their eyes were watching god hl essay

Their Eyes Were Watching God

Zora neale hurston, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Their Eyes Were Watching God focuses on the experiences of Janie Crawford , a beautiful and determined fair-skinned black woman living in the American South. The novel begins when Janie returns to Eatonville, Florida after having left for a significant amount of time. She is met by the judgmental gossiping of Eatonville's townspeople, whose conversations focus on the fact that Janie had left town with a young man named Tea Cake . Amidst their gossiping, Janie's friend Pheoby Watson stands up for Janie and goes to greet her friend. Janie tells Pheoby her life story, including what happened in the time since she initially left Eatonville, which is the story of the rest of the novel.

Janie spends her childhood being brought up by her grandmother Nanny , a former slave who, despite her controlling nature, has only the best intentions for her granddaughter. Before buying a new home for herself and her granddaughter, Nanny raises Janie in the backyard home of Mr. and Mrs. Washburn , a friendly white couple whom Nanny began working for after she was granted freedom. Nanny wishes for Janie to find improved social standing and financial security in life, and so when she sees Janie kissing a boy she quickly arranges for Janie to marry the wealthy farmer Logan Killicks.

Janie is not content with her marriage to Logan Killicks, but hopefully wishes that she will grow to love Logan. Unfortunately, her hopes are instead met by abuse by Logan, whom she feels treats her as an animal. Thankfully, one day Janie meets the handsome and ambitious Jody Starks , who courts her and eventually encourages her to run away from Logan. Janie complies, they marry, and head off together to Eatonville, Florida.

In Eatonville, Jody seeks political power and entrepreneurial control over the town, becoming both the mayor and the owner of the main store in town. Janie feels love for Jody at the very early stages of their relationship, but ultimately comes to feel stifled by his desire for control and power – especially because he regards Janie as nothing more than an accessory to all of his success.

Jody eventually becomes ill and his treatment of Janie worsens along with his deteriorating health. Finally, Janie speaks up for herself and Jody violently beats her in front of everyone in the store. While Jody is on his deathbed, Janie ceases to be silent, and tells Jody all about how terrible he made and makes her feel. Soon after these conversations, Jody dies.

Following Jody's funeral, Janie does not feel as though she is in a state of mourning, but instead feels free and excited about her life and fulfilling her dreams for the first time in decades. She begins to wear her hair down – not in the mandatory head rag Jody made her wear – and white clothing, to alert potential suitors to her new availability. One day while Janie is working in Jody's former store, a handsome young man named Tea Cake walks in, flirts with Janie and invites her to play checkers with him. Despite Janie's initial ambivalence, she is charmed and spends the rest of the evening with Tea Cake. Because of Tea Cake's younger age and lower social status, the townspeople worry about Janie going out with him, but Janie disregards their judgment and listens to her feelings instead. She and Tea Cake eventually run off together to the Everglades and get married.

Janie and Tea Cake's married life together in the Everglades (or "the muck") is not perfect: he steals money from her, whips her once to assert power over her, and wrestles playfully with another girl in town named Nunkie . A woman in town named Mrs. Turner causes tension in their marriage, too, as she repeatedly tells Janie to leave Tea Cake for her lighter-skinned brother, demonstrating tremendously racist views. That said, Janie feels better with Tea Cake than she had felt with either of her other husbands: Tea Cake treats her as an equal and their marriage is built on authentic love and mutual respect. In the muck, they have many friends and host frequent informal parties at their home.

Their happy life in the muck comes to an end one day a massive hurricane hits the area. During the storm, a rabid dog attacks Tea Cake and infects him with the disease. At first, Tea Cake is unaware of his condition, but quickly worsens and begins to go mad. Janie calls for a doctor who tells her of his disease, but assures the worried Janie that he will send for medicine. Janie realizes, however, that in his ill and manic state, Tea Cake has convinced himself of Janie's infidelity, and has been hiding a loaded pistol beneath his pillow. Janie is forced to kill Tea Cake in order to save her own life. She is brought to court, but found innocent by an all white, male jury after delivering a heartfelt testimony about her true love for Tea Cake.

