Their Eyes Were Watching God Literary Analysis

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston and “Lines…” by William Wordsworth are two pieces of writing that are related in a variety of ways, some clear and others more obtuse. One of the largest and most notable relations they have is the theme of nature within both of them. They both possess a regulating theme of nature. Whether it be through the characters, the setting, or the general vibe the writer sets, the idea of nature is very present throughout both writings and plays a large role in dictating the overall feel the reader gets from them. One of the more detailed presentations of nature in Their Eyes Were Watching God was when the author, speaking of Janie, stated that she “was stretched on her back beneath the pear tree soaking …show more content…
They sat in company with the others in other shanties, their eyes straining against crude walls and their souls asking if He meant to measure their puny might against His. They seemed to be staring at the dark, but their eyes were watching God” (Hurston). This shows one of the darker sides of living in the setting of the book, and it was during a crucial moment. What is illustrated best here is the relationship between the characters and God, which is a running theme throughout the novel. It also represents the fight the characters have with nature, on a very visceral level. This particular quote brings out the most devastating emotion as it paints a picture of horrific despair. It is a stark contrast to the previous quote, which revealed the beauty and essence of the best parts of living in the setting of the novel. The two sides of living in Eatonville, Florida are embodied within these two vastly different images. Other times Hurston will use the setting to relate it to one of the novel’s characters, like she does when she states that “Janie saw her life like a great tree in leaf with the things suffered, things enjoyed, things done and undone. Dawn and doom was in the branches” (Hurston). This symbolizes the complexity of …show more content…
This reminds myself of the first quote from Hurston I presented. Wordsworth again uses the beauty of nature to reflect on his personal life. Many of the moments from the poem involve self-evaluation, and I think this is one of the clearest uses of that theme. Wordsworth and Hurston both use the positive vibrancy that nature can sometimes bring to explain how various characters think about themselves within the context of their