Zora Neale Hurston’s book, Their Eyes Were Watching God, has powerful messages that convey how strong she was and how she overcame adversity to obtain the American Dream. She influenced many soon-to-be writers and people because of her notorious attitude to never give up or have peoples sinister words bring her down. She strived to be a significant leader (unlike most of the trivial people she knew). Zora’s eventful past was infused with memories, lessons, and pain to make her the person she was. Without those experiences she would have never influenced this many people through her words, actions, books, or attitude. Zora always took pride in her heritage regardless of what people said or thought about them: such as “the mule of
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She effected writers and people so they could be proud of who they are and speak their minds. Zora provides the reader with the theme of pride in her book Their Eyes Were Watching God. In the book the nanny talks about a deeper meaning to pride in human spirit as she explains to Janie that black man are not dominant. She says, “nothing can stop you from wishin” (Hurston 16), she want Janie to follow her dreams even if people say it is only for white man. When Janie finds out that Tea Cake is dead she “couldn’t imagine it was really happening” (Hurston 178), Janie looks up “into the sky and hopes to God it wouldn’t be true” (Hurston 178), Janie’s worst nightmare is happening and all she can do is pray and know that Tea Cake will be out of his excruciating pain and be in heaven. This parallels to Zora’s life because even though her mother died, she had to mature at a young age and know things can only get better from here on. Race is a major theme in Their Eyes Were Watching God. When the black man got home and the sun goes down it was “time to near things and talk… the sitters had been tongueless, eyeless, and earless” (Hurston 1), being criticized was how they felt when the sun was up so they did not speak, nor did they look at any of the white man, but at the end of the day it was time for them to speak they way they wanted to. Zora and Janie resemble each other because like Zora, Janie is very prideful in her dreams and aspirations but her husband Logan said, “heah, ah just as good as take you de white folks kitchen…” (Hurston 31), Logan is telling her that she is having pride in the wrong thing because that’s the white peoples job. Through out the whole book there is hope no matter what situation is embarked upon: just like Zora’s life. Nanny hopes that “maybe its some place way off in da ocean where da black man is in power” (Hurston 14) where they can live equally and not
She effected writers and people so they could be proud of who they are and speak their minds. Zora provides the reader with the theme of pride in her book Their Eyes Were Watching God. In the book the nanny talks about a deeper meaning to pride in human spirit as she explains to Janie that black man are not dominant. She says, “nothing can stop you from wishin” (Hurston 16), she want Janie to follow her dreams even if people say it is only for white man. When Janie finds out that Tea Cake is dead she “couldn’t imagine it was really happening” (Hurston 178), Janie looks up “into the sky and hopes to God it wouldn’t be true” (Hurston 178), Janie’s worst nightmare is happening and all she can do is pray and know that Tea Cake will be out of his excruciating pain and be in heaven. This parallels to Zora’s life because even though her mother died, she had to mature at a young age and know things can only get better from here on. Race is a major theme in Their Eyes Were Watching God. When the black man got home and the sun goes down it was “time to near things and talk… the sitters had been tongueless, eyeless, and earless” (Hurston 1), being criticized was how they felt when the sun was up so they did not speak, nor did they look at any of the white man, but at the end of the day it was time for them to speak they way they wanted to. Zora and Janie resemble each other because like Zora, Janie is very prideful in her dreams and aspirations but her husband Logan said, “heah, ah just as good as take you de white folks kitchen…” (Hurston 31), Logan is telling her that she is having pride in the wrong thing because that’s the white peoples job. Through out the whole book there is hope no matter what situation is embarked upon: just like Zora’s life. Nanny hopes that “maybe its some place way off in da ocean where da black man is in power” (Hurston 14) where they can live equally and not