By definition, control is the power to influence or direct people's behavior or the course of events. In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston uses Mrs. Turner to show racism and bigotry. While Janie and her third husband, Tea Cake, live in the Everglades, Janie is allowed to socialize more and eventually meets on person in particular, Mrs. Turner. Mrs. Turner, the foil character, is a middle aged, mixed woman who tries to foist Janie, the protagonist, because Janie is mixed as well.Her and her husband, Mr Turner reside in the Everglades and they own a restaurant. Mrs. Turner was raised in middle class and views herself as superior to African Americans because she feels as if she is better because she is half white. Mrs. Turner's…show more content… Ah can’t stand black niggers. Ah don’t blame de white folks from hatin’ ‘em ‘cause Ah can’t stand ‘em mahself. ‘Nother thing, Ah hates tuh see folks lak me and you mixed up wid ‘em. Us oughta class off."
"Us can’t do it. We’se uh mingled people and all of us got black kinfolks as well as yaller kinfolks. How come you so against black?"
"And dey makes me tired. Always laughin! Dey laughs too much and dey laughs too loud. Always singin’ ol’ nigger songs! Always cuttin’ de monkey for white folks. If it wuzn’t for so many black folks it wouldn’t be no race problem. De white folks would take us in wid dem. De black ones is holdin’ us back." (16.14-16)" This quote from Their Eyes Were Watching God pertains to the fact that Mrs. Turner bears the idea that darker African Americans are, the more she loathes them. She also sees race as a skin color ranking. Considering the fact that she falls into the category of 'light-skin' Mrs. Turner desires to convert into another ethnological association. However, Janie considers a person's skin color to be a very minute asset. Subsequently, she then states that African Americans belong to a blended ancestry. It seems as if, Janie also characterizes race by a common culture, rather then the physical apperance of a person's skin…show more content… Turner sees him as being better than Tea Cake. This piece of text comes from the novel and henceforth proves Mrs. Turner's prejudice against dark skinned people:
You oughta meet mah brother. He’s real smart. Got dead straight hair." (16.22)
Dead straight hair is commonly a white hair type, while afros are commonly African American. Mrs. Turner views his 'dead straight hair' as a point of his mixed culture. Also, it shows honor because his hair type separates her brother from the other typical black people. She also positions the words,"he's really smart"right next to"dead straight hair to hint at the fact that the fact that her brother is very smart due to his white ethnicity. This novel shows racism and bigotry through one character, named Mrs. Turner. Since she is mixed, she sees herself as being better then other African Americans. Mrs. Turner also wants to be of a higher social status and do anything it takes to get there. In conclusion, Racism exists in many forms, whether it be physical or mental
