Racism In Their Eyes Were Watching God
After the Civil War between the North and South, Reconstruction took place in the Union. Slavery was abolished and blacks started to gain freedoms. The 14th amendment gave blacks rights and referred to them as American citizens, and the 15th gave them the right to vote. However, even with these changes Africans Americans were still discriminated against and blamed for the Union’s issues. Racist groups started to emerge, pushing people to victimize the blacks even more. The white society looked down upon the blacks and treated them with disrespect as they were still separate but equal. Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes were Watching God depicts the story of a third century freed slave, Janie, and her fight against this prejudice world. Hurston’s
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characters reflect her vision of what an “ideal” African American should be, which symbolizes her individual life and struggle. The ideal African American should separate his or herself from the white community. In the novel, Joe wants to leave the white area to move to an all black part of Florida. On his way, he meets Janie, and asks her to go with him. Like an ideal African American, she ventured to Florida. Joe and Janie did not want to be part of the white’s culture so “when [they] heard all about ‘em makin’ a town all outta colored folks, [they] knowed dat was de place [they] wanted to be. [Joe] had always wanted a big voice, but de white folks had all de sayso where he come from” (Hurston 28). Hurston believed that blacks should be able to have power, but this was not possible with the whites taking it all. When her characters surrounded themselves in an all black community, they were given the opportunity to lead the town. Nobody could be outshined by the powerful whites who would not let these emancipated slaves jump right into power, so they moved. This is exactly what Zora did as she resided in Harlem, a town encompassed with blacks.
An ideal African American should be quiet and not tell anyone of the horrors of their lives. Janie never told people her innermost feelings, especially Joe. They did not communicate well, which was one of the causes of their eventual fall-out. This is illustrated beautifully when Joe starts to construct the new town store. It is a revolutionary part of Eatonville, so the townsfolk decide they want Janie to make a speech. She is about to when Joe says she is not made for speaking. Janie is disappointed and mad because “she had never thought of making a speech, and didn’t know if she cared to make one at all. It must have been the way Joe spoke out without giving her a chance to say anything one way or another that took the bloom off of things” (Hurston 42). Joe never let Janie talk, so she never was able to make the speech. Throughout their whole relationship, she never go to display her feelings, because she was quiet. This is symbolic to the turn of the century because white slave owners never let their slaves talk. Janie is portrayed as a slave to Joe, where she never can talk. Joe is acting as a dominant being in this relationship which is a large idea Zora Neal Hurston held. She believed that men and women should be equals and since Joe never let Janie open up, she was a subsequent being to him, allowing Joe to live up to his slave owner portrayal. During slavery, men were more powerful to the women slaves and would not let them speak of the horrors they faced. Women were brutally raped and beaten and could not talk about it. In the slave narratives, Minnie Fulkes tells the story of her mother, a slave who was attacked by her overseer, as her master had no idea. Since Fulkes’ mother would not marry the overseer, he would whip her mercilessly, to no end. These slaves were scared of being punished because “if [they] would tell, why dem overseers would kill ‘em” (Fulkes 1). The slaves had to be silent for the sake of their lives. Men never had to go through this agony which is one reason they could speak more. However , the women needed to keep her mouth shut, which makes them quintessential. The ideal African American would know to stay quiet because they would know the horrors that would be faced if they did not.
Lastly, the ideal African American should try to be independent but still get help from people around them.
Even though the Zora believed that the blacks should separate themselves from the whites, she still believed in getting assistance when needed. When Joe and Janie moved to Eatonville they want to be independent. However this is impossible with only 50 acres of land. Joe decides the only way to be independent is if he gets assistance from the white captain that gave the original 50 acres. He does this and “buys two hundred acres of land at one whack and pays cash for it” (Hurston 38). Joe buys 200 more acres with his own money showing this self-reliance. Although he needed the land from the white man, he does not automatically receive it, as he has to buy the land. Only an unaided person can buy this insanely large amount of property which shows how he acts as an ideal African American. Neale Hurston shows her independence by changing her life with a little help. Mrs. Hurston wants to become educated so “with Meyer’s support Zora enrolled at Barnard College” (Boyd 102). Zora Neale Hurston transfers to Barnard college but gets aid from a man named Meyer. Her individuality is shown by seeking higher education and actually transferring to college, even though she recieves a little help. This idea of self-reliance with some support is shown at the turn of the century through all of the African American society as they try to start a new life. Some of the African Americans do not have any money so certain programs like the Freedmen’s Bureau which helped whites and blacks get on their feet after the Civil
War.
