Love. It can be best— or the worst— thing a human being can experience. In Zora Neale Hurston’s book, Their Eyes Were Watching God, she tells of a young girl named Janie Crawford and her adventurous love life. She reflects the views of the Harlem Renaissance through Nanny, Logan Killicks, and Jody Starks, but separates herself from those ideals through Janie and Tea Cake.
Power, specifically black power, was an issue of great importance to the Harlem Renaissance writers. Various characters in Their Eyes were Watching God have different notions about the best way to gain power in a white-dominated world. Nanny's idea is that her granddaughter should marry a wealthy man so that she doesn't have to worry about her financial security. When Janie …show more content…
Heah you got uh prop tuh lean on all yo’ bawn days, and big protection, and everybody got tuh tip dey hat tuh you and call you Mis’ Killicks, and you come worryin’ me “bout love.” (There Eyes Were Watching God 23) She's saying how Janie is married to a man that gives her a high social status and financial security is everything that a black woman could need. Janie is obviously not happy with that, because she just wants love and excitement. Later in the book, Janie meets a man named Jody Starks. “He had always wanted to be a big voice, but de white folks had all de sayso where he come from and everywhere else, exceptin’ dis place dat built things oughta boss it.” (There Eyes Were Watching God 28)This fascinates Janie and she becomes interested under the illusion that Jody is the love and …show more content…
Hurston celebrated the rural, southern African-American communities as she found them. In addition, Hurston refused to censor women's sexuality, writing in beautiful innuendo to embrace the physical dimension of her main character's romances. When Janie finds Tea Cake, it is where Zora departs from the ideals of the Harlem Renaissance. He wins Janie’s heart with his carefree, fun-loving nature. She adores his energy and willingness to make her his equal. We see that Tea Cake is fundamentally different from Janie’s former lovers when he teaches her how to play checkers: “He set it up and began to show her and she found herself glowing inside. Somebody wanted her to play. Somebody thought it natural for her to play. That was even nice. She looked him over and got little thrills from one of his good points. Those full, lazy eyes with the lashes curling sharply away like drawn scimitars. The lean, over-padded shoulders and narrow waist. Even nice!” (There Eyes Were Watching God 96) The fact that he considers her intelligent enough to learn such a game shows that he has a more modern conception of women than Logan or Joe. This sense of gender equality continues when Tea Cake asks Janie to work alongside him in the Everglades fields. Both of Janie’s earlier husbands wanted her to work, too, but she resented it. The difference is that Logan wanted Janie
Power, specifically black power, was an issue of great importance to the Harlem Renaissance writers. Various characters in Their Eyes were Watching God have different notions about the best way to gain power in a white-dominated world. Nanny's idea is that her granddaughter should marry a wealthy man so that she doesn't have to worry about her financial security. When Janie …show more content…
Heah you got uh prop tuh lean on all yo’ bawn days, and big protection, and everybody got tuh tip dey hat tuh you and call you Mis’ Killicks, and you come worryin’ me “bout love.” (There Eyes Were Watching God 23) She's saying how Janie is married to a man that gives her a high social status and financial security is everything that a black woman could need. Janie is obviously not happy with that, because she just wants love and excitement. Later in the book, Janie meets a man named Jody Starks. “He had always wanted to be a big voice, but de white folks had all de sayso where he come from and everywhere else, exceptin’ dis place dat built things oughta boss it.” (There Eyes Were Watching God 28)This fascinates Janie and she becomes interested under the illusion that Jody is the love and …show more content…
Hurston celebrated the rural, southern African-American communities as she found them. In addition, Hurston refused to censor women's sexuality, writing in beautiful innuendo to embrace the physical dimension of her main character's romances. When Janie finds Tea Cake, it is where Zora departs from the ideals of the Harlem Renaissance. He wins Janie’s heart with his carefree, fun-loving nature. She adores his energy and willingness to make her his equal. We see that Tea Cake is fundamentally different from Janie’s former lovers when he teaches her how to play checkers: “He set it up and began to show her and she found herself glowing inside. Somebody wanted her to play. Somebody thought it natural for her to play. That was even nice. She looked him over and got little thrills from one of his good points. Those full, lazy eyes with the lashes curling sharply away like drawn scimitars. The lean, over-padded shoulders and narrow waist. Even nice!” (There Eyes Were Watching God 96) The fact that he considers her intelligent enough to learn such a game shows that he has a more modern conception of women than Logan or Joe. This sense of gender equality continues when Tea Cake asks Janie to work alongside him in the Everglades fields. Both of Janie’s earlier husbands wanted her to work, too, but she resented it. The difference is that Logan wanted Janie