At the end of the novel, Janie returns to Eatonville – this return is the point at which the novel starts – and concludes her story to Pheoby. Despite her sadness about Tea Cake's death, Janie tells her friend that she is happy to be back, now feeling that she has reached the horizon and has access to her dreams. Tea Cake, Janie feels, is still a presence in her life, as their love provided her with the fulfillment of her desire for a voice and a sense of independence, things she had never known before him.

Their Eyes Were Watching God Zora Neale Hurston

Their Eyes Were Watching God literature essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Their Eyes Were Watching God.

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Their Eyes Were Watching God Essays

The importance of dreams laura lee, their eyes were watching god.

Throughout the history of black American culture, the pursuit of dreams has played a pivotal role in self-fulfillment and internal development. In many ways an individual's reactions to the perceived and real obstacles barring the path to a dream...

Getting in Touch with the Feminine Side Judd Salamat

In 1937, upon the first publication of Their Eyes Were Watching God, the most influential black writer of his time, Richard Wright, stated that the novel ìcarries no theme, no message, [and] no thought.î Wrightís powerful critique epitomized a...

Living for Yourself in Their Eyes Were Watching God Theoderek Wayne

Through Janie's growth from a girl so far removed from any identity that she doesn't know her own race, to a woman strong enough to return to her hometown that wants nothing more than to revel in her miseries, Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were...

Their Eyes Were Watching God: Double Consciousness as an Indicator of Growth Meagan Bass

Zora Neale Hurston's novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, utilizes a struggle W.E.B. Du Bois describes as "double consciousness" to chart the journey of Janie Crawford into selfhood. In "The Souls of Black Folk," Du Bois describes African...

A Voice of Abandonment Emily Flynn

In Zora Neale Hurston's novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie is encouraged to develop her own personality throughout the book, and she is forced into constant movement down roads after being abandoned by her grandmother and her three...

Uses of Metonymy in Their Eyes Were Watching God Anonymous

In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston uses metonymy several times in order to express motifs which appear throughout the novel. For instance, one of the clearest examples of metonymy, the porch, appears as a whole or general entity,...

The Alpha Female Aaron Chan

The Alpha Female

Zora Neale Hurston's 1937 novel Their Eyes Were Watching God shows the Southern black women not as the weak and submissive slaves of their husbands, but rather, Eyes traces the development of Janie as the independent black woman....

Nature's Role in Their Eyes Were Watching God Anonymous

"It [the tiny bloom] had called her to come and gaze on a mystery. From barren brown stems to glistening leaf-buds; from the leaf-buds to snowy virginity of bloom. It stirred her tremendously" (13). Zora Neale Hurston, an African-American author,...

Community and Identity Justin Hamilton

Over the course Zora Neale Hurston's novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie resides in several communities, each of which play an important role in the story, and serve as essential influences on Janie's life. At different stages in her life,...

The Use of Name Significance in Their Eyes Were Watching God Zachary Isaac Goldman

With their significance ranging from one’s place of origin to one’s occupation, last names have been used to distinguish and describe individuals for centuries. In the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston, the author, experiments...

In Search of Voice Abraham G Berhane

As the old adage goes, it is not what one says, but how they say it that matters most. In Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, the novel’s protagonist, Janie Crawford, is immersed in a journey to establish her voice and,...

The Sound of Silence Benjamin Keni Cook Piiru

In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neal Hurston uses language as a tool to show the progression of the story. Throughout the novel, Hurston uses a narrative style that is split between poetic literary prose and the vernacular of Southern...

Finding True Love in Their Eyes Were Watching God Laura Jean Kepko

The novel Their Eyes Were Watching God is a story of one woman’s growth as a person physically, emotionally, and intellectually while on a journey for life fulfillment. Throughout the novel a theme illustrating the value of finding true love and...

