Zora Neale Hurston's Symbolism In Their Eyes Were Watching God

In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston portrays the religion of black people as a form of identity. Each individual in the black society Hurston has created worships a different God. But all members of her society find their identities by being able to believe in a God, spiritual or other. Grandma’s worship of Jesus and the “Good Lawd,” Joe Starks’ worship of himself, Mrs. Turner’s worship of white characteristics, and Janie’s worship of love, all stem from a lack of jurisdiction in the society they inhabit. All these Gods represent a need for something to believe in and work for: an ideal, which they wish to achieve, to aspire to. Each individual character is thus

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.

It’s amazing that one state can have within it places that differ greatly in all aspects—people, surrounding, weather, and feeling. Zora Neale Hurston exemplifies this phenomenon in Their Eyes Were Watching God. There are a multitude of differences between Eatonville, FL and the Everglades; each place represents a certain theme or feeling to Janie (the main character) and their differences each contribute to the meaning of the novel as a whole.

All novels contain symbolism in one shape or form, masking a deeper meaning beneath the words that are written on the page. Usually, there is an assortment of symbols disguised by a literal meaning that blend in with the scene. Symbols frequently come in the form of nature. Nature, generally being in the background of a scene, becomes more prominent when it is meant to be identified as a symbol. In Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, the symbolism in nature is recurrent throughout the novel. It is used to indicate turning points and track the growth of the main character, Janie’s, coming-of-age. This is portrayed through the changing of the seasons and various correspondents. In this way, it can be seen that not all events affect Janie in the same way, leading her in one direction. In Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, seasonal symbols are used to target experiences in Janie’s life and how they affect her overall development into adulthood.

Author Zora Neale Hurston weaves many powerful symbols into her acclaimed novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God. Hurston’s use of symbols enhances the reader’s understanding of the trials and tribulations along the road of self discovery for the story’s main character, Janie. Of the many symbols used throughout the novel, one in particular - Janie’s hair - is subtle yet striking as it gives us insight into Janie’s perceived social status, oppression, self identity, and her eventual independence through her self identity as a woman despite the social norms of the time period.

In the novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston, a young woman travels through difficult life experiences in order to find herself. Hurston portrays the protagonist as an adventurous soul trapped in the binds of suppressing marriages. Janie experiences three different types of marriage learning from each one what she values most. From these marriages she learned she values love and respect, finally achieving them in her last marriage. Each new marriage brought something new to the table for Janie and no matter the situation or the outcome of the relationship Janie grew into her own independent individual because of it.

African-American women, like mules, are property of men. They are treated without the proper human rights that should be placed on a woman doing so much for their men to survive. Janie represents black women's struggles, as her own struggle progresses in Jody's store. He buys her, through and similar to, his purchases of "new clothes of silk and wool" (33). When the two

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston tells the story of Janie and her journey to find herself. She went through a lot meeting different people specifically men to help her understand what she really wanted in her future. Throughout her life, Janie was on a mission to chase her dreams and find her happiness by experiencing new horizons, which suggest that in order to be happy one has to push out of the comfort zone.

In “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston, Janie is constantly judged and defined by her physical characteristics. Janie’s most prominent characteristic is her long, beautiful hair, symbolizing her self worth and uniqueness, both of which are challenged throughout the novel. The porch women and Janie’s own husband, Joe, judge her jealously. Janie is challenged by these judgements, because she rarely speaks up, but her distinctive hair is her way of expressing herself. Janie struggles to maintain her self confidence, and her hair is a symbol of that struggle. When Joe tries to control how Janie wears her hair, he is really trying to control her. The porch women criticize her hair with the goal of validating their own jealousy.

Throughout the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, written by Zora Neale Hurston, Janie Crawford searches for unconditional and fulfilling love. She experiences different degrees of love throughout her life, primarily through her three marriages. As she strives to find her own sense of love and independence, Janie encounters judgement from the townspeople during various points in the novel. In the novel, Zora Neale Hurston uses diction and symbolism in order to prove that one must develop their own sense of independence before they can obtain their desired love, which may involve one going outside of their expected role or comfort zone within society.

In Zora Neale Hurston’s novella, “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” the use of many powerful symbols are incorporated. All of the various images used by Hurston drastically improves readers’ comprehension of the hardships that are along the road of self-revelation for the novel’s principal character, Janie. In specific, of the various images used throughout the novel, Janie’s hair - which is unobtrusive yet striking- gives readers a glimpse into Janie’s apparent social status, abuse, self-view, and eventual independence as a lady who disregards the high-set social standards of her day and age.

In “Their Eyes Were Watching God”, Zora Neale Hurston writes about a young girl named Janie who is stuck between the reality of love and the quixotic ideas of what love could be. In the book, Janie is forced to marry an older man due to her nanny's standards set on her security and safety. Janie's first marriage quickly ended after a charming man with the name of Joe Starks swept her off of her feet and made her realize what she's really worth. Despite of her initial attraction to Joe, both marriages end up making Janie unhappy and Unsatisfied.

In a world full of symbols, perspective can have a huge influence on how many interpret those experiences. Physical items and a people themselves can have a greater impact on a decision or actions a person may make. When Zora Neale Hurston was a kid, she a had a type of personality that would capture the eyes of many. At thirteen her childhood ended when her mother passed away from a heart attack. In Zora Neale Hurston's novel, " Their Eyes Were Watching God", the author uses symbols to convey the message of seeking real love and self-actualization. In her book, there is a parallel between Janie, her main character, and herself. For example, living the same town, Zora, father helping to build Eatonville, and the feisty personality. With every

In Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, Janie compares Joe to Abraham Lincoln because he freed the mule just as Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves. While comparing him to President Lincoln, she says “. . . and dat makes you lak uh king uh something” (58) and this quote shows how Joe is seen by Janie and the people of Eatonville. He is seen as a king with the power to control everyone but instead of king, his title is Mayor of Eatonville. When Joe died, Janie stated that “Dis sittin’ in de rulin’ chair is been hard on Jody” (87) and his position of power finally caused him to collapse. The chair was his throne and he was on the throne as Mayor of Eatonville.His his reign eventually came to an end and it became too much for him.

In Their Eyes Were Watching God written by Zora Neale Hurston, the protagonist tells her best friend the story of her life. The protagonist, Janie, spends small portions of the book telling of her life before she was married and of her life during her first marriage. However her second and third marriages are told in far better detail, telling of men she fell in love with Joe Starks, and Tea Cake. Janie encounters love that has bloomed and then dissipated, despite their original fiery affair; however with her third and final husband Janie’s love seems to grow as they spend more time together. Despite it seeming as though the novel is focused on the men in Janie’s life, the concentration is obviously on Janie’s feelings, continuously pointing out whether she is at peace or unhappy.