Analysis Of Zora Neale Hurston s Their Eyes Were Watching...

On October 9, 2012, in northern Pakistan, Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head (Lieve 1). Prior to this incident, Yousafzai, who lived in a patriarchic society â€Å"began giving speeches across Pakistan in favor of education† for women and became â€Å"a rising voice of dissent against terror† (3). However, the men in her community felt threatened by the undermining of their power, and one of these men committed a heinous act in order to suppress efforts to achieve equal rights for women. The concept of sexism embedded within the basis of society is reflected in Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God. Hurston’s Reconstruction era tale centers on Janie, a character who attempts to find her own identity in a social structure that seeks to find it for her. The sexism underscores the struggles Janie must face in order to grow and prosper as she continues on her journey towards maturity. This demeaning social force helps the author develop the them e that the restriction of freedom affects the ability of a person to make a difference in their society. Sexism existed for centuries before the setting of Hurston’s novel, but Janie was one of the first women of America fighting for an equal stance. Before Janie’s generation, women were much more forgiving of the imbalance of power between genders. In fact, some women even accepted the system and adopted their restricted lives as something preferable. Janie struggles to accept standing below men and allowing them to control her muchShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Zora Neale Hurston s The Eyes Were Watching God Essay1690 Words   |  7 PagesIntersectionality is the study of identity that looks at how different aspects of identity intersect with each other to form specific and differing experiences of oppression. Zora Neale Hurston deals with the intersection of race and gender through the story of Janie in Their Eyes Were Watching God. However, rather than seeing the way in which Hurston deals with this intersection, the author Richard Wright claims, â€Å"The sensory swe ep of her novel carries no theme, no message, no thought. In the main, her novelRead MoreAnalysis Of Zora Neale Hurston s The Eyes Were Watching God 2388 Words   |  10 PagesZora Neale Hurston grew up in a predominantly African American town and because of how she grew up, she did not experience the segregation and prejudice that other African Americans felt in their daily lives until she moved from her hometown at a much older age. Because her community was predominantly colored, she grew up embracing her ethnicity instead of learning she should feel ashamed of her ethnicity and the white people surrounding her had more worth. Hurston, shows in her works Their EyesRead MoreAnalysis Of Pico Iyer s The Eyes Were Watching God By Zora Neale Hurston1984 Words   |  8 Pagespeople. In his TED talk, Pico Iyer, discusses these questions about home, which aids in formulating a definition. One of his definitions is the place â€Å"where you find yourself,† which corresponds to the discussion of home in Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (Iyer). The broadness of the definition makes it difficult to pin-point one location or person. Through Janie’s experience, a home for her is a place where she has a voice. This is paramount for Janie as it allows her to vocalizeRead MoreTheir Eyes Were Watching God Critical Analysis1502 Words   |  7 PagesAn analysis of Zora Neale Hurston Their Eyes Were Watching God Certain goals or visions are often withheld for the simple fact that what we want sometimes does not look right in the eyes of people we hold dear. In The novel â€Å"Their Eyes Were Watching God† by Zora neale hurston, skillfully uses characterization to vividly portray how gender superiority impacts one’s decisions in life. Janie Crawford the protagonist struggles trying to find who she is through the men she meets in her life becauseRead More Contrasting Native Son and Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay4128 Words   |  17 Pages  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This paper examines the drastic differences in literary themes and styles of Richard Wright and Zora Neale Hurston, two African--American writers from the early 1900s. The portrayals of African-American women by each author are contrasted based on specific examples from their two most prominent novels, Native Son by Wright, and Their Eyes Were Watching God by Hurston. With the intent to explain this diverge nce, the autobiographies of both authors (Black Boy and Dust Tracks on a Road) areRead MoreJohn Lewis s Writing Shines New Light On What Happiness714 Words   |  3 Pagespertains to something greater than themselves or the world around them. Langford further writes, â€Å"the little lazinesses and snobberies,† that people have only, â€Å"deaden and poison human relations† (Bibliography in Context). Langford continues his analysis stating, â€Å"Such insight permeates the allegory The Great Divorce, where Hell is a suburb of infinite dreariness whose occupants are self-damned: even a day trip to Heaven persuades few of them to abandon their comforting character flaws†(BibliographyRead More Hurstons Their Eyes Were Watching God1793 Words   |  8 Pagesstereotypes are based on crush the spirit of free will. Yet there are some brave people who choose to counter these stereotypes and live life as they choose, despite what judgments may come. In Zora Neale Hursto n’s novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, the main character, Janie—an African American woman of the 1930’s, struggles with accepting the stereotypes that affect her life. She tries to fit in with them at the cost of her happiness and self-expression. Through her revelations and life changes thatRead MoreThe New Negro of Harlem Essay495 Words   |  2 Pagesmigration was an expression of their changing attitudes toward themselves, and has been described as quot;something like a spiritual emancipation.quot; Many migrants moved to Harlem, a neighborhood on the upper west side of Manhattan. In the 1920s, Harlem became the worlds largest black community; also home to a highly diverse mix of cultures. This unprecedented outburst of creative activity exposed their unique culture and encouraged them to discover their heritage; thus becoming quot;the NewRead MoreFailure Of The American Dream In The Writings Of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Zora Neale Hurston, And August Wilson14 18 Words   |  6 PagesThis literary study will define the failure of the †American Dream† in the writings of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Arthur Miller, Zora Neale Hurston, and August Wilson. Fitzgerald’s account of the Jay Gatsby s rise to fame in the 1920s defines the failure of financial success as part of the American Dream. Gatsby will eventually die due to his excessive greed, which is not unlike the emotional death of Willy Loman as he fails to become a successful salesman in Author Miller’s Death of a Salesman. MoreRead MoreTheir Eyes Were Watching God- Janies Self Realization2063 Words   |  9 PagesTheir Eyes were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, was a unique individual; as a half-white, half-black girl growing up in Florida in the early 1930s, a lifetime of trials and search for understanding was set for her from the start. As the main character she sought to finally find herself, true love, and have a meaningful life. Growing up, in itself, pro vides a perfect opportunity for finding that essential state of self-realization and ideal comfort. Michael G. Cooke reviews Their Eyes Were Watching