Zora Neale Hurston: The Power Of Voice
“Lift every voice and sing/Till earth and heaven ring” (Johnson “Lift Every Voice and Sing” 1-2) Those with voice have power. Seen as a powerful weapon that one can wield, voice can often be used as a persuasive and compelling ability on individuals. In “Life Every Voice and Sing”, the power of voice is used in an imperative command that is given calling everyone and anywhere to come and raise their voices and all sing together. In this instance, everyone’s voices together become one voice, strong and powerful. “Lift Every Voice and Sing, was created by James Weldon Johnson as an anthem for all people. He promotes equality calling on all people without prejudice like Zora Neale Hurston. In her own works, she shows similar ideas of equality
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and justice. Zora Hurston, who grew up in Eatonville, Florida, an area full of confident African Americans that governed their own town, lived in a society without the oppression that many African American had at the time. In Eatonville, the people around her had the power of voice. Her father, John Hurston, was a carpenter and a great preacher. He was even the mayor of the town several times. However, After the death of her mother and remarriage of her father, Zora Hurston joined a traveling theater company and ended up going to high school graduating with honors. Having the skills of a prolific writer, Hurston was part of the great Harlem Renaissance, an incredible time with an explosion of creativity by African Americans.
After moving to New York City, Hurston met the minds of Langston Hughes and Countee Culle as well as many other creative minds at the time. Her first publication was in a literary magazine, and she had several successes in short story and playwriting contests by Opportunity magazine. Hurston’s works have often been proven to be invaluable resources for African Americans of her time. Her most famous work, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston writes about a girl named Janie and her journey as she becomes a proud, independent woman. Taking place between the 1920s and 1930s of rural Florida, the story displays racism and the undermining of women as well as allusions to the bible. Transforming from a young girl to a woman, Janie’s quest for spiritual fulfillment clashes with the values that are imposed on her, she finds the power of voice. In voice, she is able to conquer those who use their own voice to control her. Through her journey, Janie undergoes changes ultimately becoming a hero. In the novel, Their Eyes Were Watching, Janie exhibits the heroic qualities of endurance, determination, and
courage.
Displaying her heroic nature, Janie is able to stand against others and stay resilient despite her hardships. Janie expresses the heroic quality of endurance that she has in the novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, In an arranged marriage with Logan Killicks set up by her grandmother, Janie exhibits endurance when the marriage fails. Completely done with her marriage and condescending insults given to her by Logan, she sets out for a new life. Leaving with the thoughts “The familiar people and things had failed her so she hung over the gate and looked up the road towards off. She knew now marriage did not make love. Janie’s first dream was dead so she became a woman” (Hurston Their Eyes Were Watching God 25). Dreams crushed and destroyed, Janie finds that she does not find fulfillment in the marriage with Logan and the things that he owns. Zora Hurston uses the gate as a symbol for change or a new life, by Janie leaving through the gate Hurston shows Janie was able to handle all the pain that the marriage had given to her and was able to leave on a new journey or quest for her life. Becoming a trophy wife, she leaves Logan for Jody and marries him but as time progresses Jody becomes more abusive and controlling. Janie shows her endurance when she is able stand all the comments that he makes about her. Becoming older and his age affecting his body, Jody becomes more insecure and lashes out on Janie about her own body to make her not pay attention to his. Humiliating her in front of the shop, Janie fights back against Jody causing him abasement as she refuses to allow him to do such a thing. In their argument she avers, “Now, Ah ain’t no young gal and no mo’ but den Ah ain’t no old woman neither. Ah reckon Ah looks mah age too. But AH’m uh woman every inch of me, and Ah know it. Dat’s uh whole lot mor’n you kin say. You big bellies round here and put out a lot of brag, but ‘tain’t nothin’ to it but yo’ big voice . . . Talkin’ ‘bout me lookin’ old! When you pull down yo’ britches, you look lak de change uh life” (79). Janie stands strong in their altercation and does not allow for Jody to humiliate her in such a way.. She retorts Jody’s comments about her body and defends herself as well as embarrassing him by practically desecrating his masculinity and undermining his dominance. By having her being able to endure Jody’s comments and words, Houston gives readers one of many scenes where she displays Janie’s endurance and her growing power of voice. After the death of Jody, a new man comes into her life named Tea Cake. After being charmed by the man and the two falling love, she ends up selling the shop Jody and her owned and leaves town. But when Janie was asleep Tea Cake took the two hundred dollars she had brought with her. Left to wonder where Tea Cake went, Janie is left alone with her tested faith and shows her endurance when she continues to hold her belief despite all the the doubts she has. She knows that she cannot go on forever shown when in her thoughts when she says “But, don’t care how firm your determination is, you can’t keep turning round in one place like a horse grinding sugar cane” (118). Despite knowing that at some point she would have to give up, Janie acts like a horse not giving up on Tea Cake resisting the doubt that she has. Depicting Janie in such a way, Houston lets readers know how Janie endures the situation with Tea Cake being gone. Because of her endurance, Janie is able to get through all these trials and past these difficult situations in her life and move forward. A hero should have endurance to be able to continue on despite all the things that they are going through.
