but still does not end happily; she is still searching for something. Janie’s third marriage to Teacake is much better than her first two but still ends in tragedy. The difference is that by the end of her marriage to Teacake, Janie has found what she is looking for. She has found herself. The book ends with Janie man less, independent, and contempt in life. She has finally become the woman she was meant to be all along. In order for Janie to find herself and her voice though, she must go through three versions of herself: the naïve, …show more content…
Women struggled in the 1920’s as Janie did and women struggle now as I do. It is hard to believe in one’s self when people are constantly calling you ugly, worthless, inadequate. It takes a lot to strength to not give in and believe them. Being told that you are only worth as much as the man you are with hurts a lot, and when you do not have a man, you might as well not even exist. These are occurrences women have to deal with ever day. Women may not be able to stop these things from being said but they can change the way they react to being pushed down. They need to find their inner strength. Women can find worth and identity like Janie did, but they have to be patient. It took Janie three men before she was able to discover her inner power but she never gave up. That is what is important. You will find your worth if you do not give