Mules in Their Eyes Were Watching God Anonymous

When Nanny tells her young, naïve granddaughter Janie Crawford, “de nigger woman is de mule uh de world so fur as Ah can see,” (14) she is merely setting the stage for a number of connections between humans and animals that communicate Hurston’s...

The Multiple Meanings of "Their" in Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God Anonymous 10th Grade

In Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, Hurston leaves part of the title ambiguous and therefore open to interpretation. Throughout the novel, the characters mention or allude to God, or a “god.” The multiple meanings of the word “...

Love in Their Eyes Were Watching God Anonymous 12th Grade

In Zora Neale Hurston’s novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, the reader sees one character’s journey towards figuring out love. Janie Crawford, the protagonist, deciphers through experience what love actually is. Through her text, Hurston...

Folklore in Their Eyes Were Watching God Anonymous 12th Grade

Zora Neale Hurston wrote Their Eyes Were Watching God in seven weeks while she was in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, researching the country’s major voodoo gods and studying as an initiate under the tutelage of Haiti’s most well-known Voodoo hougans...

Hurston's and Larsen's Commentary on Racial Loyalty Foster Cheng College

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston and Passing by Nella Larsen both feature black females as their main characters. Hurston’s novel follows a woman named Janie through her life, while Larsen’s follows Clare, a black woman who...

New Voices in the Harlem Renaissance Wei Dai College

Despite disparities in the poetic styles of Sterling Brown and Arna Bontemps, each author was equally effective in conveying the “new voice” of the black American during the Harlem Renaissance. The idea of a more suitable expression for African...

“Hope, Hopelessness and Despair”: An Analysis of Realism, Naturalism and Romanticism in Their Eyes Were Watching God Abbey Crowley 10th Grade

The 1930s: a pivotal point in the birth of literary modernism. After Sigmund Freud’s publication of studies of human emotion through psychoanalysis in the early 1900s, writing was forever changed. Authors added masks of character development...

Women’s Empowerment: Their Eyes Were Watching God and Love Medicine Anonymous College

In the novels Their Eyes Were Watching God and Love Medicine , Hurston and Erdrich (respectively) use the characterization of the women to promote women’s empowerment and self-fulfillment. Lulu can be seen within Erdrich’s work as the...

Nanny, Leafy, and Strength over Slavery in Their Eyes Were Watching God Anonymous College

Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God follows Janie Crawford’s journey through three marriages and her search for freedom, independence, and love through black womanhood in the 20th century. In the beginning of the novel, Hurston,...

Hurston and Her Novel's Critics: Racism, the Harlem Renaissance, and the Disputed Merits of The Eyes Were Watching God Rochelle Ann Maloney College

“The sensory sweep of her novel carries no theme, no message, no thought. In the main, her novel is not addressed to the Negro, but to a white audience whose chauvinistic tastes she knows how to satisfy” – Richard Wright.

Although Zora Neale...

Sore Must Be The Storm That Could Abash the Little Bird': Janie’s Perseverance in Their Eyes Were Watching God Anonymous College

The novel Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neal Hurston is known for being a prominent piece of feminist literature. It is full of recurring symbols and metaphors, which Hurston uses as an outlet to express her most important messages. She...

The Layers of “Their Eyes were Watching God”

This essay about “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston provides an insightful overview of the novel’s exploration of Janie Crawford’s life and her quest for self-discovery amidst the societal constraints of the early 20th century South. Highlighting Janie’s journey through her relationships, particularly with Logan Killicks, Joe Starks, and Tea Cake, the essay discusses themes of love, independence, race, and gender. Hurston’s use of lyrical prose, southern dialect, and a nonlinear narrative enriches the storytelling, emphasizing the cultural richness of African-American life. The climax of Janie’s story, set against a devastating hurricane, symbolizes life’s unpredictable challenges and her eventual self-realization and empowerment. The essay concludes by reflecting on the novel’s enduring messages of hope, resilience, and the importance of finding one’s own voice, making “Their Eyes Were Watching God” a timeless piece that resonates with readers across generations.

