Zora Neale Hurston was an influential author who wrote several different novels during her lifetime. One of her most famous books is Their Eyes Were Watching God, which depicts the coming of age of Janie as she experiences a memorable journey with her three marital relationships with Logan Killicks, Jody Starks, and Tea Cake. During the course of the novel, there are a plethora of themes that are conveyed as the protagonist, Janie, searches for the independence she has always been yearning for. One of the most prominent themes that is deeply connected with Janie’s goal for freedom is love; she experiences familial, marital, and lustful love with her relationships in the novel. Love is a powerful thematic subject in the course of Their Eyes
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In order to fulfill Nanny’s wishes of obtaining security and stability through marriage, Janie agrees to marry Logan in the hopes that she will experience true love for him after time has passed in their marriage. Even after time passes, however, she does not feel true love or independence with him as he becomes more controlling and demanding of her; as a result, her desire for independence increases, which is demonstrated when Hurston states that “the familiar people and things failed her, so she hung over the gate and looked up the road towards way off” (Hurston 25). Because Janie is unable to experience true love and happiness with Logan, she does not feel any degree of independence with him, either; essentially, she feels confined and envisions her freedom as being far away and in the distance. Janie does not develop feelings of true love for Logan as she is restricted from experiencing independence in their marriage due to Logan’s constant ordering and control of her. Logan states, “ ‘You ain’t got no particular place. It’s wherever Ah need yuh’ ” (31). As conveyed through Logan’s words when speaking to Janie, it is evident that he does not want Janie to experience independence, which also depicts how he does not feel true love for her. Logan essentially deprives Janie of her freedom with the commands he places on her, increasing …show more content…
During Janie’s lifetime, she experiences many different kinds of love with several different people, whom have made her journey to independence possible. Evidently, there is a progression of love in her marriages between Logan, Jody, and Tea Cake, which have allowed her to partake in her search for freedom. With these different martial relationships, Janie is also able to experience the various aspects of life and grow upon her experiences until she reaches her ultimate goal of obtaining independence and true
In order to fulfill Nanny’s wishes of obtaining security and stability through marriage, Janie agrees to marry Logan in the hopes that she will experience true love for him after time has passed in their marriage. Even after time passes, however, she does not feel true love or independence with him as he becomes more controlling and demanding of her; as a result, her desire for independence increases, which is demonstrated when Hurston states that “the familiar people and things failed her, so she hung over the gate and looked up the road towards way off” (Hurston 25). Because Janie is unable to experience true love and happiness with Logan, she does not feel any degree of independence with him, either; essentially, she feels confined and envisions her freedom as being far away and in the distance. Janie does not develop feelings of true love for Logan as she is restricted from experiencing independence in their marriage due to Logan’s constant ordering and control of her. Logan states, “ ‘You ain’t got no particular place. It’s wherever Ah need yuh’ ” (31). As conveyed through Logan’s words when speaking to Janie, it is evident that he does not want Janie to experience independence, which also depicts how he does not feel true love for her. Logan essentially deprives Janie of her freedom with the commands he places on her, increasing …show more content…
During Janie’s lifetime, she experiences many different kinds of love with several different people, whom have made her journey to independence possible. Evidently, there is a progression of love in her marriages between Logan, Jody, and Tea Cake, which have allowed her to partake in her search for freedom. With these different martial relationships, Janie is also able to experience the various aspects of life and grow upon her experiences until she reaches her ultimate goal of obtaining independence and true