The characters in Their Eyes Were Watching God symbolize a perfect black person, in the mind of author Zora Neale Hurston. This idea of an immaculate African American should be separated from whites, quiet due to the past horrors of slavery, and independent but still looking for some help when needed. All of these characteristics explain Neal Hurston’s views on African American life at the turn of the century.
characters reflect her vision of what an “ideal” African American should be, which symbolizes her individual life and struggle. The ideal African American should separate his or herself from the white community. In the novel, Joe wants to leave the white area to move to an all black part of Florida. On his way, he meets Janie, and asks her to go with him. Like an ideal African American, she ventured to Florida. Joe and Janie did not want to be part of the white’s culture so “when [they] heard all about ‘em makin’ a town all outta colored folks, [they] knowed dat was de place [they] wanted to be. [Joe] had always wanted a big voice, but de white folks had all de sayso where he come from” (Hurston 28). Hurston believed that blacks should be able to have power, but this was not possible with the whites taking it all. When her characters surrounded themselves in an all black community, they were given the opportunity to lead the town. Nobody could be outshined by the powerful whites who would not let these emancipated slaves jump right into power, so they moved. This is exactly what Zora did as she resided in Harlem, a town encompassed with blacks.
An ideal African American should be quiet and not tell anyone of the horrors of their lives. Janie never told people her innermost feelings, especially Joe. They did not communicate well, which was one of the causes of their eventual fall-out. This is illustrated beautifully when Joe starts to construct the new town store. It is a revolutionary part of Eatonville, so the townsfolk decide they want Janie to make a speech. She is about to when Joe says she is not made for speaking. Janie is disappointed and mad because “she had never thought of making a speech, and didn’t know if she cared to make one at all. It must have been the way Joe spoke out without giving her a chance to say anything one way or another that took the bloom off of things” (Hurston 42). Joe never let Janie talk, so she never was able to make the speech. Throughout their whole relationship, she never go to display her feelings, because she was quiet. This is symbolic to the turn of the century because white slave owners never let their slaves talk. Janie is portrayed as a slave to Joe, where she never can talk. Joe is acting as a dominant being in this relationship which is a large idea Zora Neal Hurston held. She believed that men and women should be equals and since Joe never let Janie open up, she was a subsequent being to him, allowing Joe to live up to his slave owner portrayal. During slavery, men were more powerful to the women slaves and would not let them speak of the horrors they faced. Women were brutally raped and beaten and could not talk about it. In the slave narratives, Minnie Fulkes tells the story of her mother, a slave who was attacked by her overseer, as her master had no idea. Since Fulkes’ mother would not marry the overseer, he would whip her mercilessly, to no end. These slaves were scared of being punished because “if [they] would tell, why dem overseers would kill ‘em” (Fulkes 1). The slaves had to be silent for the sake of their lives. Men never had to go through this agony which is one reason they could speak more. However , the women needed to keep her mouth shut, which makes them quintessential. The ideal African American would know to stay quiet because they would know the horrors that would be faced if they did not.
Lastly, the ideal African American should try to be independent but still get help from people around them.
Even though the Zora believed that the blacks should separate themselves from the whites, she still believed in getting assistance when needed. When Joe and Janie moved to Eatonville they want to be independent. However this is impossible with only 50 acres of land. Joe decides the only way to be independent is if he gets assistance from the white captain that gave the original 50 acres. He does this and “buys two hundred acres of land at one whack and pays cash for it” (Hurston 38). Joe buys 200 more acres with his own money showing this self-reliance. Although he needed the land from the white man, he does not automatically receive it, as he has to buy the land. Only an unaided person can buy this insanely large amount of property which shows how he acts as an ideal African American. Neale Hurston shows her independence by changing her life with a little help. Mrs. Hurston wants to become educated so “with Meyer’s support Zora enrolled at Barnard College” (Boyd 102). Zora Neale Hurston transfers to Barnard college but gets aid from a man named Meyer. Her individuality is shown by seeking higher education and actually transferring to college, even though she recieves a little help. This idea of self-reliance with some support is shown at the turn of the century through all of the African American society as they try to start a new life. Some of the African Americans do not have any money so certain programs like the Freedmen’s Bureau which helped whites and blacks get on their feet after the Civil
War.
The characters in Their Eyes Were Watching God symbolize a perfect black person, in the mind of author Zora Neale Hurston. This idea of an immaculate African American should be separated from whites, quiet due to the past horrors of slavery, and independent but still looking for some help when needed. All of these characteristics explain Neal Hurston’s views on African American life at the turn of the century.