How it works

Zora Neale Hurston’s magnum opus, “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” stands as a towering work in the American literary canon, offering a vivid exploration of the life of Janie Crawford, an African-American woman navigating her path through love, independence, and self-realization in the early 20th century South. Through the tapestry of Janie’s relationships and experiences, Hurston delves into themes of race, gender, and the search for identity, making the novel not only a profound personal journey but also a critical commentary on the societal constraints of the time.

At the heart of the novel is Janie’s quest for her own voice. Orphaned at a young age and raised by her grandmother, Janie is thrust into a world where her worth is often predicated on her relationships with men. Her first marriage, arranged by her grandmother to an older farmer named Logan Killicks, is devoid of love and represents security and social expectation rather than personal fulfillment. It is Janie’s subsequent marriages—to Joe Starks, a charismatic entrepreneur who offers an escape into a world of influence and respect, and later to Tea Cake, a younger man who embodies love and freedom—that become the crucible for her self-discovery.

Hurston’s narrative technique—a blend of lyrical prose, southern dialect, and a nonlinear timeline—enriches the storytelling, providing both a window into Janie’s soul and a reflection of the cultural tapestry of the African-American South. The use of vernacular speech not only authenticates the characters’ experiences but also challenges the literary norms of Hurston’s time, celebrating the richness of Black culture and dialogue.

The climax of Janie’s journey—and the novel—occurs in the wake of a devastating hurricane in the Everglades, where Janie and Tea Cake have built a life together. This natural disaster, a metaphor for the unpredictable and often destructive forces of life, tests the limits of human endurance and resilience. In the aftermath, Janie faces profound loss but emerges with a deeper understanding of her strength and agency. It is through this trial by fire that Janie realizes her self-worth is not tethered to anyone else but lies within her own spirit and determination.

Returning to Eatonville, the predominantly Black town where she once reigned as the mayor’s wife, Janie comes full circle. She returns not to seek validation from the townsfolk, who are quick to gossip and judge, but to bask in the peace of her own self-acceptance. In her recounting to her friend Pheoby, Janie passes on not just the events of her life but the wisdom gained through her struggles and triumphs. This act of storytelling is a testament to the power of voice and narrative to heal, connect, and empower.

“Their Eyes Were Watching God” is more than a mere chronicle of Janie Crawford’s life; it is a resonant exploration of the human condition. Hurston’s work challenges the reader to consider the intersections of race, gender, and identity, and the often-painful journey toward self-realization. In Janie, Hurston creates not just a character but a symbol of hope and the enduring strength of the human spirit. Through her journey, Janie teaches us that even within the confines of societal expectations and hardships, one can find a voice, and with it, a sense of self that is unshakeable.

In conclusion, Zora Neale Hurston’s “Their Eyes Were Watching God” is a testament to the transformative power of love and the resilience of the human spirit. Through Janie’s journey, Hurston not only crafts a narrative that is deeply personal but also one that speaks to the universal quest for autonomy, dignity, and fulfillment. It is a novel that remains as relevant and powerful today as it was upon its publication, continuing to inspire readers with its message of hope, empowerment, and the unyielding pursuit of one’s own voice.

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Their Eyes Were Watching God

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A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

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Chapters 1-4

Chapters 5-8

Chapters 9-13

Chapters 14-17

Chapters 18-20

Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Discussion Questions

Compare Janie’s three marriages. How does each relationship shape her understanding of herself? How does each advance her quest for the love she envisioned beneath the pear tree?

Discuss the different types of discourse in the novel. How do these versions of English add to characterization and play off each other?

Consider the novel’s structure. Why does Hurston relate Janie’s story in an embedded narrative? What does the narrative frame add to the reader’s experience of the novel?

