Their Eyes Were Watching God Argumentative Essay

This essay sample essay on Their Eyes Were Watching God Argumentative Essay offers an extensive list of facts and arguments related to it. The essay’s introduction, body paragraphs and the conclusion are provided below.

The works of Zora Neal Hurston in “Their Eyes Were Watching God” and of F Scott Fitzgerald in “The Great Gatsby” may appear to be very distinct. Yet the characterization that both authors place upon their female leads makes the novels appear similar in a deeper aspect.

In “Their Eyes Were Watching God”, Zora Neal Hurston presents the reader with Janie a strong round and dynamic protagonist. In “The Great Gatsby”, F Scott Fitzgerald introduces us to Daisy a static and flat main character who is essential to the plot of the novel.

Janie is an African American woman living in the South, who grew up during times racism was present and when females were oppressed and subjugated by men, and life for African Americans was very hard and difficult.

Daisy is an upper class, east coast, socialite, who grows up in a time of change marked by the devastating traces that the Great War left behind, and surrounded by a world of sinful passions, immorality, jealousy, and ambition.

Their Eyes Were Watching God Symbolism

As we examine both characters we discover that though they have many differences they are very much alike.

Similarities

Aspirations

Samuel Johnson once said “Some desire is necessary to keep life in motion”. Janie and Daisy both had dreams and aspirations which became at a climatic point the reasons for their being.

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Janie longed to find true love and throughout the novel, Zora Neal Hurston, presented us with her journey in finding her true love which in the end became a journey of self discovery and appreciation. In the second chapter of “Their Eyes Were Watching God”, Janie often sits by a pear tree contemplating the horizon and her dreams. Daisy has dreams and aspirations as well.

She dreams of a luxurious life style and a prominent and stable future that will secure her well being, as it is demonstrated when she chooses to not wait for Gatsby when he is sent to war and instead marries Tom Buchanan, who will fulfills her dreams and ambitions. Later another dream for Daisy will appear which will be getting together with Gatsby again and staring her life over. The dreams of the two women mold and shape the paths that their lives follow, as well as their outcomes and their relationships.

Impact of Men

Another similarity that we can understand from the novels is the fact that both characters are in a way mistreated and used by the men in their lives. Daisy who is sophisticated, graceful, charming and refined becomes the ideal trophy wife for Tom who controls the aspects of her life and knows how to manipulate through her weaknesses such as her ambition as it is represented in the scene where he convinces her into staying with him. Tom also cheats on Daisy and often ignores her. Janie has more to be talked about in this field. When she marries Logan Killicks, he demands that she work the land and dedicate her self to farming. After running away from him she becomes involved with Joe Starks, to whom she becomes a subjugated trophy wife whom he constantly oppresses with his insecurities by making her hide her hair and by whom she is physically and emotionally abused.

Men do not only have a negative aspect in the lives of the two characters, they also bring joy and happiness to them. In the case of Daisy, Gatsby represents an adventurous love that rejuvenates her and gives her new reasons to persevere. He offers Daisy true love and fortune, along with a fresh start. Tea cake is to Janie, what Gatsby is for Daisy. He gives Janie hope and helps her in her path of self discovery. He unlike her other husbands treats her as his equal and truly appreciates not only her physical beauty but her internal beauty and teaches her how to appreciate the true beauty of life.

Role of Women in Society

It is also necessary for me to mention that both women had similar roles in society. Though they were form different social classes, races and eras, they both lacked a strong voice and figure in society as their rights were often overlooked and not taking into full consideration. They lacked equal status and opportunities to men and lived their lives under rigorous and strict patterns that affected the development of their individual voice, which is clearly reflected in both Janie and Daisy. At the time the stories were written at there were no rights for women and they had no institution that supported their cause.

Differences

Strength and Will

Though the women may be similar in many aspects they are also very different in others. Janie is a strong woman. She has a set determination and tenacity to reach her dreams and overcome the obstacles in her way. In “Their Eyes Were Watching God” Daisy manages to not be affected by the negative comments made by her neighbors as she returns to Eatonville after the death of Tea Cake. She is willful enough to take off with Joe and then with Tea Cake and part ways into new adventures. She is also strong enough to resist the beatings that she receives from Joe and she manages to pass the intense trial she is put in for the death of Tea Cake.

Daisy, on the other hand, is not as strong willed and determined as Janie. At points it is easy to compare her to a puppet, as she is constantly manipulated by her husband and always went for her ambition of wealth rather than her true happiness next to Gatsby. She is very gullible and often follows the guidance of others, instead of her own. Unlike Janie, Daisy does not preserve to achieve happiness.

Physical Differences

One of the most obvious differences between the two is their physical appearances. Janie is an African American older woman who in the beginning of “Their Eyes Were Watching God” is described to have a firm buttocks, beautiful long black hair and pugnacious breast. She communicates through dialect and wears overalls. Daisy is refined and carries her self as a lady. She is a bit dizzy and has vague and superficial thoughts. She is white, always has a bored look to her and is shallow.

Expressions

When it comes to showing their emotions and their feelings both women have different ways of doing it. Janie is the kind of person to be open and let all of her feelings show, while Daisy is more introverted with her feelings and sometimes it is questionable if she cares for any one other than her self such as the time when she doesn’t even care for her daughter and treats her as an after thought. Janie seems to be very physical and more descriptive with her feelings as she shows them through her narrative. Daisy is really cold in all of her relationships and the way she interacts with other characters demonstrates her lack of ability to truly interact and make a strong and deep bond with the rest of the characters, other then the superficial and occasional encounters she has with her friends.

Change

One of the biggest differences that these characters have is the change that they go through throughout their novels. By definition Janie is a dynamic character, which means that she changes as a result of conflicts and revelations. She is also a round character who is multi dimensional and has sufficient depth to be understood. Janie goes through a transformation as she embarks on a journey of self discovery and comes to the conclusion that at the end it all comes down to conserving the beautiful memories in ones life.

At the end of “The Great Gatsby” Daisy returns to right where she started, alone and rich but unhappy and miserable. She and Tom make and Nick states that people like them are meant to be together. By definition she would be described as a static character for she remains true to her initial introduction throughout the story. Janie is able to confront her aggressors as she stripped Joe in front of others and gain liberation to a certain extent from that experience, unfortunately Daisy does not.

Conclusion

Zora Neal Hurston and F. Scott Fitzgerald managed to create different yet similar female characters that embrace life and its ups and downs. The authors manage to present the reader with controversial characters that in one way or another break set standards. Janie and Daisy though very different, manage to mirror each other in deep aspects which are visible only to the critical eye.