Symbolism in "Their Eyes Were Watching God"

• Pear trees represents Janie's development into a women.
• The mule symbolizes black women because the work of everyone else is dumped on them. In the story,Logan buys a mule for Janie to use to do his work for him.
• Relating to the metaphor at the beginning of the story the gate and the road symbolize opportunity.
• Eatonville general store represents the town becoming official.
• Lights in the town are illuminating the town's victory. They have moved up in power and so has Joe Starks.
• Joe and Janie's house is big while all the other homes are tiny. He looks like a plantation owner and all the towns people are his slaves.

• The tobacco spittoons represents Joe's power.

• The guitar shows the playful side of people.

• Overalls represent the working class.

• Janie's head rag symbolizes her bondage to Joe.

• Janie's braid symbolizes her freedom.

• The color blue represents Janie's proof of love to Tea Cake because he likes the color on her and she wears it for him.

• Hunting and fishing  is symbolic of Janie and Tea Cake's ability to give and take in their relationship.

• Checkers  represent Janie's equality with Tea Cake.
• The packet of seeds represents new life.
• The muck symbolizes rich culture.

• Hurricanes represents God's power.

Picture: http://www.google.com/search?um=1&hl=en&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=72m8Ter5FOmV0QHRk-SwBg&ved=0CDYQvwUoAQ&q=tired+mule+pulling+plow&spell=1&biw=1066&bih=546

Criticism for Zora

Zora Neale Hurston’s book “Their Eyes Were Watching God”, Zora portrays a colored women’s life to be nearly identical to a white women’s life. The main character Janie experiences problems that could happen to women of any color. Janie’s life is only significantly different from a white women’s life because of the situation that her grandmother and mother were in. Both of them were more or less raped and became pregnant. This changed Janie’s family situation and living arrangement, other than that, Janie leads a life that is standard for the average white women.

She exploits that phase of Negro life which is "quaint," the phase which evokes a piteous smile on the lips of the "superior" race.

                                                                                                                        -Richard Wright

            Wright is referring to the lack of racial hardships in the novel. Janie certainly encounters many social difficulties but the majority of them so far have taken place in an all black town, Eatonville. When Janie lived in West Florida with her grandmother, Janie says, “Us lived dere [in the Washburn’s backyard] havin’ fun till de chillun at school got to teasin’ me ‘bout livin’ in de white folks’ back-yard.”(9). After a bit about the teasing, racial discrimination is not brought up again. Racism was a huge factor during the Harlem Renaissance and it was not shown at all. The problems that Janie obviously would have faced were completely overlooked.

            But as always thus far with this talented writer, setting and surprising flashes of contemporary folk lore are the main point. Her gift for poetic phrase, for rare dialect, and folk humor keep her flashing on the surface of her community and her characters and from diving down deep either to the inner psychology of characterization or to sharp analysis of the social background…Having gotten rid of condescension, let us now get over oversimplication!

                                                                                                            --Alain Locke

            Although I agree that Hurston simplified racial problems, she emphasized the discrimination of women. Hurston’s beautiful writing that keep readers from “diving down deep” is a tool she uses to convey the feelings and treatment of women. Hurston’s words allowed the reader to have a physically painful heartbreak while reading. Emotion conveyed allowed the reader to know the emotional trauma that is caused from a dead marriage and an oppressive husband. Zora’s words do nothing other than enrich the story with emotion, not blur the social background.

Overall, the book was written beautifully for another time period. A time when blacks and whites have more common rights and social standings like today. Zora’s characters and problems are timeless but in order to fully embrace  this time period, racism is of the essence. I thoroughly enjoy the novel despite the anachronism.

Information: http://people.virginia.edu/~sfr/enam358/wrightrev.html

Picture: http://www.google.com

Zora Neale Hurston

Zora Neale Hurston:

1. She was an anthropologist, writer, and folklorist.
2. She lived from 1891 to 1960 and was born in Notasulga, Alabama.

3. She was raised in Eatonville, Florida; the 'first incorporated all-black town.'

4. She collected folklores from Jamaica, Haiti, Bermuda, and Honduras.

5. Her most famous publication is Their  Eyes Were Watching God.

6. She died without much attention from her readers and public.

7. Many of her stories were put into a two-volume composition after her death.
8. She also wrote short stories, plays, journal articles, and an autobiography.

9. Some of her characters and literary works created controversy within the black community.

10. Hurston can be credited for influencing writers Ralph Ellison, Alice Walker, and Toni Morrison.

Works Cited:

"Zora Neale Hurston." Microsoft® Student 2009 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2008.

Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

http://www.google.com/images

Harlem Renaissance

1. The Harlem Renaissance took place from 1920 to 1930 in New York.
2.  At the end of World War I there was a movement from the African American culture to have their arts taken seriously.

3. After the large movement of blacks to the North during the civil war, many of them had the opportunities for jobs and education.

4. This gave way to a time of inspiration and artistic expression.

5. This period was important because many black artists especially in literature were published.

6. There was a raising of racial pride among the people after the oppressive past of their culture.

7. The renaissance was characterized by the black movement - not much else.

8. The Great Depression marked the end of the heart of the renaissance because of lack of financial aid.

9. Some great artist of the times continued on with their work.

10. Most notably: Langston Hughes, Duke Ellington, and Bessie Smith.

Langston Hughes

1. Langston Hughes was born February 1, 1902 and died May 22, 1967.

2. He was a poet, short-story writer, novelist, and dramatist.

3. He put rhythm from the Harlem Renaissance into some of his poetry.

4. He received a scholarship to a university in Pennsylvania after publishing his first volume of poetry.

5. His works continued past the end of the renaissance.

Duke Ellington

2. He was born April 29, 1899 and died May 24, 1974.

3. He was born in Washington, D.C.

4. He was a jazz composer, bandleader, and pianist.
5. He wrote a song with a vocal part, but no words.
6. He wrote over 2,000 pieces.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDQpZT3GhDg
Above is a recording of his music.

Bessie Smith

1. She was a singer called "Empress of the Blues".
2. One of the early blues singers financially helped her begin her career.
3. She earned $2,000 a week and was extremely successful.
4. She died when 'video killed the radio star', and early music videos gained popularity.
5. She suffered alcoholism.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MzU8xM99Uo

Works Cited:

"Bessie Smith." Microsoft® Student 2009 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2008.

Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Hasse, John Edward. "Duke Ellington." Microsoft® Student 2009 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2008.

Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

"Langston Hughes." Microsoft® Student 2009 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2008.

Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Wintz, Cary DeCordova. "Harlem Renaissance." Microsoft® Student 2009 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2008.