Summary:
Their Eyes Were Watching God, a novel by Zora Neale Hurston begins with a sharp contrast between men and women, explaining how men's dreams are like ships that "sail forever on the horizon (p.1)," which they watch from the shore but are unobtainable. On the other hand woman know what they want and know their dreams and pursue them.
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Their Eyes Were Watching God, a novel by Zora Neale Hurston begins with a sharp contrast between men and women. Hurston explains how men's dreams are like ships that "sail forever on the horizon (p.1)," which they watch from the shore but are unobtainable. On the other hand woman know what they want and know their dreams and pursue them. The main character of this book, Janie, shows these characteristics of a woman. Janie is a strong willed tough woman who knows what she wants, which also includes knowing what she does not want. The opening vignette of the novel is set in the present time and foreshadows what will happen in the book through characterization and themes.
Hurston utilizes an attention-grabbing quote on the first page of the novel, "This was a woman and she had come back from burying the dead(p.1)." While this quote is not meant to be taken literally it can be hard not to get caught up in its meaning. Even though the reader has no clue that Janie has literally come back from "burying the dead (p.1)," they do not need to know this because it is not the quintessence of this quote. This quote essentially means that Janie has just passed through a stage of life and has left it behind to start anew. While Janie has just come into her old town from years of being away, people mock her and bring her down. They all seem to be jealous about how she still looks great for her age, and because she has come home from an exciting journey while they were all left behind. This chapter also gives the reader a vivid characterization of Janie with her overalls on and he hair down like a "child." This leads the reader to believe that the townspeople do not approve of what she is doing. Some of the townspeople comment that she left in a blue satin dress but returned in overalls. This shows that Janie is comfortable with who she is and what she looks like to the point that she does not need to dress up to look good, this is a theme that Janie has found her true self and is now comfortable with it. This chapter also clues the reader in on her past by mentioning three husbands. First she was married to a man she didn't love, then to a rich man who died and left her money then she marries Tea Cake her one true love. It is learned through the townspeople talking that Tea Cake was much younger that her. Most people seem to think he left her for someone younger, but they do not know the entire story and neither does the reader.
As the reader comes to the last chapter of the book the characterization and themes from the first chapter now have meaning. When Janie finishes telling her life story to her dear friend Pheoby she simply states, "Ah'm satisfied (p.1910)." This quote restates the fact that Janie is satisfied with her life. Janie goes through some rough situations, two husbands dying, but she grows from them. She has truly been in love, with Tea Cake, and can now move on to this new stage of her life and she is happy. Janie is now happy in the house she did not used to like because she can recall happy memories of Tea Cake as she explains, "Ah done been tuh de horizon and back and now Ah kin set heah in mah house and live by comparisons, dis house ain't so absent lak it used tuh be befo' Tea Cake cam along its full of thoughts (p191)." Janie does not just come back older but wiser through all of her trials. Janie explains to Pheoby what she learns about love, life and God. "Love somthin' lak uh grindstone dat's de same thing everywhere and do the same thing tuh everything it touch. Love is lak de sea. It's a movin thing, but still and all it takes its shape from de shore it meets, and its different with every shore (p. 191)." In the quote Janie is expressing another theme, that love is not something that stays the same. Love changes from person to person and from place to place, it is always a new experience like Janie with her three different husbands. At the end of the book Janie is happy. She is happy to be home and happy with her life. She does not morn Tea Cake's death but sees him, "prancing around her (p193)." To Janie Tea Cake is very much alive in her heart.
As the book closes Janie is truly at peace. At peace with the past decisions, at peace with her last stage of life that is ending, and at peace with her new life beginning. "Here was peace. She pulled in her horizon like a great fish-net. Pulled it from around her waist of the world and draped it over he shoulder (p193)." The opening vignette of Their Eyes Were Watching God really does foreshadow what will happen throughout the entire book. Hurston does this through characterization, or explaining the qualities of the main character Janie. Hurston also shows some conflicts between Janie and the townspeople. There are also many themes in the first chapter that foreshadows what will happen in Janie's life. Hurston resolves problems in Janie's life through the peace she feels in the end, and Janie is finally happy.
This is the complete article, containing 920 words
(approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page).
