“Their Eyes Were Watching God”

“Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board. 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.” The opening quote is what the entire story represents.

The author expresses that the difference between men and women is men won't go after their dreams, they'd rather watch it slip away as if they were watching a boat sail on the horizon. Women on the other hand are persistent, they will do whatever they need to achieve they're goals. In this novel Janie Crawford pours out her life story to her best friend Pheoby Watson. In the beginning Janie was forced to live the ideal life of her grandmother, Nanny, but soon finds her way out to become the person she wants to be. The people she comes in contact with become a major part of the outcome of the person she becomes. In this essay I will share with you how Janie changed from the beginning of the novel to the end.

Janie's grandmother Nanny Crawford raised her because her mother ran off and left her when she was a child. Nanny was a former slave, which is why she did everything for Janie to live an ideal life. Nanny's yearn for Janie to live a perfect life caused Janie to at first live a life that she didn't approve of. Nanny had a strong desire for Janie to live a financially protected and a highly respected life. At ...