Zora Neale Hurston, the author of Their Eyes Were Watching God, uses symbolism and metaphors, also known as motifs, frequently throughout the novel. Motifs are unifying ideas that are recurrent elements in a literary work, and are used in this novel for numerous reasons. The main reason is that they convey the story's themes and their purposes. A few examples of motifs introduced in Their Eyes Were Watching God include a blossoming pear tree, horizon, death, and spouse abuse. The motifs used by Hurston present the experiences and growth of the main character, Janie.
             An image of a blossoming pear tree is depicted numerous times in the novel. This image creates metaphor for Janie reaching womanhood. Janie is unable to apperceive why the tree affects her so much, creating new feelings that leave her frightened and scared. Both of the pair tree's growth and the changes it undergoes symbolize Janie's transformation and the realization of her hopes and dreams.
             A motif of the horizon appears several times to portray as a symbol of Janie's quest to find happiness. This metaphor is questionably the strongest metaphor presented in the novel, meaning that it has many effects. Many aspects of Janie's life rely on the motif of the horizon. The horizon represents Janie's future and her journey to find love and happiness. While married to Joe Starks, her second husband, the image of the horizon appears while watching the sunset on the porch. The reoccurrence of this image portrays the fact that Janie is not satisfied with the relationship she has with Joe. After Joe's death, Janie goes to the train station at sunrise to meet and marry Tea Cake. The train supports the symbol of Janie's expectation [that it will lead to the horizon]. The principal motif in Their Eyes Were Watching God, the horizon, is created through Janie's experiences in trying to find the future.
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