Their Eyes Were Watching God Marxist Analysis

In Zora Neale Hurston’s novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, a Marxist view is displayed in the setting of the twentieth century. During this period of time, the blacks were finally receiving some freedom from the whites, but there was still segregation between the two colors. There were also distinctions in class. Janie is an African American that has fairly white skin, and she has three marriages, each in different classes. Throughout the novel, she experiences different classes and social relations. Zora Neale Hurston’s novel utilizes her three marriages to Logan, Jody, and Tea Cake to represent Marxist views.
The major argument of a Marxist approach is whoever controlled the means of production in a society controlled the society. There are two main classes of society. The bourgeoisie control the means of production and wealth while the proletariat operate the means of production and are controlled by the bourgeoisie. The bourgeoisie have more power, so they can manipulate their society. They show off their wealth with material possessions and money. Since there is a difference of opinion between the two social classes, class conflict may develop. The division of race, ethnicity, and gender are artificial, and it helps the bourgeoisie to distract the proletariat. In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie experiences …show more content…
Zora Neale Hurston’s novel Their Eyes Were Watching God has a definite view of each class, and it displays the Marxist view appropriately. The novel obviously displays the different classes and economic power because each marriage portrays a characteristic of the rich, higher class (Bourgeoisie) and the poor, lower class (Proletariat). Although this matter of class and economic power was occurring during the 1900s, the division between the Bourgeoisie class and Proletariat class continues to this