and justice. Zora Hurston, who grew up in Eatonville, Florida, an area full of confident African Americans that governed their own town, lived in a society without the oppression that many African American had at the time. In Eatonville, the people around her had the power of voice. Her father, John Hurston, was a carpenter and a great preacher. He was even the mayor of the town several times. However, After the death of her mother and remarriage of her father, Zora Hurston joined a traveling theater company and ended up going to high school graduating with honors. Having the skills of a prolific writer, Hurston was part of the great Harlem Renaissance, an incredible time with an explosion of creativity by African Americans.
After moving to New York City, Hurston met the minds of Langston Hughes and Countee Culle as well as many other creative minds at the time. Her first publication was in a literary magazine, and she had several successes in short story and playwriting contests by Opportunity magazine. Hurston’s works have often been proven to be invaluable resources for African Americans of her time. Her most famous work, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston writes about a girl named Janie and her journey as she becomes a proud, independent woman. Taking place between the 1920s and 1930s of rural Florida, the story displays racism and the undermining of women as well as allusions to the bible. Transforming from a young girl to a woman, Janie’s quest for spiritual fulfillment clashes with the values that are imposed on her, she finds the power of voice. In voice, she is able to conquer those who use their own voice to control her. Through her journey, Janie undergoes changes ultimately becoming a hero. In the novel, Their Eyes Were Watching, Janie exhibits the heroic qualities of endurance, determination, and
courage.
Displaying her heroic nature, Janie is able to stand against others and stay resilient despite her hardships. Janie expresses the heroic quality of endurance that she has in the novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, In an arranged marriage with Logan Killicks set up by her grandmother, Janie exhibits endurance when the marriage fails. Completely done with her marriage and condescending insults given to her by Logan, she sets out for a new life. Leaving with the thoughts “The familiar people and things had failed her so she hung over the gate and looked up the road towards off. She knew now marriage did not make love. Janie’s first dream was dead so she became a woman” (Hurston Their Eyes Were Watching God 25). Dreams crushed and destroyed, Janie finds that she does not find fulfillment in the marriage with Logan and the things that he owns. Zora Hurston uses the gate as a symbol for change or a new life, by Janie leaving through the gate Hurston shows Janie was able to handle all the pain that the marriage had given to her and was able to leave on a new journey or quest for her life. Becoming a trophy wife, she leaves Logan for Jody and marries him but as time progresses Jody becomes more abusive and controlling. Janie shows her endurance when she is able stand all the comments that he makes about her. Becoming older and his age affecting his body, Jody becomes more insecure and lashes out on Janie about her own body to make her not pay attention to his. Humiliating her in front of the shop, Janie fights back against Jody causing him abasement as she refuses to allow him to do such a thing. In their argument she avers, “Now, Ah ain’t no young gal and no mo’ but den Ah ain’t no old woman neither. Ah reckon Ah looks mah age too. But AH’m uh woman every inch of me, and Ah know it. Dat’s uh whole lot mor’n you kin say. You big bellies round here and put out a lot of brag, but ‘tain’t nothin’ to it but yo’ big voice . . . Talkin’ ‘bout me lookin’ old! When you pull down yo’ britches, you look lak de change uh life” (79). Janie stands strong in their altercation and does not allow for Jody to humiliate her in such a way.. She retorts Jody’s comments about her body and defends herself as well as embarrassing him by practically desecrating his masculinity and undermining his dominance. By having her being able to endure Jody’s comments and words, Houston gives readers one of many scenes where she displays Janie’s endurance and her growing power of voice. After the death of Jody, a new man comes into her life named Tea Cake. After being charmed by the man and the two falling love, she ends up selling the shop Jody and her owned and leaves town. But when Janie was asleep Tea Cake took the two hundred dollars she had brought with her. Left to wonder where Tea Cake went, Janie is left alone with her tested faith and shows her endurance when she continues to hold her belief despite all the the doubts she has. She knows that she cannot go on forever shown when in her thoughts when she says “But, don’t care how firm your determination is, you can’t keep turning round in one place like a horse grinding sugar cane” (118). Despite knowing that at some point she would have to give up, Janie acts like a horse not giving up on Tea Cake resisting the doubt that she has. Depicting Janie in such a way, Houston lets readers know how Janie endures the situation with Tea Cake being gone. Because of her endurance, Janie is able to get through all these trials and past these difficult situations in her life and move forward. A hero should have endurance to be able to continue on despite all the things that they are going through.