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84 Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best their eyes were watching god topic ideas & essay examples, 📌 most interesting their eyes were watching god topics to write about, 👍 good research topics about their eyes were watching god, ❓ their eyes were watching god essay questions.

• Tea Cake and Janie in Their Eyes Were Watching God – an Integral Character The role of Tea Cake remains to be crucial in the story as well as in the whole life of Janie as his passion, creativity, and desire to create the best living conditions promote safety […]
• The Life of Zora Neale Hurston As Hurston later glorifies in her literary works, the town was the first to offer African Americans the chance to live freely and independent of the Whites, as they desired. We will write a custom essay specifically for you by our professional experts 808 writers online Learn More
• Jody Sparks in Hurston’s “Their Eyes Were Watching God” Joe’s entry into Janie’s life is at an appropriate moment, since Janie is on the verge of breaking up with her former husband due to mistreatment, and Joe creates the opportunity that Janie has been […]
• Their Eyes Were Watching God: Summary, Main Themes, and Evaluation In this essay, the summary of the narrative and description of the main characters and themes will be provided. The protagonist of the story, Janie Crawford, is a very na ve and dreamy girl who […]
• Zora Neale Hurston: Their Eyes Were Watching God One of the peculiar features of the work is the form chosen by the author. Just like a mule, Janie is forced to work in the field with her husband.
• One Woman’s Search for her Self-Identity. A Review of Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston Janie’s maturity of voice is a direct indicator of her inner growth, and the activities at the courtroom may be plotted too much as to draw the parallels in her inner self.
• Review of “Their Eyes Were Watching God” Book The paper will discuss how Hurston exemplifies the Harlem movement in her book.’Their Eyes Were Watching God is an award-winning novel first published in the late 1930s and is considered one of the classics of […]
• Identity in Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God In the story, the author offered a comprehensive discussion of identity, its elements, importance, and relation to modernism. These two elements contribute to the fact that a person has a particular position in society, and […]
• Janie’s Search for Her Freedom and Independence in Their Eyes Were Watching God by Z. N. Hurston Though Janie does not feel her duty to clear out herself, she explains the story of her life to her friend. The reader observes the development of Janie’s character and the changes in her attitude […]
• African American Studies. “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Hurston Janie’s appreciation of her independence is depicted when she refuses to be bound to Logan for the rest of her life because of material things.
• “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora N. Hurston When Janie decides to move in with Tea Cake, she secretly conceals two hundred dollars in her shirt pocket, and fears to reveal the secret to Tea Cake. Tea Cake’s role in the novel is […]
• The Use of Symbolism and Metaphors in “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Hurston
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• The Significance of the Blue Dress in Hurston’s “Their Eyes Were Watching God” and “Seraph on the Suwa”
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• What It Was Like to Live as a Black Woman in Zora Neale Hurston’s “Their Eyes Were Watching God”
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• The Problem of the Female: Marriage and “Sistergirl” Relationships in Zora Neale Hurston’s “Their Eyes Were Watching God”
• The Use of Southern Language and Dialect in “Their Eyes Were Watching God”
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• Voice and Language in “Their Eyes Were Watching God”
• The Role of Female as Explored in “The House of Mirth” and “Their Eyes Were Watching God”
• The Discrimination of Blacks by Whites in the Novel “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston
• Zora Hurston’s “Their Eyes Were Watching God” as a Creation Story
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• The Concept of Idea in “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston
