Throughout "Their Eyes Were Watching God," Zora Neale Hurston uses the symbol of a pear tree to symbolize Janie's understanding of love. Throughout the novel she uses nature to depict Janie's idea of a relationship. This creates a theme of self-discovery and empowerment throughout the novel. After Janie gets her first kiss, she begins to view the world differently. "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. She saw a dust-bearing bee sink into the sanctum of a bloom; the thousand sister-calyxes arch to meet the love embrace and the ecstatic shiver of the tree from root to tiniest
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She stated, "From now on until death, she was going to have flower dust, and springtime sprinkled over everything. A bee for her bloom" (Hurston 32). This quote captures Janie's determination to pursue a relationship that brings her joy. Springtime symbolizes her search for something fresh and new. It shows her growth as she refuses to settle for anything less than true happiness. Janie's resilience to finding authentic love is shown throughout the novel as we witness the growth of the theme of self-love. As Janie continues to grow through the relationship, she begins to grasp the truth about the relationship. She says, "Love is like the sea." It's uh movin' thing, but still and all, it takes its shape from de shore it meets, and it's different with every shore" (Hurston 191). Janie says this is monumental because it shows her understanding of love now and how different it can be depending on the relationship. Her analogy of love to the sea illustrates her maturity and the growth she's had since the beginning of the novel. Her journey towards being independent and learning what she deserves both in a relationship and outside of one reflects back on her connection with the pear tree from the
She stated, "From now on until death, she was going to have flower dust, and springtime sprinkled over everything. A bee for her bloom" (Hurston 32). This quote captures Janie's determination to pursue a relationship that brings her joy. Springtime symbolizes her search for something fresh and new. It shows her growth as she refuses to settle for anything less than true happiness. Janie's resilience to finding authentic love is shown throughout the novel as we witness the growth of the theme of self-love. As Janie continues to grow through the relationship, she begins to grasp the truth about the relationship. She says, "Love is like the sea." It's uh movin' thing, but still and all, it takes its shape from de shore it meets, and it's different with every shore" (Hurston 191). Janie says this is monumental because it shows her understanding of love now and how different it can be depending on the relationship. Her analogy of love to the sea illustrates her maturity and the growth she's had since the beginning of the novel. Her journey towards being independent and learning what she deserves both in a relationship and outside of one reflects back on her connection with the pear tree from the