Symbol Evaluation in "Their Eyes Were Watching God"

Introduction

Their Eyes Were Watching God is the first self-conscious effort by an American ethnic writer both to subvert patriarchal discourse and to give voice to women of colour. Hurston's protagonist moves from object to subject, from a passive woman with no voice who can be dominated by her husband to a woman who can think and act for herself. Janie's change in status begins when she realizes that she is as important and knowledgeable as her husband. Soon after this realization, Janie begins to find her voice.

Form and Content

By introducing each chapter of Their Eyes Were Watching God with a thematic image, Zora Neale Hurston artistically changes the focus of the novel from an emphasis on Janie Crawford's linear chronology of her life to her internal development. For example, the “far horizon” to which ships sail and from which they return identified in the first line of chapter 1 becomes the protagonist's standard in evaluating the imaginative vision of each of her three husbands. By the concluding chapter, Janie reveals that herself has travelled to and returned from the “far horizon,” thus expressing her personal voyage of internal discovery.

Their Eyes Were Watching God begins as weary black workers sit on their porches and witness the return of Janie to her hometown of Eatonville, Florida. Expressing the superficial standards of society, these people believe that the widow of their deceased mayor, in returning alone and wearing overalls, has been financially exploited and abandoned by the young man with whom she had departed. When Janie's best friend, Pheoby Watson, questions the circumstances of her return, Janie respond that Pheoby can only understand if she knows the whole of Janie's life. It is within this framework that Janie proceeds to tell her story.

Symbolism in the novel

Analysis

Their Eyes Were Watching God appeals to readers of all ages because the primary conflict is so universal: the feeling of division experienced when the world (society, parents, and friends) offers standards of happiness that do not satisfy the individual's personal needs. Listening to Janie's narrative, the reader realizes that life is not fair, as Janie suffers criticism from her first two husbands and the townsfolk in spite of her efforts to concede to their demands. In the end, Janie's loyalty to her unique needs makes her indifferent to the townsfolk's' comments. Likewise, young adults who are facing conflicting decisions can empathize ...