• The Value of Silence in “Their Eyes Were Watching God”
• The Maturity of Janie Through Her Marriage to Logan Killicks in “Their Eyes Were Watching God”
• The Use of Clothing in the Novel “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston
• The Theme of Friendship in Hurston’s “Their Eyes Were Watching God”
• Universal Themes of Womanhood Nora Zeale Hurston’s “Their Eyes Were Watching God”
• Women’s Inferiority to Men in “Their Eyes Were Watching God”
• Use of Metaphors in “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Hurston
• The Effects of Attitudes in “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston
• The Human Nature’s Quest for Happiness in “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston
• Wright’s Critiques on Hurston’s “Their Eyes Were Watching God”
• The Need for Power and Recognition of Joe in “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston
• The Imagery of Creation Myths in “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston
• Using Vernacular to Reflect Self Image in Zora Neale Hurston’s “Their Eyes Were Watching God”
• In What Ways Does Janie Violate Typical Gender Boundaries in “Their Eyes Were Watching God”?
• How Does Janie Develop Her Ideas of Love in “Their Eyes Were Watching God”?
• Why Do People Today Love “Their Eyes Were Watching God”?
• How Does Love Influence Our Lives in the Story of “Their Eyes Were Watching God”?
• What Are Traditional Stereotypes of Men and Women in “Their Eyes Were Watching God”?
• In What Ways Does Janie Fit the Typical Feminine Stereotype in “Their Eyes Were Watching God”?
• Is “Their Eyes Were Watching God” Primarily an Anti-Racism Novel?
• How Does Janie’s Identity Vacillate Between White and Black Factions in “Their Eyes Were Watching God”?
• To What Extent Is Janie’s Life Already Determined at Birth in “Their Eyes Were Watching God”?
• How Did Slaves’ Positions as a Sub-Class, Those Not Considered Human at All, Affect Nanny’s Outlook on Life?
• Does Joe Succeed in Achieving His Goals in “Their Eyes Were Watching God”?
• Why Does Janie Feel So Trapped in Her First Two Marriages in “Their Eyes Were Watching God”?
• How Is Race Generally Linked to Class in “Their Eyes Were Watching God”?
• Why Is Janie Happy Living With the Lowest of the Low Social Classes – The Migrant Workers in the Everglades?
• What Is the Significance of the Title “Their Eyes Were Watching God” to the Novel?
• Does Tea Cake Free Janie or Is It Just the Escape From Her First Two Husbands in “Their Eyes Were Watching God”?
• Why Did Hurston Include Mrs. Turner in “Their Eyes Were Watching God”?
• How Is Death Associated With Freedom, Especially in Janie’s Last Two Marriages in “Their Eyes Were Watching God”?
• What Does the Idea of the Horizon Symbolize for Janie in “Their Eyes Were Watching God”?
• How Does Janie’s Experience Under the Pear Tree Set Up Her Dreams in “Their Eyes Were Watching God”?
• What Role Does Mrs. Turner Play in “Their Eyes Were Watching God”?
• How Do Janie’s Visions and Hopes for Her Future Differ From the Hopes of Her Peers in “Their Eyes Were Watching God”?
• What Is the Role of the Porch Sitters in “Their Eyes Were Watching God”?
• How Does the Mule’s Treatment in Eatonville Reflect the Condition of the Black Female in “Their Eyes Were Watching God”?
• Is There a Moral in the Novel “Their Eyes Were Watching God”?
• How Does the Porch Work as a Personified Symbol in “Their Eyes Were Watching God”?
• Is Nanny a Sympathetic Character in “Their Eyes Were Watching God”?
• At What Point Does the Division Between Men’s Activities and Women’s Activities Break Down in “Their Eyes Were Watching God”?
• Who Does the Pronoun in the Title Refer to in “Their Eyes Were Watching God”?
• Is Hurston’s Vision of God Religious or Secular in “Their Eyes Were Watching God”?
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Home — Essay Samples — Sociology — Gender — Argumentative On Their Eyes Were Watching God

Argumentative on Their Eyes Were Watching God

• Categories: Gender Race

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Words: 621 |

Published: Mar 19, 2024

Words: 621 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Table of contents

Introduction, love as a catalyst for personal growth, marriages of conformity, true love and self-expression, navigating racial boundaries, challenging social hierarchy, janie's journey: a symbol of resistance.

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