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.
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