Reflection Of Since My GRE Test, By Zora Neale Hurston

Throughout the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston, there is an ongoing story of how Janie, the main character, grows up and deals with the many challenges life throws at her in her quest for her “Horizons”. A horizon is a metaphor for one’s ambitions, hopes and dreams. To be truly happy, one must conceive their own horizons, explore them and embrace them. Janie’s “horizons” evolve throughout the novel, starting as limited and socially determined, moving towards being expansive, individualized, and fully realized.

Zora Neale Hurston, known as one of the most symbolic African American women during the Harlem Renaissance in the 1930’s. Hurston was known as a non fiction writer, anthropologist and folklorist. Hurston’s literature has served as a big eye opener during the Harlem Renaissance, celebrating black dialect and their traditions. Most of her published stories “depict relationships among black residents in her native southern Florida, was largely unconcerned with racial injustices” (Bomarito 89). Hurston was unique when it came to her racial point of views, promoting white racism instead of black racism. Even though her works had been forgotten by the time of her death, now her literature has left a bigger impact to future literature

Zora Neale Hurston is a trailblazer. Back then people ridiculed her, but she felt the pride and dignity within herself. She was seen as an African-American grandmother in many images of black women writers (Showalter 221). Her talent for African-American literature excited the new readers who were constantly reading her literary works (“Hurston,” Feminist). Occasionally, both black and white supporters reviewed her books (McKay). She demonstrates a larger pattern of white American culture to be substantially inspiring in her interest with politics (“Hurston,” Authors). The works of Hurston would affect on her literary work that is shared through others. Understanding Zora Neale Hurston’s typical themes and concerns in her body of literary

     Zora Neale Hurston was a phenomenal woman. At the height of her success she was known as the “Queen of the Harlem Renaissance.” She came to overcome obstacles that were placed in front of her. Hurston rose from poverty to fame and lost it all at the time of her death. Zora had an unusual life; she was a child that was forced to grow up to fast. But despite Zora Neale Hurston’s unsettled life, she managed to surmount every obstacle to become one of the most profound authors of the century.

She uses idealistic examples and real world situations to get the best realistic interpretation on the matter of the harlem renaissance. This novel also is a great way to learn and understand the importance of women's roles and rights during the harlem renaissance era for the black/african american women. All in all, Hurston’s depiction of the harlem renaissance reflects and departs the major topics and does so

Purpose- Hurston’s purpose is to demonstrate that she is proud of her color. She does not need the bragging rights of having Native American ancestry, nor does she ‘belong to the sobbing school of Negrohood who hold that nature somehow has given them a lowdown dirty deal and whose feelings are all hurt about it.’

Hurston makes a prominent statement that she was not born colored; she became colored over the course of her life due to her experiences. She places emphasis on the distinction between her “colored” self and her “unlabeled” self by making it clear to that reader that race is learned, not innate. Hurston’s essay includes various situations that made her aware of her race due to the racist attitudes she experienced. Growing up she was “everybody’s Zora,” which implies that she viewed herself no different than her white counterpart (Hurston). “During this period, white people differed from colored to me only in that they rode through town and never lived there” (Hurston). However, this naïve viewpoint changes when Hurston informs the reader that “It seemed that I had suffered a sea change. I was not Zora of Orange County anymore, I was now a little-colored girl. I found it out in certain ways. In my heart as well as in the mirror, I became a fast

During the 1930s there was a time period known as the Harlem Renaissance, during this time African Americans sought a newfound cultural freedom and advancements in social classes. In the novel, Their Eyes Are Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston portrays both similarities and departures from the ideals of the Harlem Renaissance. Hurston uses the main character Janie to illustrate these ideals such as the struggle to find oneself and fight against the opinions of others. In addition Hurston also depicts issues and similarities like African Americans who achieved high social classes and discriminated those below them, racial segregation, but also a new found African American confidence. She also demonstrates departures from the Harlem Renaissance

Instead, she portrays him as being racially whole and emotionally healthy. Hurston didn't want to change the world based on racial movements, she had her own ideas about things. Capturing the essence of Black womanhood was more important to her than social criticism.

Hurston’s opening exposition reveals only partial of what could be the remaining events in the novel. However they do parallel with the theme of an individual versus society. This being said because she has become a product of her environment and her environment has shaped her in many ways as a writer. She was fortunate enough to grow up in a very influential area. She prepares the reader for potential conflict with her environment because her environment is so historic and classic. This usually results in amending one’s behavior or having to comply with the rules of society. But by having read other novels by Hurston one knows that she is not one to agree in compliance and

Hurston enriches our sense of her childhood through diction. Diction is a very important aspect of writing that is used to develop a topic, and is the shaping and seasoning of the author's voice. Diction reflects the writer's vision and steers the reader’s thought. Hurston’s purpose for writing Dust Tracks on a Road was to inform the audience of her childhood, in hopes of teaching the audience a few lessons along the way. The author’s mother teaches her children to “jump at the sun”, meaning to explore any opportunity given to them, and to not be afraid to try something new (Hurston 35). Hurston is also trying to teach the audience that no matter what the past was like, the future will always work itself out. Hurston describes her childhood to the audience in a clear, exact, and simple way. Hurston clearly states her mothers views on “education” and the importance of “being outside and jumping at opportunities” (Hurston 30). The author's father views differ greatly from his wife’s as Hurston says, “I do not know whether he feared for my future, with the tendency I had to stand and give battle, or that he felt a personal reference in Mama’s observation” (Hurston 41). Hurston’s explains in a very direct and straightforward way, “he predicted dire things for me” (Hurston 42). There is a great emphasis placed on the shorter sentence as it is following a much longer sentence. The shorter sentence builds off of the longer sentence as she feels

Hurston prides herself on who she is because of her background. Her identity of being a black woman in a world

Zora Neale Hurston was born on January 7, 1891 in Alabama. She is known to be one of the most influential novelist of the twentieth century in African America literature. Hurston is described to be a very opinionated woman that stood for what she believed in; which reflected in some of her works. In addition to her many titles such as, being an anthropologist and short story writer, she was closely related and heavily focused on the Harlem Renaissance. Zora Neale Hurston and her political opinions placed her at odds with important figures during that time which I wholeheartedly believe played a part in the undeniable attraction that most people have towards her works. Being that Hurston was such a unique writer, to understand the ethics and themes of her and how she contributed to African American literature comes with an understanding of the background and childhood she had.

At the beginning of the essay Hurston opens up with the statement that she is colored and that she offers no extenuating circumstances to the fact except that she is the only Negro in the U.S. whose grandfather was not an Indian chief. She presents a striking notion that she was not born colored, but that she later became colored during her life. Hurston then delves into her childhood in Eatonville, Florida an exclusively colored town where she did not realize her color then. Through anecdotes describing moments when she greeted neighbors, sang and danced in the streets, and viewed her surroundings from a comfortable spot on her porch, she just liked the white tourists going through the town. Back then, she was “everybody’s Zora” (p. 903), free from the alienating feeling of difference. However, when her mother passed away she had to leave home and

Hurston was a talented anthropologist with an excellent grasp of storytelling, her realistic artistical writing and deep love for her community and culture showed with every written word in her literary toolbox. Hurston’s passion for studying human behavior, their beliefs, customs, and humanity has assisted in her unadulterated