Symbols are arguably the most important part to a story. They add meaning and give life to the novel. Zora Neale Hurston uses symbols in Their Eyes Were Watching God to explain events. She also uses symbols to emphasize emotion and maturing of the women throughout the novel. Important symbols such as god, trees, and animals all make an impact on the development on the novel; however, trees is the most important symbol throughout the story. Hurston uses trees in the novel to emphasize the life of Janie from an innocent girl to a mature woman showing her maturing into a woman and her emotions.
Early in novel, it shows that Janie struggles with her maturing process. Janie appears to be an innocent girl at the beginning of the novel, but when she kisses Johnny Taylor, she is forced to grow up. Immediately after the kiss, Janie becomes confused and wants to know how to find love. Janie has always gone to the pear tree as a little girl and the tree is the spot where she realized her changing from a little girl to a maturing woman. Hurston says, “She had been summoned to behold a revelation. Then Janie felt a pain remorseless sweet that left her limp and languid” (Hurston 14) to show Janie’s first sign of revelation in the novel symbolizing her maturing process. Janie finally realizes that …show more content…
After the kiss with Johnny Taylor, Janie feels enthralled. Hurston shows Janie’s emotions by saying, “She was stretched on her back beneath the pear tree soaking in the alto chant of the visiting bees, the gold of the sun and the panting breath of the breeze when the inaudible voice of it all came to her” (13). The kiss with Johnny Taylor changed Janie’s life and it made her feel all of the love around her. Now that Janie’s mind has expanded from the innocent mind of a little girl, she can hear and see love all around with mother nature. Janie isn’t the only character affected by the pear tree,
Early in novel, it shows that Janie struggles with her maturing process. Janie appears to be an innocent girl at the beginning of the novel, but when she kisses Johnny Taylor, she is forced to grow up. Immediately after the kiss, Janie becomes confused and wants to know how to find love. Janie has always gone to the pear tree as a little girl and the tree is the spot where she realized her changing from a little girl to a maturing woman. Hurston says, “She had been summoned to behold a revelation. Then Janie felt a pain remorseless sweet that left her limp and languid” (Hurston 14) to show Janie’s first sign of revelation in the novel symbolizing her maturing process. Janie finally realizes that …show more content…
After the kiss with Johnny Taylor, Janie feels enthralled. Hurston shows Janie’s emotions by saying, “She was stretched on her back beneath the pear tree soaking in the alto chant of the visiting bees, the gold of the sun and the panting breath of the breeze when the inaudible voice of it all came to her” (13). The kiss with Johnny Taylor changed Janie’s life and it made her feel all of the love around her. Now that Janie’s mind has expanded from the innocent mind of a little girl, she can hear and see love all around with mother nature. Janie isn’t the only character affected by the pear tree,