The Collection—Biographical Connections
1. Zora Neale Hurston was born in Notasulga, Alabama on January 7th 1891 ("Zora Neale Hurston Biography”).
2. Hurston was three years old when her family moved to Eatonville, Florida, the first all-African American town in the US ("Zora Neale Hurston”).
3. Farther along in Hurston’s life, her father became the mayor of Eatonville ("Zora Neale Hurston”).
4. In 1939 Hurston married Albert Price, a man 25 years her junior. Their marriage ended seven months after it began ("Zora Neale Hurston”).
5. In 1948 Hurston was accused of molesting a 10-year-old boy. She was able to provide evidence that she was not in the country at the time that the incident occurred, but she suffered significantly because of the …show more content…
Their Eyes Were Watching God explores these effects through Janie’s three different marriages. In marriages, women were expected to be silent and obedient wives to their dominant and controlling husbands. All three of Janie’s marriages exemplify the effects gender roles can have on a relationship. A major theme that Hurston explores throughout her novel are the effects and influences gender roles have on men and women. The impact gender roles had on Nanny lead to Janie’s first marriage with a man named Logan Killicks. Nanny arranged Janie’s marriage with this man because she saw Janie kissing a boy named Johnny Taylor. She saw this kiss as a threat to the future well-being and security of Janie. “‘…Ah don’t want no trashy nigger, no breath-and-britches, lak Johnny Taylor usin’ yo body to wipe his foots on’” (Hurston 17). Nanny believed that the only way for a woman to be secure and successful was to be married to a strong, stable man that could provide for his wife. This belief stemmed from the set gender roles Nanny had grown up being taught. Nanny’s belief in these ideals negatively affected her relationship with Janie since those beliefs are the reason she married Janie off to Logan …show more content…
Although he was significantly younger than her, he treated her with an equality that no other man had before. “Tea Cake in a borrowed car teaching Janie to drive. Tea Cake and Janie playing checkers …” (Hurston 147-148). Eventually the two got married and move to the Everglades where Janie often worked in the field with Tea Cake. Unlike Jody, he doesn’t silence her but encourages her to be her own person. Though their marriage is not dominated by gender roles, they still have an effect on their relationship. Mrs. Turner’s brother, a man she had been trying to set Janie up with, came into town one day. Tea Cake, in his need to reassure himself that she was still his and he still had control over her, slapped Janie around. “Being able to whip her reassured him in possession” (Hurston 196). Due to the gender roles ingrained in him Tea Cake took to hitting Janie to show control instead of talking with her. This incident exemplified that even men who believed women were more of their equal still were deeply affected by the gender roles ingrained in
1. Zora Neale Hurston was born in Notasulga, Alabama on January 7th 1891 ("Zora Neale Hurston Biography”).
2. Hurston was three years old when her family moved to Eatonville, Florida, the first all-African American town in the US ("Zora Neale Hurston”).
3. Farther along in Hurston’s life, her father became the mayor of Eatonville ("Zora Neale Hurston”).
4. In 1939 Hurston married Albert Price, a man 25 years her junior. Their marriage ended seven months after it began ("Zora Neale Hurston”).
5. In 1948 Hurston was accused of molesting a 10-year-old boy. She was able to provide evidence that she was not in the country at the time that the incident occurred, but she suffered significantly because of the …show more content…
Their Eyes Were Watching God explores these effects through Janie’s three different marriages. In marriages, women were expected to be silent and obedient wives to their dominant and controlling husbands. All three of Janie’s marriages exemplify the effects gender roles can have on a relationship. A major theme that Hurston explores throughout her novel are the effects and influences gender roles have on men and women. The impact gender roles had on Nanny lead to Janie’s first marriage with a man named Logan Killicks. Nanny arranged Janie’s marriage with this man because she saw Janie kissing a boy named Johnny Taylor. She saw this kiss as a threat to the future well-being and security of Janie. “‘…Ah don’t want no trashy nigger, no breath-and-britches, lak Johnny Taylor usin’ yo body to wipe his foots on’” (Hurston 17). Nanny believed that the only way for a woman to be secure and successful was to be married to a strong, stable man that could provide for his wife. This belief stemmed from the set gender roles Nanny had grown up being taught. Nanny’s belief in these ideals negatively affected her relationship with Janie since those beliefs are the reason she married Janie off to Logan …show more content…
Although he was significantly younger than her, he treated her with an equality that no other man had before. “Tea Cake in a borrowed car teaching Janie to drive. Tea Cake and Janie playing checkers …” (Hurston 147-148). Eventually the two got married and move to the Everglades where Janie often worked in the field with Tea Cake. Unlike Jody, he doesn’t silence her but encourages her to be her own person. Though their marriage is not dominated by gender roles, they still have an effect on their relationship. Mrs. Turner’s brother, a man she had been trying to set Janie up with, came into town one day. Tea Cake, in his need to reassure himself that she was still his and he still had control over her, slapped Janie around. “Being able to whip her reassured him in possession” (Hurston 196). Due to the gender roles ingrained in him Tea Cake took to hitting Janie to show control instead of talking with her. This incident exemplified that even men who believed women were more of their equal still were deeply affected by the gender roles ingrained in