When God Stood Out To Me Analysis

     One of the most fascinating and unique novels in African American literature is Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, not so much for it's story but for it's beautifully written language. The novel is about the main character, Janie, trying to find herself and the meaning of love. Both Standard English and a southern black dialect, and poetry are seamlessly integrated into the story which reveals symbols and hidden meanings.

Though it is not one of the main themes in the novel, poverty and its effects on people can be seen abundantly in Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. The demonstration of poverty that I chose to discuss is how wealth causes a person to act toward others. The most notable examples are Janie’s three husbands, Logan Killicks, Joe Starks, and Tea Cake, and the way they treat Janie. In the novel, the wealthier a man is, the more power he has over people and the more entitled he feels.

Battles and fights are some examples of conflict in most fictional stories. They can be many different fights, like the epic battle between good and evil, or a kingdom defending their land from enemies. When people think of the word ‘battle’, they may think of climatic sword fights and war. But sometimes, battles can take place inside of a person. Perhaps a character may have conflicting aspirations and desires that may cause an internal battle and maybe result in something catastrophic. Or perhaps a character has opposing personalities that might clash and cause something important to happen. In many works of literature, the writer

In Shaped by the Word, by Robert Mulholland Jr., one finds a way to read scripture in order to provide a deeper understanding of God and allow His Word to shape one’s spiritual life. In the Introduction, in chapter 1, the reader is introduced to the idea that there is a movement in the church that seeks to become deeper and stricter in spiritual formation. He claims there are many books written for this purpose, and his intending purpose for this book is for God to use however he may want in the reader’s spiritual life. Mulholland provides the reader with a prayer to pray in preparation of reading this book and states there may be points where God is knocking and calling the reader’s attention to something new.

Captain Eaton - Captain Eaton was one of the donors of Eatonville's original fifty acres of land. When Jody first arrived in Eatonville, he made a big show paying cash to him for an additional two hundred acres.

In the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston's novel is a story of one woman’s growth as a person to establish her voice and as a result, shape her own identity. As the novel’s protagonist, Janie Crawford, she desperately tries to find unconditional, true, and fulfilling love. Janie experiences different love with the affairs of the lovers she has had and ultimately grows as a person. Janie searches for the love that she has always desired, the marriage between a bee and a blossom on the pear tree that stood in Nanny's backyard. Janie shares her love with each of her husband's: Logan Killicks, Joe Starks, and Tea Cake Woods.

Their Eyes Were Watching God provides an enlightening look at the journey of a "complete, complex, undiminished human being", Janie Crawford. Her story, based on self-exploration, self-empowerment, and self-liberation, details her loss and attainment of her innocence and freedom as she constantly learns and grows from her experiences with gender issues, racism, and life. The story centers around an important theme; that personal discoveries and life experiences help a person find themselves.

“She had waited all her life for something.” This quote is significant because it epitomizes the struggle of a woman to reach self-actualization. In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston juxtaposes opposing places to emphasize the experience gained by the novel’s protagonist, Janie, in each respective location, and to emphasize the effect of that environment on Janie’s journey to attain her dreams. Through this comparison, the author explores the idea of living and experiencing life as a means of self-discovery. Moreover, Hurston expresses another theme central to the novel’s understanding. This particular theme denounces the belief that achieving life experience should always involve

The novel Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston discussed many important themes and topics. Throught my reading, there was one specific topic that stood out to me: One’s search for identity. In the novel, the main character, Janie Star, spends this entire book trying to figure out who she is. Now there are other things Janie figures out along the way too. For example, she learns lessons about prejudice and racism and that these two things can come from inside the community as well as from outside the community.

The classic notion of the male protagonist seeking a sense of identity is common in most novels. However, Zora Neale Hurston disputes that in her Their Eyes were Watching God. Readers follow Janie, a female protagonist, who encounters three men, each either supported or hampered her in her lifelong desire to seek independence. The first of three men is Logan Killicks who wanted Janie to be a traditional, submissive housewife that obeys the husband's commands. Janie left Killicks after meeting Jody Starks who charms Janie with his ambition. After twenty years of marriage to Starks, Janie met Tea Cake, a rather young man who is exciting and respects Janie. In Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie is restricted in reaching her goal

The story “There Eyes Were Watching God”, by Zora Neale Hurston, is a story that takes place in Florida in the early 1900s. The book is about the struggle of a woman to find true love in life. This woman is named Jane, she is a mixed race of both black and white, she is the protagonist of the story. Her goal in life was to find satisfying love with a man. The story uses race to show people's role, or importance in society. In the early 1900s, it wasn't uncommon to think black people were inferior to white people and held a lower standard of life. This led to many people being segregated and treated differently due to their skin color. The book “There Eyes Were Watching God”, is dominated by race driven thoughts, race in the story measures a person's superiority, leads to people being in different social classes, and shows how people are racist for no justifiable reason.

Everybody has had experiences that they can claim have changed them. Whether it be gaining a sibling, losing a loved one, or realizing something you thought was right is actually wrong. Janie, in Their Eyes Were Watching God, a novel written by Zora Neale Hurston, undergoes a process of developing into her own character by learning from these life-changing experiences. In a literary criticism written by Robert E. Hemenway, it is argued that Janie completes this symbolic process of becoming an adult by the end of the book. Hemenway’s article “Crayon Enlargement of Life” falsely argues that Janie completes the symbolic process of developing an adult state of mind after Hurston’s symbols of the horizon and the pear tree come together

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston is a Southern black love novel about a woman’s marriage experiences. Janie Crawford who is forced by her grandmother, into a marriage with a guy named Logan. Janie is forced to love Logan, but her love never is there for him so she leaves. She meets a wicked man named Joe, soon after they are married. Joe was sweet at first, then his real feelings about her come out and Janie loses her love for him. After their separation, he shortly dies. Janie then falls in love with a man named Tea Cake. Tea Cake is the one person Janie truthly loves and feels comfortable around. First impressions can be deceiving.

Zora Neale Hurston composed a classic African American love story entitled “Their Eyes Were Watching God” in 1937. Throughout the novel, Janie gets married three times in hopes of finding the contentment she has been searching for. Her first two marriages, with Logan Killicks and Joe Starks helps Janie realize that love does not automatically come from marriage. Her last marriage with Tea Cake shows her what true love is. After spending years seeking inner happiness and being a romantic dreamer, Janie becomes a dynamic character, therefore, she is able to enjoy the bliss of life she has always hoped for in a relationship.

John Lubbock wrote, "Your character will be what you yourself choose to make it." This is a great opinion, but I also have an opinion of my own. I personally feel that experiences shape you into who you are. Every situation you go through impacts your life in many different ways. One small decision can change your life forever.