Their Eyes have been looking God Novel Analysis

Zora Neale Hurston’s novel, Their Eyes have been looking God, is a third man or woman narrative based across the existence of a woman protagonist, Janie Crawford. Having set the radical in early twentieth century southern United States, Hurston is capable of use Janie as an automobile to portray the female roles bounded with the aid of the society of that time. She emphasizes the restraints and rigidity of the social values that Janie overcomes, making her an eyesore amongst her society.

Although Janie is criticized by way of her society, she is visible as a pioneer of female freedom in a patriarchy dominant world.

In place of being repressed through marriage, Janie elopes with numerous men, seeking achievement and happiness until she reveals her perfect. In the novel, Their Eyes have been looking God via Zora Neale Hurston, Janie Crawford changed into ostracized by using her society and peers for her quest to discover a suitable associate, rather than the “proper man’ ?, illustrating the improvement of her tenacity to diverge from the jobs of a conventional southern woman.

First of all, Janie represents a more recent, extra liberal technology in comparison to older ones. As an example, Nanny Crawford, Janie’s grandmother who had lived as a slave, were born, raised and matured in an oppressed environment and way of life. She had lived a majority of her existence beneath the guideline of her slave master. Due to this oppression, she had succumbed to patriarchal rule of society and viewed man as a domineering determine.

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Whilst raising Janie, Nanny Crawford passed alongside her values and beliefs of patriarchy to her granddaughter. Nanny ordered that Janie marry a person that is economically well off, responsible and coming to power in a social hierarchy. This demand sharply contrasts Janie’s carefree and ardour seeking lifestyles, that’s portrayed early on within the novel while Janie is sexually aroused to kiss Johnny Taylor when she is simply 16. Visible as an act of defiance by way of her grandmother, Janie is right now married to Logan Killicks for his personality and lifestyle of a properly-to-do black gentleman.

Even though she is dealt with as a homemaker before everything, Janie is quickly compelled to help Logan at the fields after a horrific harvest, making Janie’s life depressing. Janie is visible expressing her distress to Nanny Crawford when she says, “Ah wishes things sweet wid mah marriage lak whilst you take a seat beneath a pear tree and assume. Ah…” (Hurston, 24). Even as Janie desires her married life to be bettered, as if she has been sitting under a pear tree, enjoying the air and the bees, Nanny encourages her to live with Logan and accept the fact that marriage isn’t always a glad social agreement. Janie defies Nanny’s recommendation and makes a decision to run off with Jody Sparks, a wanderer who promises her a thrilling and indulgent lifestyles. This defiance illustrates how Janie builds confidence to lose herself from the norms of social contracts and values of her time period, although they’re condemned via her circle of relatives and result in alienation from her own family.Janie does not allow marriage manage or suppress her life, because it has achieved to girls at some stage in history.She defies two social stigmas of her time by way of eloping and disobeying her elder.As you’ll see, Hurston highlights Janie’s liberal attitude and rise from patriarchal oppression with the aid of contrasting Janie’s and Nanny’s beliefs and moves concerning marriage with Logan Killicks.

Janie rebels all over again towards the societal bounds on married women as soon as Jody has handed away.Despite the fact that the norms of society count on Janie to mourn the demise of her late husband and keep to live her life as a widow, she falls in love with a brand new guy, Teacake, and ultimately leaves Eatonville to pursue her love.Janie is truely greater spirited after Jody’s demise because she no longer has to uphold the class that came with being married to the mayor of Eatonville.She expresses her newfound independence when she is speaking with Phoeby Watson: “Tain’t dat Ah issues over Joe’s loss of life, Pheoby. Ah jus’ loves dis freedom.” “Sh-sh-sh! Don’t let no one jear you are saying dat, Janie. Oldsters will say you ain’t sorry he’s long past.” “Le ’em say whut dey desires tuh, Pheoby. To my thinkin’ mourning oughtn’t tuh closing not’n grief” (93). Janie perspectives Jody’s dying as emancipation from the dominance he had set up over her.She took gain on her newly won freedom by acts such as letting down her hair, something Jody forbid due to its sexual undertone considering the other adult males on the town.

Also, she rebels in opposition to his wish to be referred to as Jody by relating to him as Joe, symbolizing Janie not being under Jody’s control. Plus, when Janie tells Phoeby that she feels that widows do no longer need to mourn for this kind of long time, suggests that she believes girls do no longer want to live tied right down to a person but rather must maintain to discover joy and satisfaction in their lives even after loss. Ultimately, Janie demonstrates complete estrangement from the societal values that Nanny had embedded into her while she confesses to Pheoby that, she has no purpose of remarrying another “right” guy. This illustrates her new set ideas that price pleasure, love, and freedom over economic security and social fame.Despite the fact that Pheoby suggests to Janie that saying such comments about her husband’s passing might be looked down upon in society, Janie stands by way of her words and pursues her love for Teacake, making her a pariah some of the community of Eatonville.