Their Eyes Were Watching God Book Analysis

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The book Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston and Oprah Winfrey’s movie version had many differences in the relationships among Janie and the other characters in the story. Janie expresses herself and actions towards the other characters in the book differently than the movie. Janie and Phoeby’s friendship changed, as well as Janie’s love and affection towards the men in her life and the affairs and interactions going on within the Muck. Oprah’s movie version showed no intent on keeping the authenticity between the relationships with Janie’s interactions with the other characters. Janie and Phoeby’s relationship changes drastically from the book to the movie. In the book, Janie and Phoeby were best of friends. “Dat’s just de …show more content…
Zora did not intend on Janie flaunting around the Muck and interacting and acting more social towards everyone, Oprah changed this greatly by having Janie dance around in the Muck as they are celebrating. Oprah’s movie version also took out a key obstacle in the relationship by taking out Nunkie and Janie’s jealousy problems and keeping everything neutral. In the book, the same day Janie kills Teacake, gets tried in court, and the black majority ruled against Janie, most of the white people were on Janie’s side. This was showing the black on black racism that played a part in the book by reminding you what time era the setting took place. Oprah took that part out to keep the purity of the community, but also she changed the script by making it a stereotypical white on Native American racism when the white merchant talked to Teacake: “Well if the Indians knew anything they still own this land” (Harpo). This quote, originally said by Teacake to the white merchant, shows that even blacks were racist. Oprah changed this and it made the audience think that only racism came from the white people, but really it was expressed throughout all races in the