Dialectical Journal for "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston.
Dialectical Journal: Their Eyes Were Watching God
1. “Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board. For some they come in with the tide. For others they sail forever on the horizon, never out of sight, never landing until the Watcher turns his eyes away in resignation, his dreams mocked to death by Time. That is the life of men. Now, women forget all those things they don’t want to remember, and remember everything they don’t want to forget. The dream is the truth. Then they act and do things accordingly.”(1)
This quote starts the book and essentially institutes the novels theme of, what most people say is, feminism, although the author is showing how the fundamentals of men and woman are different. It’s saying how men and woman need each other to basically feel completed, quenching the needs of each by using the other. Throughout the novel, Janie is continually looking for the man that complements her and fulfills her needs. Janie also acts accordingly to this quote, fighting and struggling to follow her dreams.
2. “The wind came back with triple fury, and put out the light for the last time. They sat in company with the others in other shanties, their eyes straining against crude walls and their souls asking if He meant to measure their puny might against His. They seemed to be staring at the dark, but their eyes were watching God.” (160)
Basically, this quote is the heart of the novel; humans against God. This shows the struggle of Janie and the others, united because of the storm, which provides refuge against nature, and also human nature.
3. “She was stretched on her back beneath the pear tree soaking in the alto chant of the visiting bees, the gold of the sun and the panting breath of the breeze when the inaudible voice of it all came to her. She saw a dust-bearing bee sink into the sanctum of a bloom; the thousand sister-calyxes
1. “Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board. For some they come in with the tide. For others they sail forever on the horizon, never out of sight, never landing until the Watcher turns his eyes away in resignation, his dreams mocked to death by Time. That is the life of men. Now, women forget all those things they don’t want to remember, and remember everything they don’t want to forget. The dream is the truth. Then they act and do things accordingly.”(1)
This quote starts the book and essentially institutes the novels theme of, what most people say is, feminism, although the author is showing how the fundamentals of men and woman are different. It’s saying how men and woman need each other to basically feel completed, quenching the needs of each by using the other. Throughout the novel, Janie is continually looking for the man that complements her and fulfills her needs. Janie also acts accordingly to this quote, fighting and struggling to follow her dreams.
2. “The wind came back with triple fury, and put out the light for the last time. They sat in company with the others in other shanties, their eyes straining against crude walls and their souls asking if He meant to measure their puny might against His. They seemed to be staring at the dark, but their eyes were watching God.” (160)
Basically, this quote is the heart of the novel; humans against God. This shows the struggle of Janie and the others, united because of the storm, which provides refuge against nature, and also human nature.
3. “She was stretched on her back beneath the pear tree soaking in the alto chant of the visiting bees, the gold of the sun and the panting breath of the breeze when the inaudible voice of it all came to her. She saw a dust-bearing bee sink into the sanctum of a bloom; the thousand sister-calyxes