The main character in Their Eyes were Watching God struggles constantly with society for self identification. She defies the stereotypical black woman by insisting on independence. Janie Mae Crawford, the main character in Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes were Watching God significantly changes both internally and externally throughout the novel due to her grandmother influence, her relationships with Jody Starks, and her quest for self identity.
Janie’s grandmother was the most influential person on Janie and her dream for Janie was to attain social and financial security. Nanny wanted Janie to “sit on high” by marrying someone that had a good position in the community that could protect her (Page 16). Nanny liked Logan because “Got a house bought and paid for sixty acres uh land right on de big road” (23). Janie’s grandmother dislikes that “De nigger woman is mule uh de world so fur as Ah can see” because she believes that black woman are equal to mules (14). Nanny believes that she is in the lower class because she says, “de white man is de ruler
. . .
Date’s where Ah wuz s’posed to be, but Ah couldn’t recognize dat dark chile as me. So this was a marriage!” this quote shows how Janie compares the blooming pear tree to a marriage (11), The image of the pear tree represents a reciprocal relationship between man and woman that Janie feels she is missing in her marriages. Janie cannot identify herself at the age of six when she says “So when we looked at de picture and everybody got pointed out there wasn’t nobody left except a real dark little girl with long hair standing by Elenanor. He spoke for change and chance” so Janie ran off with Joe (28), The horizon illustrates the mysterious forthcoming that depicts her quest for identity. ” shows how Janie is perplexed about her name. Hurston’s main character in Their Eyes were Watching God made the novel fascinating as she searched for self identity. Janie wants to be a part of the community, however Joe isolates her so she will not became a normal woman in the town. So Ah ast, “Where is me? Ah don’t see me” (9), “Dat’s you, Alphabet, don’t you know yo’ own self? Dey all uster call me Alphabet ‘cause so many people had done named me different names.
Janie’s pursuit for self identity is parallel to the African-American’s search for their own culture by protecting their oral traditions. Janie, the main character, in Their Eyes were Watching God struggles constantly with society for self identification. She had been getting ready for her great journey to the horizons in search of people, it was important to all the world that she should find them and they find her.
Joe changed Janie significantly throughout their relationship. ” shows how Janie has rejected her old values and she is looking for independence (89),
Janie changes during childhood as she seeks for her self identity. The pear tree reveals Janie’s self development during the early years of her life.
Approximate Word count =
715
Approximate Pages =
3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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