Their Eyes Were Watching God Theme

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Pages: 2
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Evan Zhu
Ms.Burke/Mr.Opacity
English 10, 10
2/22/16
Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay

Their Eyes Were Watching God is a novel written by Zora Neale Hurston, this books centers around a woman named Janie Starks growing up in the 1930s in a rural part of Florida. Hurston has received a range of reviews by critics about her novel, one that stands out is Richard Wright’s comment on the book, he said “ The sensory sweep of her novel carries no theme, no message, no thought. Her novel is not addressed to the negro, but to a white audience whose chauvinistic tastes she knows how to satisfy.” Wright’s comments about the novel is not entirely accurate, the novel does carry out many important theme and message, and the use of black dialect symbolize …show more content…
Growing up in the south was not always easy especially for a women, they had limited freedom and no rights. When Joe Starks, Janie’s second husband, is elected mayor, and when he is asked about his wife, he said “Thank yuh foh yo’ compliments, but mah wife don’t know nothin’ ‘bout no speech-making’...She’s uh woman and her place is in de home” (Hurston 43). Like all men that lived during 1920s-1930s, they saw women inferior to them, and don’t think they are smart to do anything in the public and their place is home. But at home, Joe treats her with a little more respect, because he is “jealous” that “other men figuratively wallowing it[on Janie]” Joe does not want to lose Janie, and wants her for himself only. This can also be viewed as Joe treating Janie like a piece property, but this was not the dream Janie had in mind when she decided to leave Logan Killicks, first husband, and go with Joe. Janie imagined “blossy opening dusting pollens,” she visioned a happy, and “blossy” life, but that didn’t turn out that way. Janie was not respected by neither Logan nor Joe, until she met Tea Cake.
Tea Cake was Janie 3rd and final husband, and the use of black dialect between Tea Cake and Janie represents her voice and happiness with TeaCake. The use of black dialect is to show trustworthy voice
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