October 2012 A Prospectus: Reading Hurtson’s Their Eyes Were Watching God from a Psychoanalytical Perspective Psychoanalytic theory has shown that infants start identifying themselves and recognize that they are individuals‚ separate from their mothers‚ at six months of age. At that age‚ the individuals’ own identity starts to form as they relate their reflection in the mirror to their own self. This is when texts such as Their Eyes Were Watching God become relevant. The protagonist‚ Janie Crawford
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Their Eyes Were Watching God Prepared Reading Section A: Paragraph Responses Race An important assertion that shows up multiple times throughout the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God is race. Throughout the story there was constant racial prejudice coming from both‚ the African American race and the Whites. A quote that supports this assertion is‚ “Ah thought you would ‘preciate good treatment. Thought Ah’d take and make somethin’ outa yuh. You think youse white folks by de way you act‚” (Hurston
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and Power "De nigger woman is de mule uh de world so fur as Ah can see." --Nanny‚ Their Eyes Were Watching God 14 This quote establishes the novel’s unusual perspective on gender difference. It’s the story of a woman’s struggle with power. During this time‚ African American women were looked upon as the mules of the world‚ because the men were considered the "Gods." Society believed that since they were the men of their households‚ whatever they said was the way it went. The novel set the tone
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convey love in Their Eyes Were Watching God‚ by Zora Neale Hurston. The strongest device is symbolism. Another book that is also relatable to this style is Romeo and Juliet. Hurston’s novel along with Shakespeare’s both use smaller methods to describe the larger device. Romeo and Juliet also has a lot of similarities to Their Eyes Were Watching God‚ through the symbolism of love. In Romeo and Juliet‚ Juliet found her only love in her only hate‚ and Janie in Their Eyes Were Watching God found she hated
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A Woman’s Journey to Self-discovery “She had waited all her life for something.” This quote is significant because it epitomizes the struggle of a woman to reach self-actualization. In Their Eyes Were Watching God‚ Zora Neale Hurston juxtaposes opposing places to emphasize the experience gained by the novel’s protagonist‚ Janie‚ in each respective location‚ and to emphasize the effect of that environment on Janie’s journey to attain her dreams. Through this comparison‚ the author explores the idea
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Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God‚ shows the development of an African-American woman living in the 1920s and 1930s as she searches for her true identity. Janie was a half-white‚ half-black girl growing up in Florida in the early 1930 ’s‚ living with her grandmother‚ struggling to find her place in life. Janie’s transformation throughout the book shows a change through language and the development of Janie’s voice through the different stages of her life. Their Eyes Were Watching God is a narrative
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Their Eyes Were Watching God In Their Eyes Were Watching God‚ Zora Neale Houston reveals the injustice of life as an African-American female during the early 20th century. Through narration‚ Houston sheds light upon the ignorance and biased perceptions in the African-American society that help to mold expectations for individuals while also placing limits upon them. Expressing hatred amongst their own elevates the telling of the novels bildungsroman and a woman’s strong desire and belief in her
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Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay In Their Eyes Were Watching God the characters Janie and Nanny have conflicting viewpoints on life and how Janie should live hers. Nanny is an old fashioned woman who grew up in a completely different generation than Janie. She grew up a slave‚ and she doesn’t really see things in the same way as Janie as a result of that time difference. Janie is an extremely advanced woman‚ as far as social standards go‚ for the time that she lives in. She is far more independent
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prevalent during this time. Hurston incorporates both the positive and negative aspects of African American culture into her stories in order to give a true depiction to her audience. In a number of her works‚ including “Sweat” and Their Eyes Were Watching God‚ domestic violence plays a very frequent role in marriages. Husbands would hit their wives to establish their power in the relationship‚ even when the wives did not do anything to deserve such cruel brutality. In Hurston’s short story‚
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Development of a Character with the Use of Figurative Language Throughout the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God‚ author Zora Neale Hurston is able to go into great detail using various forms of figurative language. With the use of assorted metaphors and symbols‚ she is able to express the feelings and emotions of Janie‚ the main character. Zora Neale Hurston uses figurative language in Their Eyes Were Watching God to develop Janie’s character and love life over time. Janie’s hair is used as a symbol
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