Zora Neal Hurston

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 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

Zora Neale Hurston is considered one of the most unsurpassed writers of twentieth-century African-American literature. Published in 1937, Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God depicts the life of Janie Crawford, an African-American woman, who is in search of true love and ultimately her true self. In the novel, Janie shows us that love comes in all shapes and forms, and love is different with each person you choose to love. In the opening of the novel, Hurston uses a metaphor to say that, while men can never reach for their dreams, women can direct their wills and chase their dreams. Hurston uses this metaphor to make a distinction of men and women gender roles, and Janie went against the norms that were expected of her.

Society has always thought of racism as a war given to the lowly African American from the supposedly high class white man, but no one thought there would be prejudice within a hierarchical class system inside the black community. However within that class system, history has shown that darker colored women are at the deep trenches of the totem pole. In the novel, “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” African American women are put under harm and control exposing the racism and sexism with their community. Through the life of Janie Crawford, Zora Neale Hurston portrays the concept of a woman finding her independence in a black, hierarchical, and racist society.

The Civil Rights era was a movement where African Americans overcame segregation and gained equal rights. Many African Americans were dedicated to improving the social, economic, and political conditions of the African American community during the Civil Rights era. These African Americans may be considered heroes to many different individuals. One of these heroes was Zora Neale Hurston, an anthropologist and author. Zora Neale Hurston had an intriguing childhood and struggled to get an education, had numerous accomplishments, and has helped improve the African American community.

The novel and the Harlem Renaissance connect by this because in the novel and the novel itself was told in southern language. The Harlem Renaissance was were African Americans literature grew and it showed up as a big part. This gave the opportunity for African Americans to show their heritage and for them to use their own unique culture of language. Even though it was harder for them during the Harlem REnaissance they were trying to show what they could do to the rest of the world. Show they were good just like the other people and not because of their culture or language they shouldn't have the same opportunities. For example the whole novel was told in a different language it made it more difficult to understand but it gave that part of the culture they had. Zora Hurston’s work and books are popular and known because of the story and how the story is told. Their Eyes Were Watching God is a really good book because what's behind the story of Janie's life as well as to how it adheres to the Harlem Renaissance because it took place during the Harlem

Zora Neale Hurston had an intriguing life, from surviving a hurricane in the Bahamas to having an affair with a man twenty years her junior. She used these experiences to write a bildungsroman novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, about the colorful life of Janie Mae Crawford. Though the book is guised as a quest for love, the dialogues between the characters demonstrate that it is actually about Janie’s journey to learn how to not adhere to societal expectation.

Zora Neale Hurston was an influential African-American novelist who emerged during the Harlem Renaissance. (Tow 1) During the Harlem Renaissance Hurston’s novel "Their Eyes Were Watching God, was written in southern dialect so that the African American audience can relate, mainly because Hurston could only write about what she knew. “In the case of Hurston, dialect, as a regional vernacular, can and does contain subject, experience emotion and revelation.” (Jones 4) when Hurston's novel first was released many people didn't not accept the writing for what it really was. “When Their Eyes Were Watching God first appeared in 1937, it was well-received by white critics as an intimate portrait of southern blacks, but African-American reviewers rejected the novel. (Telgen, Hile 1) In this modern day the novel is well accepted and has been called "a classic of black literature, one of the best novels of the period" (Howard 7) In "Their Eyes Were Watching God", Janie takes on a journey in search of her own identity where each of her three husbands plays an important role in her discovery of who she is.

The novel Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston explores the life of an African American woman from the south who is trying to find herself. The protagonist of this novel is Janie Crawford. She is trying to defy what people expect of her, and she lives her life searching to have a better life. Zora Neale Hurston’s life experiences influence the book in many ways, including language, personality, and life experiences.

In the novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston, there is evidence of inequality among many of the characters. The protagonist, who is an African-American woman, is constantly oppressed throughout the story. She enters three different relationships and experiences oppression and inequality because of her gender in all of them. In this novel, Janie Mae Crawford faces inequality and hardships in her life-long search for love; when viewing her journey through the Feminist theory, readers may gain a deeper understanding.

The Harlem Renaissance was an artistic and cultural movement that took place in Harlem, New York after World War I until the 1930s. During this time many African-Americans including Zora Neale Hurston, used the movement to express their views on race and gender and used their voices to speak out for their rights and beliefs. By developing Janie’s relationships and how they affect her, Hurston demonstrates through Their Eyes Were Watching God that many factors can limit or influence man’s decision to speak out. Janie’s grandmother Nanny, who acts as Janie’s major female influence in her childhood, authoratively tells Janie how to live her life.

In her 2013 novel Allegiant, author Veronica Roth stated, “I belong to the people I love, and they belong to me – they, and the love and loyalty I give them, form my identity far more than any word or group ever could” (Roth). In other words, relationships are what humans derive strength and experience from, which they use to build and develop their own identity. This universal idea of discovering one’s identity can be seen in literature from all ages, from Veronica Roth’s Allegiant, to Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God. In 1937, Zora Neale Hurston

Spunk Zora Neale Hurston's short story “Spunk” was a short story that immediately held my interest from beginning to end. Hurston provided a gateway to life in her hometown that people could relate to all over the country and has been able to not disconnect from an audience through the test of time. I thought that it was interesting that Hurston decided to write a story using the dialect of a small southern town rather than than proper english grammar and pronunciation. Hurston's decision to use dialect to enhance her story and for me it brought the story to life. I could picture the characters talking as it switched from the narrator to each individual , which gave more personality to the person talking.

Both Alice Walker and Zora Neale Hurston are similar to having the same concept about black women to have a voice and being perspective. These two authors are phenomenal women who impacted on the southern hospitality roots. Alice Walker and Zora Neale Hurston comment on fear, avenge, and righteousness among African American women that are abuse of their power. Walker and Hurston uses the same theory of feminism to point out the liberation that is told through the story of survival. The comparison of the two authors expresses hardship among characters to discover their purpose. Also, Walker fines Hurston books intruding on into detail the heritage. Hurston narratives was not dull it was more upscale and interesting to talk about change to become reality. Walker and Hurston develop a comparison of the folk tale tradition in black culture. (Howard 200)