preview

Invisible Man Comparative Essay

Decent Essays

Their Eyes Were Watching God and Invisible Man Essay

Life has never been easy for African-Americans. Since this country's formation, the African-American culture has been scorned, disrespected and degraded. It wasn't until the middle of the 21st century that African-American culture began to be looked upon in a more tolerant light.
This shift came about because of the many talented
African-American writers, actors, speakers and activists who worked so hard to gain respect for themselves and their culture. Two writers were on the front lines of this movement, Zora Neale Hurston and Ralph Ellison. Their novels, Invisible Man and Their Eyes Were Watching God, probed deeply into the life and culture …show more content…

At the end of each novel, neither Janie nor Invisible Man are as happy as they'd like to be. But, both novels focus not on the bittersweet end, but rather what the characters learned before they reached the end. Janie realized that her strength was in herself and her pride, with or without Tea Cake. And Invisible Man realized that "My problem was that I always tried to go in everyone's way but my own" (pg. 573), and so took to hibernation, to "shake off the old skin" and start living a life he could be proud of." In the end, despite some dissatisfaction, both characters knew who they were and how to pursue the happiness they craved. By using these two themes, both Hurston and Ellison took a dramatic leap of faith. These themes add the uniqueness and non-conformism of the stories themselves.
Neither Hurston nor Ellison hid any part of their culture to be politically correct; this fact is especially visible in the authors use of diction in their novels. In Their
Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston employs slang and colloquial language throughout the novel. In fact, almost half of the novel is in this form. An excellent example of this writing style is found on pg. 87 when Janie says "Ah'm gone tuh de house. Lemme know when dat ol' pee-de-bed is gone and Ah'll be right back." Ellison uses some colloquial diction and slang, but not nearly so

Get Access